Wander Woman: Bundle up and explore winter’s splendor

I remember the first time I saw the shadow of a snowflake.

It was late one night – already pushing into the a.m. hours – and I was walking across Eureka College’s campus after a shift at the student newspaper. Enormous white flakes drifted in a slow descent, catching like puffs of cotton on everything in their path.

As I passed a streetlamp, dozens of shadows skittered across the unbroken snow. My first thought was of moths – in the summer, I had seen them cast small shadows when they tapped around my family’s garage light.

Even as the thought occurred, I knew it didn’t make sense because of moths’ midwinter dormancy. I paused and watched the oversized snowflakes pass through the light until they met their shadows on the ground.

That image imprinted itself on my memory. Almost 20 years later, I can close my eyes and replay the moment.

Scenes like snowflakes in a streetlight evaded me for much of my life. Winter had been an indoor season for me, spent with stacks of books, fuzzy socks and oversized blankets. It was a season I viewed through glass, always on the other side of a window.

During the other three seasons of the year, I never hesitated to explore the outdoors to seek firsthand encounters with spring wildflower blooms, glittering summer lakesides and a paint palette of fall foliage.

But December through March? Those months were reserved for bundled, grumbling dashes between house and car.

Glimpsing the shadows of snowflakes changed that routine. I began to wonder what other small splendors awaited.

It turns out that winter is as much an outdoor season as the rest of year. Some preparation is required, but the payoff is worth the effort.

In the winter issue of Starved Rock Country Magazine, correspondent Stephanie Jaquins interviewed Joe Jakupcak, a guided hike leader at Starved Rock State Park.

The Q&A highlights winter hiking tips, including how to dress for the weather. When it comes to cold temperature exploration, the right combination of clothing can be the main hurdle.

One of the top tips Jakupcak shared is to wear traction devices on your footwear when hiking through snow. Traction devices such as crampons or Yaktrax are a game-changer for keeping feet on the ground (and the rest of your body upright) when stepping away from shoveled paths.

With the recent sub-zero temperatures around the Illinois Valley, I’m eagerly awaiting the ice falls to finish forming at Starved Rock State Park. No matter the temperature this weekend, I plan to bundle up (crampons included) and hit the trail.

While the ice falls are one of the grander and iconic scenes in the region, winter splendor exists all around. Whether it’s as simple as a crimson leaf in sharp contrast against snow or as artful as swirling patterns on the ice of a frozen creek, the outdoors offers endless sights to behold.

People around the region have been sharing appreciation for some of nature’s latest art exhibitions. Despite below-zero temperatures over the weekend, my social media feed was full of friends’ photos of a sundog casting a ring in the sky and mist hanging over the Illinois River.

In the online conversations sparked by the images, praise for the beauty smothered complaints about the weather.

As winter wears on, I’ll continue seeking the seasonal scenes. I hope to wake up to at least one hoarfrost coating the branches and stalks in my yard. In the meantime, I enjoy watching the blank canvas of my backyard transform into a meandering map of rabbit, squirrel and the occasional possum routes.

With every step outside, there’s something to appreciate.

Even if it’s as small as the shadow of a snowflake.

Julie Barichello is the editor of Starved Rock Country Magazine and is a graphic designer for Shaw Media’s niche publications. She can be contacted at jbarichello@shawmedia.com.