One of the most amazing Cottage Country experiences is the overwhelming sounds of silence in winter, as odd as that may sound (pun intended). Warm summer days, swimming, campfires and all the other wonderful summer things are great cottage times — but, the most incredible cottage experience is the utter silence only offered in winter.
Outside the cottage on a still, crisp, sunny day the absolute silence makes you feel such soothing peace, you would almost think you have been hypnotized. Besides being distanced from the sounds of humans and traffic in city life and enjoying that silence – in winter, nature itself is quiet in cottage country. There are no rustling leaves, no humming bugs and the few birds that have not migrated are quiet. The silence is booming.
The resounding silence dominates your experience making it almost impossible to notice anything else, allowing no room for stress or worry to surface. There’s no better time/place in the world to escape from stress and find true tranquility than cottage country in winter.
Top 5 Places to Find the Sounds of Silence:
1. Snowshoeing on a hiking trail.
Breathe in the crisp air, strap on your snowshoes and hit the trails! While you’re out there, take a moment and embrace the silence that is hiking in winter. Listen to the steps you take as the snow scrunches under the snowshoes. When you can hear your own steps, you know you’ve found one of the best sounds of silence!
In Ontario, we’re lucky to have approximately 300 hiking trails with many safe for snowshoeing.
2. Blades as you skate on the ice.
Have you ever walked down to a frozen lake, just steps from where you’re staying, lace up your skates and just listen to the blades glide across the ice? Under the blue sky, on fresh ice, it is a beautiful sound.
If the ice on the lake isn’t quite thick enough yet, or you just aren’t sure, don’t fret, there are many places to visit with groomed skating rinks and even trails!
Check-out Arrowhead Provincial Park’s ice skating trail and Johnston’s Cranberry Marsh skating trail.
3. Moonlit night on a frozen lake.
Step outside on a cold, starry winter night and look up. Take in the beauty of the stars and maybe even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Take a walk across the lake and listen to the sound of your footsteps, or maybe you want to sit by the shoreline and take in the sounds of silence that’s only interrupted by your own breathing. Now, doesn’t that sound angelic?
4. Take a trip to a provincial park in winter.
Want to try a range of activities and not sure where to start? Take a trip to a provincial park and try them all! Canada is such a wonder in winter with scenery that’s second to none and Ontario Provincial Parks don’t disappoint. As soon as you park your car and start walking, snowshoeing, skating or skiing a trail, you’ll find out what we mean. The sound of silence that’s offered when you’re surrounded by untouched nature is nothing short of brilliant. Check-out the 30+ provincial parks open during winter.
5. A sleigh making tracks on freshly fallen snow.
With stimulation everywhere, bringing your children outside in winter to experience the sound of silence is such a gift. Bring along the sleigh or toboggan and as you walk, focus on the sound you hear while you pull the sleigh behind you, along the top of the fallen snow – it’s hypnotizing.
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Inspiration from Stopping by Woods on a Snow Evening by Robert Frost.
