Walking with Nature: Winston Woods in January

I’ll admit it: I’ve been a bit of a wimp, not wanting to walk much in windy sub-zero weather. I almost regretted my plan to write about Winston Woods once a month during 2014. When the temperature got up to 21° F on January 29, I decided to bundle up and see what Winston Woods has to offer in the winter. 

The first thing I learned is that some people are less wimpy than I am. There were footprints leading into the woods, providing a path where the snow didn’t come over the top of my boots. People had headed into the woods despite the cold temperatures. Why would anyone be so crazy?

For one thing, the wind doesn’t have free reign among the trees. Even though most of the trees are nearly bare of leaves, there are enough of them to block some movement of the air. I wasn’t as cold walking in the woods as I was walking on the nearby sidewalk, looking at “snow waves” made by the wind. 

Also, the woods “are lovely, dark and deep,” to quote Robert Frost.  Winston Woods is not actually dark on a sunny afternoon, but definitely is lovely. Except on paths made by human and animal feet, the snow is undisturbed where it fell. As a result, I couldn’t resist taking a few photos.

The frozen creek is not deep or dark either, but it is lovely in multiple ways. I crossed the little foot bridge where in warm weather my grandsons like to get down and peer into the water. On one side of the bridge, I enjoyed crystals in the ice. On the other, the creek is covered in snow. As I walked the path a bit farther, I could see that an animal had used it for a trail. 

Another reason I like Winston Woods even in winter is that I feel more enfolded in the natural world there than I do on the DuPage River Greenway or in the Wetlands, where the paths are wide and paved. In Winston Woods, paths curl around trees. Branches reach out and pat me on the shoulder. Unfortunately, this familiarity makes me vulnerable to the ticks that sit in wait, ready to drop onto a perspective “host.” In this weather, the ticks are inactive, burrowed into leaf mold or other hiding places. They are not active when the temperature is below freezing. Since I was bitten by a tick in Winston Woods a couple years ago, I consider this to be a good reason for hiking through Winston Woods during a cold snap. Once temperatures get above freezing, though, I’ll have to taking precautions.

Catherine Crawford recently posted in the Bolingbrook Patch five suggestions for things to do if you aren’t watching the Super Bowl on Sunday (see http://bolingbrook.patch.com/groups/weekend-planner/p/5-tips-for-the-football-adverse-on-super-bowl-sunday-bolingbrook?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001&newsRef=true ). Add to her list, “Take a walk through Winston Woods with a friend or family member.” You might be surprised how beautiful it Winston Woods is in the winter. Walking there isn’t crazy after all.

© Wilda Morris