What happens when you take a walk outside? A quick answer:  all the healthy things you wish for. Your stress rate drops along with blood pressure. Skeletal and muscular systems are strengthened. Your lungs take in the best air possible. Indoor air may be warmer, feel more comfortable, but it is not as pure or fresh. Oxygen in greater quantities enters your lungs, it is transferred to your circulatory system. Eventually, your brain gets more oxygen. An overall feeling of health can be recognized by your brain-even during the hike. Are you motivated to get outside yet?

If you live in northern climates where the temperatures drop below freezing, the only reason to glance at the thermometer is to know what warm clothes to wear. Give no thought to the number given by the thermometer beyond what to wear. Cold can be overcome when the right clothes are worn. Once, a while back, someone said to me, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” No, do not use the thermometer as an excuse to neglect a trip outside for a walk or a hike.

Yes, take a hike. If possible, do someone else a favor-take them with.

You might benefit from an example. I took a hike this morning. The thermometer said +10 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, I dressed in layers. Wool socks covered my feet, an insulated stocking cap covered my ears and the leather chopper mitts went on my hands. Later on in the hike, I found the hooded sweatshirt under my insulated jacket useful. Covering my head with the hood gave just a few degrees of increased comfort. On a hike in cold weather rule one is keep your head warm. We lose a great deal of body heat when our head is uncovered.

Whenever I set out on a hike the first steps are exciting. The unknown lies ahead. What will my eyes see? What will my ears hear? Will there be beauty that brings an audible “wow?” With every hike, something catches the eye. The first steps have me wondering what it will be today. An unwritten prerequisite of mine is the best hikes take me to wild places. Today’s hike did that.

My destination was across Wright Lake. It’s just a narrow bay with houses on the north side and woods of Ironwood, Basswood, Burr Oak, Red Oak and Ash on the south side. I don’t go there often. A hike there is always a worth while adventure that way. The terrain is hills and woods. It’s a bit strenuous, but as an old guy I’m leaning to take my time. It isn’t long into the hike before my eyes begin to pick up deer tracks. Soon, their tracks become regular trails. I use them. It’s easier walking. I find myself wondering if they will avoid the places where I walk. Can they pick up my scent? It doesn’t seem possible-but my senses are significantly less acute than a Whitetail’s. I don’t see as well. I can’t hear as well. Certainly, my sense of smell is many degrees less sensitive.

I stop to look around me often. We miss things-especially wildlife-when we walk. Paying attention to where you put your feet is distracting. Almost immediately, the deep silence is both noticeable and delightful. What does nature silence do for the human soul? Whatever the answer, I know it is delightful. The only consistent sounds in winter woods are the calls of the chickadee and nuthatch. I did hear crows a while later, after a distant helicopter to the west. Silence was the main event.

On a hike into woods, one of my goals is to see a Whitetail. A photograph would be amazing-but my expectations are always low. Deer know where I am long before my eyes can pick them out. Today was no different. My goal on this hike was to sit in the thick woods along the river which runs to the west. It lies along the south border of the woods. I stopped to look before turning south. My eyes picked up movement. It was the flicking tail of a whitetail as it loped into the woods out of my sight to the north. No picture. Even the back half of a wild creature like the whitetail is beautiful. Score another success-beauty for the soul. I can still picture the deer gracefully disappearing into the woods. There was no sound even though the wind was in my face. Did I mention I did not have high expectations?

A deer trail took me to the south and the ridge on the north shore of the river. This is one of my favorite places. Facing east my eyes could scan the wooded river bottom below and the deer trail coming over the ridge. I set up my camera, sat down on my camp chair, and waited for something to happen. I scanned the sky for an eagle, listened for twigs breaking. Deer often do that. Even a chickadee landing in one of the nearby trees would be a delight. Nothing like that happened. The silence of the woods happened all around me. Though I never saw them, I knew these woods were home to the whitetails, winter birds, coyotes, meadow voles, winter white ermine and even a rare mountain lion. (I’ve seen the tracks of one in these woods.)

I didn’t linger in the woods. On the way home I glanced west, movement caught my attention. Four deer were standing nervously, their heads and ears at alert to my presence. I stood and waited for them to move westward and further away from me. They only allowed me a glance. As I trekked along the east end of the lake an orange fungus on a decaying birch tree caught my eye. The silent waggle of milkweed seed still clinging to the seed pod completed the nature sights for the day.

I’ll sleep well tonight.

It was a good hike.