9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,N ovem ber 28,2019 insidehalton.com Pud bySteveNease 2983 Westoak Trails Blvd 905-825-DOCS M-F: 830am to 8pm Sat: 9am to 2pm www.healthsensemedical.ca HealthSense Travel Clinic has travel medicines & vaccines in stock. Stay healthy when you travel. Book your travel health consultation today. Travel Clinic* *Certified Yellow Fever ClinicHouse-made dishes made from the freshest ingredients. OAKVILLE: 125 Lakeshore Rd. E | 905-338-1594 FREE GIFT CARD! Dine with us between Nov 15 - Dec 31, 2019 and receive 1 FREE Gift Card for use in 2020 1 per couple The Downtown is NOW OPEN!! Some restrictions apply. FROG IN A FOG This big fella stared at his reflection in this basement window for more than an hour before moving on. If you have photos of Oakville wildlife, send a high res jpg photo to Oakville Beaver news editor Kevin Nagel at knagel@metroland.com. Conor Boyd photo It's time to put on snow tires. Right? What if I told you it was also the time to switch to your winter hik- ing boots? Winter hiking boots? What are winter hiking boots and why would I need them? You may won- der. BOOTS I spoke with Gerry Johnson at Hiker's Haven in Oakville. He said there are three main differences between summer and win- ter hiking boots: 1. Winter boots are insu- lated. They are rated from -20 to -40 C. 2. They are usually higher cut to keep snow out of your boots. 3. Most importantly, they have a sole made of rubber that, like snow tires, stays soft and pliable when cold. This means that winter hiking boots keep your feet warm and dry, and give you great traction in snowy conditions and su- perior traction on ice. Gerry said, "I wear my winter hiking boots as my winter boots." He says that in addition to being warm, they aren't bulky like So- rels or other warm boots. ICERS If the trails are icy, you can add icers, whether they are winter or summer boots. Slipping icers onto your boots is akin to put- ting chains on your snow tires. They come in various degrees of "aggressive- ness," with Yaktrax being about a four on a scale of one to 10. Gerry likes ICEtrekk- ers with a diamond pat- tern because they are more aggressive than Yak- trax (about a six on the scale) and don't slip side- ways. One feature he likes is that you can leave them on for sections of the trail that are clear of snow or ice. Kahtoola MICROspikes are more aggressive yet (eight on the scale), but won't stand up to walking across hard roads or along clear sections of trails. SOCKS In the sock department, Gerry turns to merino wool. "Even thin merino wools socks are warm," he says. "So there is no need to use thicker socks, which might not fit well, especial- ly if you are (don't tell Ger- ry!) using your summer hiking boots." POLES They aren't footwear, but using hiking poles is a great idea, especially if the trails are icy. If you do so, make sure the metal tips are exposed. Gerry says that from early fall until late spring he has his icers on is boots or in his pack - just in case. He always hikes with poles and loves merino wool socks. He has three pairs of hiking boots: one pair for winter, another well-venti- lated pair for those hot days and then a pair for ev- erything in-between. The only other thing you may add is a pair of gators if the snow is particularly deep. Happy winter hiking. From Loops & Lattes Hiking Guides' author and avid hiker Nicola Ross. Visit nicolaross.ca for more information or reach her at nross@wood rising.com. WINTER HIKING: IT'S ALL ABOUT FOOTWEAR OPINION IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE SWITCH TO WINTER HIKING BOOTS, SAYS NICOLA ROSS NICOLA ROSS Column