Nathan and I took our first real stab at some winter hiking this year, cause… COVID, so why not! Virginia winters have been mild in recent years, and *of course* this year decided not to follow the trend with a majority of our nights going below freezing. That meant that on our two hiking trips this winter, both of the mountain trails were blanketed in snow (and the less “nice” ice). Here’s a look into what we took on and what we would not do next time!

High Knob Trailhead, Brandywine, WV, January 2021

The snow we got for this hike was really a treat! At this point in our Central Virginia winter we had yet to get anything more than some cold weather and a few dustings of snow. When we entered the George Washington National Forest and started driving up through the mountain pass, we were greeted by beautiful, white, winter snow. We were giddy with excitement, because again, this was really the first snow we’d seen since December 2018.

The 3-mile trek began a little slippery and we quickly realized our hiking poles would have been a great thing to bring along. Luckily, the snow was packed down and powdery enough that the trek was manageable without poles, if the trail had been icier, that would have been another story.

We made it to the fire tower about 1.5 miles in and were greeted by a winter wonderland that we got to enjoy all to ourselves. With the bare, snow covered trees and wilderness below, the views stretched for miles. We stayed at the top for a while before making the trek back down the mountain.

The Fire Tower at High Knob Trail in West Virginia

We absolutely plan to add this to the summer bucket list, to enjoy what the lush forest views have to offer!

Ingalls Overlook, Warm Springs, VA , February 2021

This trail, beautiful as it was, really did a number on my anxiety for this icy winter hike. We came to the Covington/Warm Springs area for a hiking weekend, which ended up being one of the coldest weekends this winter with temperatures well below freezing after two major ice and snowstorms that swept across the country. We decided on this trail after journeying to Falling Springs Falls (a must see!) and continuing up the road to Warm Springs. The temperatures dropped the more the car climbed and by the time we reached the trailhead parking lot, we were at a whopping 20 degrees (without windchill, and believe me there was plenty of that!).

We had brought our poles this time (absolutely necessary, we could not have done this icy trail without the poles), but honestly the conditions were still not ideal even with the support of the hiking poles. We decided to complete the trek anyway and there were times when I let my anxiety get the best of me. We were the only ones on the trail, my water bladder hose froze almost instantly, and was only wearing a single layer of hiking leggings. Many trees had fallen during the ice storm and you could hear branches crackling and creaking as we walked by. We made it to the top (barely), which felt like a huge accomplishment for me based on the obstacles I pushed through on the way up. Huge shoutout to Nathan for pushing me to get to the top. The way back was much more pleasant.

Lessons Learned

Although the Ingalls Overlook hike was beautiful in the snow and ice and we made it the full 2.5 miles ok, I do not feel we were fully prepared and experienced enough in true winter hiking for these conditions.

As we continue on our Parkbound Treks, and start integrating winter hiking into our travels more (because it truly is a magical experience), there are some lessons learned we will be taking into consideration:

Making sure hiking pole screws are tightened.
I had this issue where my pole kept collapsing instead of spiking into the snow.
Wearing the correct women’s hiking pants.
Nathan was prepared in this department, but I was not, I ended up having to double layer hiking leggings, but this will not cut it next time.
Ensuring your water is in a bottle that won’t freeze.
Luckily we had an unfrozen bottle, but this is something that literally didn’t even cross my mind.
Having a robust winter kit in the car.
We filled a plastic tub with our 20 degree sleeping bags, matches, and lanterns so that should something happen, and we needed to sleep in the car we would survive. We plan to make a more robust kit for this in the future and include something like this in all future adventures.

Takeaways

Although there were some important lessons learned, there are still SO many reasons to love winter hiking (especially in VA!)

Less crowds: this is always a bonus!
Wildlife is less of a concern: If bears give you anxiety (like they give me sometimes) then winter hiking is great because, for the most part, they are off hibernating.
Getting out of the house feels freeing!
If you are like us, stir craziness is no joke in the winter (especially during a global pandemic) and getting out in the fresh air is such a treat and does wonders for mental health.
The views are awesome!
Yes, with Winter hikes you do miss the warm weather, those lush green trees, and those beautiful wildflowers (a personal favorite of mine). However, the bare trees open up the landscape and give you the opportunity to see much, much more then you would be able to at other times of the year.
Snow covered forests are a thing of beauty!
It feels magical to walk through a quiet forest covered in sparkling ice crystals .