When the temperature dips below the point where I’m comfortable going for a walk–that’s around minus 10 or minus 15 for me–I’ve been staying home. Like today: the most recent bulletin from Environment Canada says that it’s currently minus 26, with a wind chill of minus 39. But we’re going to be having those temperatures for the next three months, and what am I going to do, hide from them? No.
So I went for a walk around the lake. Now, I’m sure you’re wondering: what’s it like to walk 12 kilometres in a minus 40 wind chill?
Well, it’s not cold. That’s a surprise. I wasn’t wearing a winter coat–just layers under a gore tex rain jacket–but my body wasn’t cold. My feet were warm and, eventually, my hands warmed up, too.
On the other hand, it is cold. I was wearing long underwear and hiking pants and I needed another layer on my legs; they were freezing. And the only part of my face that was exposed to the cold–the area around my eyes–ached from the cold. My eyelashes gathered clumps of ice that threatened to freeze my eyes shut. Ice formed on my balaclava and that made the end of my nose cold. And the cold drained the battery in my camera. I only managed to get one photograph before it died completely.
There were sun dogs but I don’t think you can see them in that picture.
The wind had blown drifts over the path but they weren’t very deep. Usually the path is cleared by the park but their staff must’ve been given a long weekend off. I think I like it better when there’s some snow on it; I like the way the snow creaks underfoot. There were several other people walking, and a couple of cross-country skiers on the groomed trails by the Science Centre, so I wasn’t completely alone.
I thought about stopping for a cup of tea but decided not to. I didn’t want to warm up in the coffee shop and then face the cold outside all over again.
Will I go for a walk again when it’s this cold? Yes. Why not? I survived my walk today. And because the sun usually comes out when it’s this cold, the snow and the shadows look very pretty. But I’ll wear an extra pair of pants.
It’s 8 here today and will be 10 for the following 3 days. My friend, you are sooooo desperate to walk;-) And I thought I was bad…you take the ‘ice’ cake!!