You got a creepy vibe that opening the gate was not going to end well. You decided to backtrack a bit. Along the way, you noticed an animal trail that you missed the first time around. Not seeing any other option to go you headed down it.
You think it took you alongside the house. The thick frost around you made it hard to see anywhere that did not already have a path going through it. You continue walking for a short while longer.
Then it happened. You stubbed your foot on one of the thick roots that are sticking up out of the ground. You murmur out in slight pain and the reverberation of your voice is damped by the frost that resulted in no echo back. Making the entire situation creepier.
You notice a clearing up ahead. You are quite tired from all the walking and the long car ride. Lucky for you there is a tree stump that you could rest on for a while and catch your breath. You could also continue going forward.