There is a certain stark beauty to the woods in winter.
When the leaves are off the trees, the understory becomes a window on how the terrain rolls. Hiking trails have more texture, either softer or crispier depending on whether the leaf carpet is damp or dry.
The Cumberland Multiuse Trail covered in snow during a 2010 snowfall
A certain brighter breath of air makes the head clearer, and the simple human act of being outdoors becomes more enlivening. Winter weather is not always harsh. Warm sunshine on a January day can feel like a hug from an old friend. Snowfall on a familiar path can make even a modest trek into a sensory adventure and pleasure. Plants and some animals deal with the change in season by shutting down, keeping under cover or hibernating. We have no need to do the same; we can embrace many of the days that winter brings!
Animal tracks "crossing paths" in the snow
A winter walk doesn’t have to include precipitation; any clear day brings its own rewards. The central piedmont of Virginia is rarely is snowbound for months at a time.
A beaver lodge with its snug winter roof
Last year, Bear Creek Lake State Park was blessed with a few snowfalls. We usually don’t get a lot of snow, and what we get rarely lasts on the ground more than a week or so. The snow transformed the area into a new vista, just as when the leaves fall off the trees in late autumn. Each season brings its own beauty, and each is worth a fresh look. So get some warm clothes, put on a hat and coat, and step outside or visit a state park near you. When you dress for the weather, you dress for success!
Bear Creek Lake State Parklocation is about 4.5 miles northwest of the town of Cumberland. From U.S. Route 60, go west on Route 622 and south on Route 629 to the park entrance.
Drive Time: Northern Va., three hours; Richmond, one hour; Roanoke, two hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach, three hours.
Latitude, 37.531773. Longitude, -78.271589.