Christopher McKitterick

I love certain things about winter - deep, fresh snow on the landscape; snowy forested hills under the moon; the smell of the air. It would be easier to enjoy the snow if I lived somewhere that knew how to act, perhaps New England or the northern Midwest. But here? With all our hills and transplants from other places (California, Latin America, Asia), the region just stumbles to its knees. And it doesn't take much snow to put us there. I don't like walking on slippery surfaces (especially hills), so that takes away some of the enjoyment, but this REI walking stick with the tip that converts to an icepick is the best $60 I ever spent.