Wow! Look at the time! Among my first thoughts this morning was, “This is a good day for a walk.” Suddenly, it’s almost over. Better hustle if a walk is going to happen today.

You come along. You be the reader. Yes, that makes me the walker. It is already 4:30 we need to get moving. Sunset is at 5:47. We won’t be out that long. The temperature in Fahrenheit is -12 degrees below zero. Yes, that’s cold. But the wind is light. Ok, yes, there is a wind chill. It feels like -35 degrees Fahrenheit. Did you forget you are the reader? My task is to be the walker.

You wonder what can keep me warm? Here is the list of warm gear for you: insulated coveralls (think a pair of thick multi-layered bib overalls) insulated pack boots (good to -60 below), a thick sweater, a fleece vest and a long parka with hood (it is extremely warm). On my head an ice fishing cap-rated below zero. On my hands insulated gloves with gauntlets that cover my forearms. All of this goes over the indoor clothing.

It’s 4:35 PM, let’s get outside. Our first stop is to check the chimney of our fireplace. Wood smoke creates a steam like vapor in cold like this. Looking at it makes us feel warm, do you agree? As we look west, we get a glimpse of the steam plume from the power plant smokestack. It is a very clean emission, but with the deep cold, the steam released makes a plume visible for more than 30 miles in cold air. A new plan forms in my mind. We’ll walk to the east end of the lake. There we can clearly see the plume from the power plant stack.

There was a northwest breeze…and a windchill because of it. Notice the pale blue of the cold late afternoon winter sky?

Now let’s walk. The cold air feels good, smells good and is invigorating as we begin. Can you hear the crunch of snow under my boots? That’s a sure sign of cold air…the snow crunches. It feels good to stretch the legs after spending most of the day inside. Now, look up at the sky. In the late afternoon light, the sky is a pale blue. It is a cold looking sky. The houses we walk by seem deserted. That’s where the neighbors are right now…warm in their heated spaces.

They don’t feel the cold. But they are not filling their lungs with clean fresh air. No, the cold is not hurting our lungs. Breathing the cold air is easy, it’s painless…and fresh…and let’s say sparkling. It makes us feel alive and glad to be on this walk. As we move east, the cold begins to creep through the insulating layer of my coverall. You probably don’t feel it. While the coverall is thick, it is not enough for this cold. Still, they are just right for walking. They do not cause either of us to sweat. Sweat in this cold is a serious negative. It freezes and advances the cold rapidly. Good news, my upper body is warm everywhere. Told you the parka is very warm. Did you know it’s green?

Look we’ve made it to the lake. Yes, we have a steep bank to go down to reach the ice of the lake. But we’ll stop for a picture or two of the squirrel tracks on the snow covering the tree stump and log on the way down slope. Yes, there were other interesting subjects, but in the time it takes to take two photos with my phone, my hands have gotten seriously chilled. It’s time to put the phone in the right bib pocket and get the gloves on! It’s really cold!

Squirrels stop here before leaping to the stump to the west. These tracks are fresh.

As we make the ice of the lake let’s turn our eyes to the west and find the plume of steam from the power plant. Do you like the haze of clouds just beyond to the west. They are a smoky blue. Beautiful is one way to describe them. Can you see the steam moving from the stack? Perhaps a video of it would be a good way for those not on the hike with us to experience what we are seeing. Let’s use the spindly trunk of the willow tree near shore. It will make a steady place to shoot the video from. Ok-its time to take the gloves off. Perhaps a photo would be good first. Now the video, we’ll make it 10 seconds long. Wow…10 seconds is just about too long. My fingers are already in pain from the cold! Better hurry and get the phone tucked in the pocket to keep it warm and then… quick…get those gloves on!

We should head across the lake to the woods on the far shore. There always are interesting things to look at…in winter the tracks in the woods tell the story of what animals have been there. We’ll go the straight path, the shortest way. Wait, the snow is too deep, there is a snowmobile track that circle back to the woods. We’ll take that.

Do you notice how dark it is getting as we step into the shade of the trees? Can you feel the wind on your face like me? It feels icy to me. On second thought, we will be wise and much safer if we turn around now. We’ve been outside now for more than 15 minutes. We have about 15 minutes to return to the house. Let’s turn around. Look, do you like the golden sunlight on the trees? That solitary birch tree on the right has a special beauty in the sunlight. Just think, walking west we are in the shade and deepening darkness. By turning around, we are again in the light. But you are right, neither of us are any warmer.

No stopping now. We are reaching the limits of what is safe in below zero weather. As we retrace our steps, we notice the dark outlines of a small flock of Canada Geese flying toward the city and the unfrozen water of the river flowing through town. They must feel some cold. Even with a thick layer of nature’s perfect insulator-down-they must feel a little cold. What do you think?

Here's another question for you. Do you like winter twilight in below zero temperatures? So do I.

We’re back to the house. Let’s get inside. We’ve been gone for 30 minutes. The temperature when we left was -12. It is minus 13.9 now. My nose is runny. My skin tingles. I feel alive…very alive. This feeling will last into the evening. Just a walk in the cold-extreme cold. A walk like this is a gift. One part health, one part memory, a final part refreshment for body and soul.

Would a walk on a sandy beach today be as good? Yes.

But my sandy beach is snow covered and the temperature is below zero.

Thank you for walking with me. Perhaps you’ll try the real thing for yourself. There’s nothing like the real thing.

Below Zero

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