By Josephine Brennan, Trustees Staff
Photo by Richard Cheek
Winter can often feel grey, cold, and bleak. There’s a reason many get the winter blues, especially in New England – a gentle summer breeze is replaced by brisk winter gusts, sunshine can be scarce, and that can make it daunting to get outdoors.
There is a certain wonder to the winter, though. When snow falls, things get quiet. New animals emerge, welcomed by the change in temperature. Cold temperatures create conditions that allow for different activities—from skiing, sledding, and snowshoeing to ice skating and beyond.
Winter, it turns out, can be one of the best times of the year to venture outdoors, whether you discover something new, take up a hobby, or just bask in the beauty of nature. We hope you’ll join us at our Trustees special places this season, to take in Massachusetts as it turns into a winter wonderland.
Enjoy the Beauty of Nature
It’s easy to feel like winter ushers in a period of less beauty in nature—the trees are bare, duller without their full branches. Flowers won’t bloom for quite some time, grasses are brown, and only the occasional evergreen seems to offer a glimpse of color. But if you take a moment to look a bit closer, there’s beauty to be seen in the winter landscape.
Consider the winter woods. Without the dense foliage, bird nests are easier to spot, and their inhabitants are, too. New England is home to several bird species that thrive in the winter months, and in the quiet woods you can hear their songs ring out.
Tracks left by animals can be easier to spot on the snow-covered ground, evidence of the life that shares these spaces with us. Frost and snow, too, can leave intricate patterns to admire. On the coast, the dunes are easier to traverse with more solid ground below and provide a shelter that can otherwise be suffocating in the summer heat.
Some of our favorite spots to take in the season include Crane Beach in Ipswich, Cormier Woods in Uxbridge, Peaked Mountain in Monson (which offers its own unique set of challenges for the more experienced hiker), and Brooks Woodland Preserve in Petersham.
Try a Snow Sport
New England is renowned for its varied terrain that supports winter and snow sports. Whether you’re an avid Nordic skier, want to try out snowshoeing, enjoy sledding on a snow day, or simply enjoy a walk in the woods, taking time to indulge in a hobby outdoors during winter months is well worth the cold hands and red nose.
Groomed Nordic trails can be found at Notchview in Windsor, and Appleton Farms and Appleton Farms Grassrides in Ipswich and Hamilton. Notchview is a must-ski property, with over 25 miles of trails to explore, half groomed and track-set for classical cross-country skiing and five miles groomed for skate skiing. Visitors can also snowshoe alongside the ski trails or go off track and explore the backcountry.
Snowshoeing is an excellent way to enjoy nature’s wonders when there’s snow-covered ground. Conveniently, snowshoeing doesn’t require much specialized equipment, rentals are an excellent way to get comfortable at first, and you can really do it anywhere. Sidewalks and city parks before they are plowed or shoveled offer the same conditions as a wooded trail.
And who doesn’t love sledding after fresh snow has fallen? The Trustees is home to many great sledding hills, from the rolling drumlins of World’s End in Hingham to the Grand Alee at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate and many other properties across the state.
Take in a Winter Program
It may feel nearly impossible to try to get outdoors in winter on your own. Trustees’ programs offer opportunities to join a community learning how to navigate nature during colder months.
Places like the Crane Estate in Ipswich offer countless programs throughout the winter. Snowy Owl Prowls are a fan-favorite at Crane, offering excursions through the dune ecosystem to spot elusive Snowy Owls that call the beach home in the winter. At Appleton Farms in Ipswich and Hamilton, kids can be farmers for a day, learning what it takes to prepare a working farm for the spring. At various properties, you can join Trustees staff for full moon hikes, bird-watching experiences, or winter walks. In the Western part of Massachusetts, you can also join in on occasional group snowshoeing expeditions, take a ski lesson at Notchview, or look for and learn to identify wildlife tracks with our partners at Adventure East.
Whatever winter adventure you choose to embark on, we hope you find the wonder of the season at our Trustees special places. We’ll see you there!
Visit our downloadable calendar to learn more.
