The cold weather didn’t stop a group of adventure seekers from taking to a snow-covered wooded trail Saturday in Murrysville.
Maybe it was the promise of hot chocolate at the end of the nearly 3-mile hike or a desire to get outdoors with others during a time when indoor activities are limited because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Murrysville recreation director Carly Greene said she is planning more hikes around the municipality as a way to enjoy the season and encourage others to get out of the house. Attendance was capped at 40 participants, but plenty more showed interest, she said.
“We had a really strong response,” she said.
The recreation department partnered with the Westmoreland Conservancy for the event that started at Murrysville Community Park. Hikers met at Valley Trail and then moved through the woods under blue skies onto the Don Harrison Trail and into Caywood Reserve.
A recent poll conducted by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources showed that 86% of Pennsylvanians who visited a park or trail during the pandemic reported that time outdoors has been key to their physical and mental health. Attendance at state parks increased by nearly 27% in 2020, according to department officials.
Getting fresh air can be important during the winter months when there is less sunlight and opportunity to recreate outside, Greene said.
“Just a few minutes, a couple miles, brightens your day,” she said.
Dressing in layers is important and some feet or hand warmers can ward off the chill, said Shelly Tichy, president of the Westmoreland Conservancy.
“People don’t realize just the fact that you’re moving makes it quite not so miserably cold,” she said.
There is plenty to do and see on a winter hike, Tichy said.
Without leaves on the trees, bark is more visible and there are certain species of fungi and ferns that do well in cold weather. Birds are out looking for berries and they can be easier to spot with a white, snowy background.
“Just because it’s the winter doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to see,” she said.
