I'm Low-Key Afraid To Hike During Winter

And Here Is How I Am Working On It

By: Michelle Jackson

I love everything about winter; the crisp air, the snow, and how the sky looks when a storm front is coming in from the West. I love sitting in front of a crackling fire, wrapped up in a blanket, drinking something yummy while reading a book. Winter for me is planning out how many runs I’m going to get in on my favorite mountain and trying to work my way through the endless decision-making process of which ski pass to get. Epic or Ikon? There’s nothing better than bundling up wearing my favorite beanie and exploring my town. So, it may surprise you that there is one thing that I’m scared to do during the winter.

I’m low-key afraid to hike during the winter.

There are a few reasons why I think this fear developed. Growing up in Colorado, I cannot think of a year where there hasn’t been breaking news about hikers reported missing on a mountain during an unexpected snowstorm.

Also, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mother Nature. There are so many unknowns that can happen during a winter hike that I find myself overthinking many of the things that are entirely outside of my control.

But, after a summer of debilitating heat, horrible air quality, and just being forced indoors, I’m rethinking winter hiking. I have decided that it’s time to take control of this fear. Here are a few of the actions that I plan on taking to enjoy hiking during the winter.

Take a Winter Hiking Course

One of the great things about living in an outdoors mecca is that there are a ton of resources available to help me become a better outdoorswoman. Part of my fear of winter hiking is the potential for getting lost on the mountain and not having the right survival skills to aid me if a team needs to rescue me. It’s not enough to have the right equipment. I want to understand how to build a small snow cave, how to stay warm, and most importantly, how to read the environment so that I’m aware of my surroundings.

The great thing about these courses is that the instructors respect your fears, and they are taught in the environment that I would be roaming around in. Spending a couple of hundred bucks for a course would be worth the peace of mind.

Sign Up for Easy Winter Hikes

Hiking events occur throughout the year here in Denver. During the winter hiking season, the biggest challenge that I’ve consistently found is finding easy hikes hosted by avid hikers. Typically, they are looking to take much more advanced hikes than the ones I would feel comfortable going on right now.

During my regular hikes, I can “read” the trail, spot food, etc. But, I don’t have the same level of outdoor competency for winter hiking. My goal is to build my confidence with each subsequent hike and gain the winter hiking competency needed to feel safe on the trail.

Update My Gear

Who am I kidding? Whenever there’s an opportunity to update my gear, I’m happy to do it. I own microspikes, but now would be a great time to do a gear audit to make sure that I’m using the right equipment for winter hiking. I have hiking shoes, but I use them for warm-weather hiking trips.

Enjoy the Process

I’m looking forward to enjoying the outdoors this winter after months of being forced inside due to heat, smoke, and bad air. But the key to truly enjoying the experience is taking some time to educate myself about the technical aspects of winter hiking that have kept me off of the mountain.

Truth be told, my fear of winter hiking isn’t just because of my lack of winter hiking skills. I genuinely respect the unpredictability of winter conditions. Each time I step outside during the winter months for skiing, sledding, or even a quick drive into the mountains, I never know what to expect. Whenever I enjoy the outdoors, I respect that a lot is outside of my control. I’m excited to push myself this winter and enjoy the outdoors after a summer of being stuck inside because of wildfires. At least this new push gives me an excuse to go buy some new gear.

Michelle Jackson runs the website and podcast Square State, where she gets to unapologetically geek out about her state of Colorado. When she's not having random conversations with new people, she can be found hiking, biking, sitting on a patio, or exploring the mountains. Her ultimate goal is to normalize POC faces in outdoor spaces and stop surprising people when she says she's from Colorado.