These are the days when diehard ravine hikers separate from the more casual hikers who appreciate the recreational aspect of trodding forest trails and the continually changing landscape but aren't too happy with the prospect of being exposed to weather extremes while engaging the forest. Simply put when conditions present as a challenge, the enjoyment of hiking those trails becomes somewhat diluted.

And for many people who during the summer months give the trails and the ravine and the forest wide berth because of extreme heat and humidity and the nuisance presence of mosquitoes and blackflies, it simply isn't worth the bother. They're the same people who prefer to avoid the seasonal exposure to inclement winter weather when wind combined with moist air and frigid temperatures make it far less enjoyable to traverse the trails, and so they don't.

And who can blame them after all? The motivation is lacking and little wonder. We like our pleasures unadulterated by difficulty, and that's the human spirit in us. Alongside another spirit that incites others to set aside the unpleasant parts and indulge anyway because of the many and varied benefits to be had. It's a big health boost to get out in all conditions to exercise one's body as it was meant to be and in the process bring peace and tranquility to one's mind while at the same time treating ourselves to nature's environment, her fascinating landscape and the presence of other creatures, large and small.

So in weather like yesterday's and today's when the temperature struggles to get up beyond -6C, and it's damp, and the wind feels like an exquisitely painful icy lash across your face it may seem tempting to give it a pass, but if you've got little furry dependents anxious to get out and about and exercise their four legs and sniff endlessly about the snow-encrusted forest floor, and you pine for the feel of fresh air however frigid on your own face alongside the pleasure of a vigorous traipse along forest trails, out you go, regardless of the negative aspects.

Doing so can be a source of deep satisfaction for having kept in touch with our natural surroundings. Aside from the fact that it's invigorating and pleasurable. You get to look up at the sky which earlier was clear of clouds but has since been blanketed with that overall aluminum cloud cover that heralds the imminent arrival of snow. And the magnificent sight of the sun glowing through that cloud cover is beautiful beyond measure.

The landscape of the forest with its denuded deciduous trees, its resplendent green conifers limned by the last snowfall beckons.