Following up on the last post, there are also a few things that you need to make sure you do not do to make you winter hiking more enjoyable. Some of these are safety tips, some of these are just comfort items, but all of them will hopefully help you out.
1 - Don't go out on the ice!
One of the most important safety tips is to make sure you don't go out on any rivers or lakes you are familiar with when they are covered in ice. It's hard to tell what the river current is really like if there's ice on top of it, so it may be fairly strong. The problem with a strong river current is that the ice will remain thin all winter, leading to a higher risk of falling through.
Another place to make sure you don't go out on the ice is any where near rapids or water falls. The rapid changes in water depth, current directions, and eddies means that ice thickness it very unpredictable.
2 - Know where the trail is
One aspect of winter hiking is that the trail is actually covered in snow. The snow cover can make it difficult to keep track of the trail in open areas or thinly wooded sections. Making sure that you have a good map with a compass or GPS to help navigate, or that the trail is really well marked, is essential to make sure that you stay on route and travel where expected.
3 - Don't sweat!
While is seems like an odd tip, making sure you don't sweat too much when its cold out side is really important. It kind of ties into my tip about having many thin layers to help with heat management. Sweating will make you wet. If you get to wet and something happens that ends up in you thermal layers getting damage or you just take them off for a bit you will lose body heat very rapidly. This can lead to a lot of complications, and getting warmed up again will be difficult.
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