GET READY TO STAY WARM AND HAVE FUN IN THE SNOW!!!
by Crede Calhoun, chief guide for Camp Earth and owner of Scenic Views Studios

With winter here we  can plan all kinds of great outdoor fun and
adventures. Just because it's cold and snowy doesn't mean we can't get
outside and have lots of fun. The winter is a fantastic time to explore
nature, and with a little preparation and knowledge your winter trips can
be safe and warm.

The first thing to be aware of is the importance of dressing properly.
Understanding a little about how clothes keep you warm is a good first
step. Clothes keep you warm by trapping air around your body. It's not the
material that keeps you warm. It is the material's ability to trap air that
makes it able to insulate your body heat. Winter clothing doesn't make
heat, it just stops you from losing body heat that is already being made.
Outdoor experts agree that dressing in layers is the best way to keep warm.
Thick layers of clothing do a great job of trapping air.

An important thing to remember is that keeping your clothes dry helps your
body stay warm. The evaporation of moisture from wet clothes has a cooling
effect on your body. If the wind blows over you and you have wet clothes
this evaporation process is speeded up and you are SUPER cooled. This is
why protecting yourself from the wind is as important as staying dry. Nylon
jackets and pants make a great outer layer that stops the wind from cooling
your body.

You should also try and not get overheated from wearing too many warm
clothes. If you are working hard in the cold, your body can still sweat if
you are dressed too warm. You should remember to 'ventilate' if you feel
yourself starting to sweat and get too warm. Ventilate means to 'open up',
so you should unzip your coat and take off your hat for awhile until you
'cool down'. Your body loses a lot of heat through your head because there
are so many blood vessels in the brain and the scalp. This is why to stay
warm you should 'put your hat on' ... and to cool off 'take your hat off'.

If you remember some of these rules about dressing your winter fun in the
snow will be more comfortable and safer.

Some Fun Things To Do in the Snow

Look for Animal Tracks
Animals leave a lot of tracks in the snow. You can find all kinds of tracks
from birds, from dogs, from deer. from rabbits and many other woodland
creatures. Sometimes the tracks tell a story. For example if you see some
dog tracks and cat tracks together, maybe the dog was chasing the cat? You
might be able to follow a mouse to his hole, or discover that a fox has
been lurking around your yard. Take the time to look around your yard and
see how many different kinds of tracks you can find.

Try Cross Country Skiing
Herrington Manor State Park outside of Oakland, Maryland has rental ski
equipment and some trails that loop through the wooded park. Many local
parks also have ski trails and equipment for rent, and sometimes you can
rent equipment from a ski shop or outdoor store. Golf courses can be good
places to cross country ski, but be sure to stay off the putting greens and
check with the groundskeeper to be sure it is ok.

It always best to start a new sport with a lesson, but a lot of people have
tried cross country skiing without taking one.  Cross country skiing
through the woods in the winter is really fun and a lot like walking.
Except, every time you take a stride the skis glide a little bit.
Swooshing and sliding along through the woods is peaceful and it's easy to
slide up on wildlife like deer.

If you start going too fast on the downhill sections of trail, just break
out 'the third brake'...just sit down!

Cross country skiing is also great exercise and very easy on the
environment (you don't need any electrical power or chair lifts to go cross
country skiing...just a good breakfast in your belly, and a few inches of
snow). You can pack a small backpack with a lunch, a thermos of hot cocoa
and even have a winter picnic.

Get Outside and Have Fun!
Winter is not the time to hibernate. Winter is a time to hike, make snowmen
(or women), ski, snowshoe, take pictures and get outside. You can't enjoy
and experience the peaceful beauty of winter unless you get outside.

Eat right so you have plenty of fuel for your body to use to keep warm.
Dress right so you can stay comfortable no matter what you are doing
(winter is no time to worry about your fashion statements).

Keep in shape by exercising this winter and don't let the cold keep you
inside.