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Casale's in the Sand: Hike in winter proves challenging

by Kristin Casale

Stow Sentry Associate Editor

Hiking can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors during the winter, but personal experience has taught me the activity can come with hazards.

I like to hike during all seasons, but most of the hikes I've taken have occurred during the spring, summer and early fall for obvious reasons.

Because of the higher chance of encountering snow, rain or cold temperatures in winter, I generally don't have as many opportunities to enjoy the outdoors during that season.

However, I try to hike during the winter when I can because I enjoy all the seasons. In the past, when I have hiked in winter, I picked days when there was no snow and it was relatively warm.

I also chose paths that were mostly flat and had good traction, so I wouldn't slip.

But Feb. 3, I went on a hike in Munroe Falls Metro Park that included snow, cold temperatures and a lot of ice.

Until that day, I never hiked in the park. I had spent time near the entrance, where there are paved, flat paths and didn't realize other parts of the park included unpaved trails with inclines.

The goal of the hike was to attempt to spot animals which don't hibernate in winter, but my goal quickly became trying not to slip on the path.

I nearly made it to the end without slipping, but despite all the care I took to avoid the ice, I still fell.

I'VE SLIPPED on ice at least once each winter since I was 18, so at 25, I've slipped on ice eight years in a row. I try hard to avoid it, but black ice has its name for a reason, and, somehow, I always manage to find it.

I showed up to the park thinking there would be minimal risks because the snow that had been falling for several days had stopped and the roads were completely clear.

I didn't expect any moisture to remain on the trail that would turn to ice, but I was wrong, because the entire path was covered in ice.

Metro Park guide Di Casteel led the hike, which started at the end of the trail.

She said her purpose was to minimize the risk of falling on the path, which goes steadily down hill toward the end of the trail.

"It's easier to fall up than down," she joked.

Casteel was right; it was easier to walk up a slippery hill than to slide down one. But, the inclines still proved to be treacherous.

We began the hike by walking up a set of steep steps, which were covered in ice. If the steps did not come with a railing, I'd have given up in the beginning. I'm pretty sure I gripped it tightly the entire time I was on the steps.

Once we got on more level ground, Casteel took the time to show us evidence of animals that had been by on the trail.

We saw some deer tracks and evidence of carpenter ants at work on trees, but by the end of the hike, I was just glad I completed it.

Because the trail was icy, I and some of the other hikers spent most of our time walking next to the path. The leaves and sticks in the woods provided much better traction than the trail did, though at one point, even the wooded area became slippery.

WE CAME to another hill on the trail, and the snow made the hill difficult to climb. I was doing pretty well at first, but at one point the snow was too slippery and there were no trees to grab.

While I decided how to get up the hill, I stopped for a minute so I wouldn't slip.

Tallmadge resident Gail Abbey was walking behind me at the time. She saw I was having trouble and offered to help.

"Do you want me to push?" Abbey joked. I actually considered the offer for a second, because I had serious doubts about getting up the hill.

But I was determined to make it, so I took a big step and grabbed a tree branch, and I made it to level ground.

At one point, the trail started to go quickly down hill, and even though I was walking next to the path, I still slipped.

I wasn't hurt at all, but at that point I decided I wanted to finish as quickly as possible. I went further off the path into an area with more trees and better traction and walked through it until I came to the end of the trail.

Despite the problems I encountered on the hike, I enjoyed becoming better acquainted with the park. I was determined to complete the hike, but I probably should have come back another day since I have so much trouble with ice.

I'm going to return to the park soon, so I can better enjoy the scenery. But next time I'll know whether I should take the hike or go home.

E-mail:

kcasale@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3117