BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG
One month ago yesterday, I picked the last of the tomatoes, beans, and peppers, as well as dug up our sweet potatoes in our city garden. The winter chill came for a bit after that, but with the exception of one brief snow, Chicagoland has been snow free.
But several inches of snow blanketed the area on Thursday night and Friday morning, and I was excited to take my first snowy hike. I wish I could tell you that I hiked at Matthiessen State Park or Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve, but I instead headed to Dunning Read Natural Area, a 23-acre prairie, woodland, and wetland that is currently being restored by the Chicago Park District and volunteers with the Dunning Read Natural Area Park Advisory Council.
Dunning-Read is a work-in-progress urban nature area, but I’ve come to love it because it’s near my home and my son’s school (perfect for quick morning hikes after drop off) and I see so many improvements every time that I visit. (See my article, Dunning-Read Natural Area: A Prairie Oasis in Chicago, for more on this great place.)
Dunning-Read looked peaceful and beautiful coated in snow when I arrived around 7:30 a.m. on Friday. Better yet, I was the first one to hike there after the snow. The preserve was a blank slate for me to discover as I hiked.
I walked in the open prairie (which had just been burned) and felt the cold wind hitting my face.
I looked for birds, saw two, but spotted more planes overhead than our avian friends.
I admired the oak leaves still on a few trees, the milkweed pods still dropping seeds, and animal tracks in the snow. Life must be challenging for the mice and rabbits of Dunning Read as they try to find food and avoid hawks and owls looking for lunch.
I ignored the cars and trucks whizzing by on Belmont Avenue in the distance.
I then hiked into the forested section of the preserve and traveled toward one of my favorite spots—the site of a pretty white birch tree. The only one in the preserve to my knowledge. It’s beautiful and reminds me of the forests of white birch trees in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, especially at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
I resumed hiking.
I had the woods to myself, and it felt good. Nature is an antidote for the challenges of modern life.
I love moving through the woods in a steady rhythm, listening to the sounds of nature and searching for birds, deer, and perhaps a coyote.
I admired the ever-changing sky that was trying to show a splash of blue-gray after the storms had cleared earlier in the morning.
I wished that Dunning-Read was larger, that I had more time to hike (but I had to get to work), and that the world could be better run, kinder, and happier (but we probably all wish for that in some way or another).
I headed toward my car as the wind whipped around me and planned a longer winter hike in some wilder and even more wonderful place in Chicagoland.
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A lot more snow (I hope) will come to Chicagoland this season. It’s tempting to want to stay in our warm, cozy houses, but I highly suggest that you get out and enjoy the white winter magic before it’s gone in a few months.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when you go winter hiking:
- Don’t overdo it on your first winter hike. Hiking in the snow is much more physically taxing than a summer jaunt through the woods. Remember, if you hike a mile in the snow, you’ll have a mile’s return (unless you’re hiking a circle trail).
- Whether you plan to hike for 15 minutes or a few hours, pack water, a lightweight emergency blanket, a lighter (to try to start a fire if you get stranded), small flashlight, basic first aid kit, whistle or other signaling device, and a fully-charged phone (and a charger, too). Many outdoor experts also suggest taking a compass and a GPS device. Although you may be familiar with your hiking area, everything looks different in the winter. You could become lost, fall and break your leg, or face other challenges. Getting lost is not a problem at a small nature center, but forest preserves (such as Cap Sauers), state parks (I suggest Matthiessen, Rock Cut, Apple River Canyon, Illinois Beach, and Starved Rock state parks in Illinois, as well as Indiana Dunes State Park), national parks such as Indiana Dunes National Park, and other hiking destinations (such as Nachusa Grasslands) are much larger.
- Don’t put your water bottle in your backpack because it can freeze (if you’re out for a long time). Place it in an interior coat pocket, if possible.
- Keep batteries warm. Phone, flashlight, and other batteries can drain quickly in the cold and leave you in a tough spot should you need them. As a result, it’s a good idea to keep them in a pocket close to your body.
- Dress warmly, but in layers, because you’ll probably break a sweat if you hike for a while (or hike in hilly areas) and may need to take off a few outer layers as you go. Be sure to cover as much exposed skin as possible to avoid windburn and frostbite.
- Be careful of what’s under the snow: Tree branches, rocks, and other objects that might make you trip, depending on the depth of the snow.
- Watch your footing. Bridges, boardwalks, rocky areas, and other spots can be very slippery in the snow.
- Avoid walking on icy lakes, ponds, and rivers—unless you’re sure that the water is completely frozen.
- Always tells someone that you’re going hiking, where you are traveling to, and what time you’ll be back.
- Bring sunscreen and sunglasses. This might be surprising to some people, but the ice and snow make perfect reflectors for the sun’s rays.
- Consider spicing up your hike by donning over-the-shoe traction devices or snowshoes. Click here for my article, “First-Time Snowshoer Tells All: 10 Tips for Success and My Son’s Thank You.”
- Have an “Act II” ready for after your hike—a visit to the indoor part of a nature center, coffee shop, brewery, or other place that you can warm up and reward yourself from avoiding the potentially terminal medical diagnosis of IStayedInsideAndWatchedBadTVAllDay.
Copyright (text/photos) Andrew Morkes
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Looking for some other great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $19.99.
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ABOUT ANDREW MORKES
I have been a writer and editor for nearly 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of “The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends” blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. I’m also a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school.
In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 60 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the Vault Career Guide to Accounting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series) and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades and Cool Careers in Science series).
Here’s a list of the environmental-focused titles that I’ve written:
- Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit
- Wind Turbine Technicians (Great Careers Without a Bachelor’s Degree series)
- Environmental Scientists (Cool Careers in Science series)
- Renewable Energy Careers (Cool Careers in Science series)
- Environment (Getting Started series)
- Solar Power Technicians (Careers in Infrastructure series)
Great reminder to leave sunblock in the car – I always forget sunblock with planning to be outside in the winter!