Join us for a day of very cold hiking on sand dunes at Crane Beach. We will leave the Cambridge area at a reasonable hour and drive to Crane Beach at Castle Neck Peninsula. There, we will hike through the sand dunes and along the beach. Snowy owls like to winter there, so we will be on the lookout! (Expect to leave Cambridge around 8a and return by 1p ish).

We will hike around 3-5 miles (with the potential to extend or reduce the trip depending on interest in the group), with little to no elevation gain. The weather will be cold (high in the low teens to upper single digits, lows right below 0 F) and breezy (winds 10-15mph), so there will be opportunities to practice layering and discover which hiking foods won't freeze.

Microspikes and some form of full-face covering will be required. Ski goggles or glasses/sunglasses are needed for eye protection. All skin should be covered.

We'll practice setting up a bothy, a type of emergency shelter, and we'll use the stoves to boil water to make hot cocoa! (among other snacks??)

There will be a mandatory pre-trip meeting this Thursday evening at 5:15p in the MITOC office.

Note: There's a $10-per-car parking fee at the beach, which we'll all chip in for.

*if car logistics work out, I will bring my dog, a sweet, energetic 1yo german shepherd who LOVES the snow