Winter is both a calendar date and a state of mind.
For my friend Jill, a lifelong Kentuckian who embraces the cold season as enthusiastically as anyone I know, winter unofficially begins in August. She feverishly keeps count of the number of foggy August mornings, part of a long-held, folklore-fueled belief that the number of fogs in August is a predictor of the number of snowfalls the following winter.
The August fog/winter snow correlation is based on no scientific data whatsoever, but it apparently has plenty of followers and, according to its devotees, is surprisingly accurate.
“You better believe it’s accurate,” Jill said, noting that she learned the foggy snow prediction from her father. “My daddy always said every time there’s a fog in August, there will be snow that winter. And there usually is, too.”
August fog not withstanding, winter officially arrives in Kentucky at 5:44 a.m. Eastern Time (4:44 Central) on Dec. 21. That’s the winter solstice, the day that the sun’s position is directly overhead of the Tropic of Capricorn, an imaginary line that circles the Earth 23 degrees, 26 minutes and 14 seconds south of the equator. It touches South Africa, splits Australia and is about 4,200 miles from Kentucky. The winter solstice, in terms of hours, minutes and seconds of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, is also the shortest day of the year. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s the longest.
The winter solstice is soaked in folklore, superstition, tradition, rituals and customs, many of which date to pre-Christian times, including the Feast of Juul, a Scandinavian tradition that, in part, celebrates the “turning of the sun.”
Stonehenge, the 5,000-year-old pile of rock near Salisbury, England, is probably the most famous solstice monument on the planet, although it’s hardly the only one. The ancient structure was built to align with the solstices—winter and summer—although specifics as to why remain a mystery. In Clay County near Manchester, a small natural cave also aligns with the winter solstice, which state tourism officials say likely held a “powerful meaning” to Native Americans. You can learn more about that at bit.ly/2e7DWiJ.
For all the quirkiness surrounding it, the timing of the winter solstice is predictable … mostly.
It usually arrives on Dec. 21. Occasionally, the first day of winter is Dec. 22. Rarely, it lands on Dec. 20 or 23. These, however, are once-in-a-lifetime events. The last time the solstice was on Dec. 23 was 1903. The next time it will fall on Dec. 20 will be 2080.
But regardless of when it arrives, winter sun is a precious commodity.
Hematite Lake Trail, a 2.2-mile loop that circles its namesake, Hematite Lake, is one of my favorite winter hikes.
The lake and the trail that surrounds it are folded in the soft hills of the Kentucky section of the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, landbetweenthelakes.us, the 170,000-acre peninsula that separates Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.
Hematite Lake is a popular summertime spot, too, with picnickers, fishermen and hikers. The lake is loaded with bass and panfish, but boats are limited to electric motors. It’s also carry-in access to launch, which generally restricts boat traffic to canoes, kayaks and float tubes. However, it’s off limits to fishing—and boating—November 1 through mid-March.
The trail, however, gets year-round attention.
“It’s one of our most popular trails,” said LBL spokesperson Jan Bush. “And it’s a beautiful hike, especially during the wintertime.”
It doesn’t feel like winter today, although the official launch day for winter is a few days away. Under a cloudless sky, the temperature is touching 50. The trail weaves in and out of the winter woods, always within sight of the small lake. Several geese and ducks are on the water, aware of, but apparently ignoring, the occasional human. An immature bald eagle was perched near the north shore but has now vanished.
At a leisurely pace, the walk takes about an hour. Near the lake’s headwaters, the terrain becomes marshy, and a wooden walkway and footbridge usually provide dry access. The walkway is typically an ongoing repair project, but a storm has seriously damaged the wooden walk and wholesale repairs are underway. Hikers proceed at their own risk of wet feet. Fortunately, the lake level is low, and I’m wearing good boots.
The trail begins and ends at a low water concrete spillway, the path from which accesses the parking lot. By the time I complete the loop, the temperature has dropped into the 40s and the wind has shifted from the northwest. There’s a bite to it. The western sky is piled with gray-streaked clouds. The forecast is for flurries tonight, a reminder of the first fog of August.
Readers may contact Gary Garth at outdoors@kentuckymonthly.com