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Let’s face it, as outdoor activities go, this has been an off winter.
Away from commercial slopes that generate snow essentially for sale, if you prefer snow sports this hasn’t been your season. Activities reliant on natural snow — cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, dog sledding, going downhill on a toboggan or tube and even ice skating or ice fishing — have gotten scant support from Mother Nature.
At the same time, most days the weather hasn’t been particularly inviting for non-snow activities, either. It’s frequently been too cold, too wet or maybe just to gloomy for a trail run on a bicycle — much less a road ride — or a walk in the woods or jog through the park (or town, or anywhere).
Die-hard exercise mavens would likely disagree, of course, possessing the fortitude and commitment to get their pulse up every day regardless of weather and gloom. Alternatively, there are ample examples of those keeping aerobically active indoors until the weather turns more welcoming, thanks to stationary bikes, treadmills and weights at home or at the gym.
Amid this weird winter of discontent emerges the annual “Get Your Tail on the Winter Trail” Challenge, as reported by Times Leader correspondent Geri Gibbons in Sunday’s paper. The goal: Log 30 miles hiking, biking, skiing or snowshoeing during February. Well, technically, it started Jan. 29 and runs through Feb. 28, making the slogan “30 in 30.”
The beauty of the challenge is two fold.
First, for most it should be a fairly low bar. Even with only 22 days left, you could meet the 30 mile goal by doing a bit less than 1.4 miles per day. That means maybe a half-hour to an hour outdoors per day on foot, less on a bike, making it easier to find a window of opportunity regardless of the weather or personal schedule.
Second, it is essentially a “multi-modal” challenge. Walk, run, bike, ski or snowshoe means you can not only pick the variation that best fits outdoor conditions each day, you get to mix it up enough to fend off boredom from doing the same routine weeks.
If you follow the official recommendations on the Get Your Tail on the Trail website (tailonthetrail.org), “any miles count” including indoor bike trainer spins. That seems to defeat the “on the trail” part, but if it’s the only way you’re willing or able to get in the valuable exercise, so be it.
We heartily recommend sticking to the spirit of the challenge. To help, the website offers a chance to register and log your miles, with a prize promised for hitting the 30-mile goal.
And as Sunday’s story noted, the D&L trail is a good option. Converted from an old railroad bed, it is a long stretch of flat to very-gently-sloped path with multiple local access points, the closest to Wilkes-Barre being the Black Diamond Trail Head in Mountaintop off Route 437.
“I love trails like this,” Rachael Stark of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council said in Sunday’s story, “because they are accessible to everyone, even those in a wheelchair.”
But there are other options that may be closer to you, including the levee trails along the Susquehanna River in Wyoming Valley, the 12.2-mile Susquehanna Warrior Trail following the river from West Nanticoke to a bit beyond Shickshinny, and various trails in nearby state parks.
Don’ let the odd weather be off-putting. Take the 30-mile challenge and get outside, even for short stints per day. You may find winter weather more enjoyable than expected, and you’ll almost certainly find the physical exercise a valuable boon to your mental well-being.
– Times Leader