Not snow, nor sleet, nor wind, nor COVID19 could keep 125 hikers and volunteers from Silverwood Park’s Candlelight Hike on January 30!  The windy conditions made lighting and maintaining the candles difficult on the farm land and prairie, but the calm in the woods provided for a beautiful hike on an actually, warm (30 plus degree) winter night.  Picture above submitted by Paul Johnson.

The hiking trail created by Rita Fox, Silverwood Park Board member and woods volunteer,  bestowed a spectacular view of the luminaries in the woods. Picture submitted by Barb Schuetz.

Candles were provided by Rock County Ice Age Trail  and were tucked into white paper bags to create a glow as well as protection from the winds.  (Picture submitted by Bobbi Johnson.)

Hikers trudged through some snow drifts at the beginning of the hike. Children laughed and rolled in the snow piles. A few wise participants strapped on their snowshoes for the adventure.  Hardy volunteers guided them along the trail where candles were extinguished by the winds, until they reached the magic of the illuminated woods.  Pictured submitted by Trudi Spike.

Thank you to the volunteers (Paul Johnson featured here) who struggled to light the candles before the hike and kept their smiles until the last hikers finished after 8:00 pm. Picture submitted by Bobbi Johnson.

By Barb Gausmann, 2/3/2020