[Majer:Danjer]

I don't mind the snow, ice and cold through the holiday season. Once the new year starts so should spring. That's my 2¢.

I started to inventory my outdoor gear over the weekend, making a wish list for the coming season. Looks like a new self-inflating sleeping pad and a packable dutch oven are on the list of things that would be nice to have for the trail.

Anyone starting to get the mid winter blues hoping that Spring gets here quickly?

[squeakytrees]

I am the full throes of winter cabin fever I'm hoping to get out & do something on MLK day next week, just not sure what yet, and hopefully snowboarding the next weekend. That should help, but I can't wait for spring to get here so I can get back to some hiking!

Gear-wise, the only thing I'm looking at replacing this season is my pack (for backpacking, not my small day-hiking pack). I got my pack 2 years ago at an REI garage sale - it's a retired rental, fits me decently, nothing wrong with it, and it was $19.99. Can't beat that, especially since I've only recently started doing overnight trips! However, I'd like to move up to a lighter, better fitted bag. My current one is a size small, and fits pretty well, but I don't think it's a women's, so I'd like to check out some women's ones. It's also kind of heavy and I'm all into dropping weight where I can.

:sigh: Thinking about it just makes the cabin fever worse!

[NewEnglandHiker]

Cabin fever? What cabin? With a foot of new snow and a sunny day, cross-country skiing is what I would be doing if this desk job didn't bind me. Hiking in winter is why snowshoes were designed.

[squeakytrees]

NewEnglandHiker, on 13 Jan 2011 - 02:52 PM, said:

Cabin fever? What cabin? With a foot of new snow and a sunny day, cross-country skiing is what I would be doing if this desk job didn't bind me. Hiking in winter is why snowshoes were designed.

Yeah, wish I had snowshoes actually :/ then I'd definitely be getting out. Have been considering getting some but might not be able to splurge on something like that before winter's over. At the very least, I'll look for some in the end-of-season sales in the spring.

[Majer:Danjer]

I think the worst part of this time of year is going to work when the sun is coming up and not getting home until the sun has already set.

You have to admit though, nothing beats sitting out by the fire with an iced down six pack listening to the Sox on the radio. ahhh summer.

[squeakytrees]

Did not go out yesterday like I'd wanted, because it was 13 degrees all day. That's just too cold for me :/

Going to try to pick up some microspikes later this week, and maybe test them out over the weekend, weather depending. The cabin fever is getting pretty bad! I've been working on planning my hiking group's spring Monadnock trip, and looking at all the maps made me wistful for the trail...