For my first LDWA Group Walk, I chose one close to home, as I wanted to get to know some of the trails around my neighborhood. As it turned out, I got to know the trails in a different sort of weather than normal, as they were all covered in about 8 inches of snow! About 17 of us met up at the Birstwith village pub, and set off. It was cold but clear and sunny, so with layers of mittens and scarves we stayed warm enough. Plowing through the deep snow slowed us down a little bit, so it was almost three hours before we reached the halfway point and a tea stop. I was absurdly grateful to stop, sink down onto a snowbank, and munch on a biscuit. Our group leader, Adrian, shared around slices of Stollen as well. Luckily the tea in my thermos had stayed warm, and when we set off again I felt energetic again.
We did a fair share of trail breaking, as we crossed a few untouched fields of snow with a hard crust on top. But most of our trails were somewhat hard packed, and the scenery was just beautiful. I get the feeling that snow doesn't stay on the ground too long in this area, so it was nice to see the world look clean and white and fresh.
Normally I am a runner, at least until I get tired and have to walk up a hill or something. But it was enjoyable to take a slower pace for the day, enjoy the change in scenery, and chat with the folks in the group. And we all were happy to get back around to the pub at the finish, to warm up, change into dry clothing, and enjoy a delicious meal.
I was most gratified to find out the best part of snow hiking comes at the end. When I finally got back to the house, my boots weren't covered in dirt and mud, and my socks were actually dry!
See my other November 2010 snow pictures
here
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| Photo courtesy of Adrian |
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| Photo courtesy of Adrian |
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| Photo courtesy of Adrian |
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| Photo courtesy of Adrian |
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| Photo courtesy of Adrian |
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| Photo courtesy of Stuart |
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| Photo courtesy of Stuart |
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| Photo courtesy of Stuart |
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| Photo courtesy of Stuart |
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| Photo courtesy of Stuart |
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| Photo courtesy of Stuart |
We did a fair share of trail breaking, as we crossed a few untouched fields of snow with a hard crust on top. But most of our trails were somewhat hard packed, and the scenery was just beautiful. I get the feeling that snow doesn't stay on the ground too long in this area, so it was nice to see the world look clean and white and fresh. 
Dawn, I like your November 2010 winter pictures. They're beautiful.
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