GAITHERSBURG, Md. — Despite the biting cold, dozens of hikers gathered at Seneca Creek State Park for an annual tradition known as First Day Hikes.
“There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices,” said park volunteer guide Bonnie Bell of Gaithersburg, Maryland. And, according to her, it’s a saying rangers at the park use that sums up why she chose to come out on such a frosty day.
Bell was dressed in what she said was a very warm beaver costume and was among those guiding people brave enough to come out. Other hikers had their faces covered in scarves, hands in gloves and their heaviest jackets on.
First Day Hikes take place across the nation, and this one is part of the program put on by Maryland State Parks. Several parks around Maryland held similar hikes.
During milder starts to the year, Bethany Watts, a lead ranger at the park, said they have seen close to 200 people come out for the guided hikes. This year, they fell far short of that, but despite the low temperatures, she said, many kept their plans to come out.
“We had quite a few phone calls from a lot of our visitors this morning saying that [they] were still interested in coming out and still wanted to join us,” Watts said.
The wintertime gives park visitors a clearer look at the wildlife that lives there, since trees don’t have their leaves and snow covers the ground, according to Watts. Hikers also get to see the snow tracks of many of the park’s resident animals, Bell added.
“Foxes, raccoons, occasionally beavers, although right now, our beavers are iced in so they are not coming out,” Bell said.
Hiker Jim Crabtree said the hike will make an “interesting” start to 2018 for him, and it fits into his exercise regimen. “I walk for exercise, and I feel that if I don’t get out and I don’t walk, I don’t feel right,” he said.
And for MaryAnn Shirven of Derwood, who has lived in upstate New York, it wasn’t even that cold of a hike, saying, “I could have definitely done without my jacket out there.”
