How to Make Winter Less Sad
Two Winter Lovers Attempt to Convince You This Cold, Dark, Long Season Actually Isn't So Bad
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It’s that time of year! The days are short and dark. Temperatures have dropped, snow has fallen, and, much to our chagrin, people are mega-grumpy about winter.
Meanwhile, we were cheering as nearly 20 centimeters of the glorious white stuff fell over the weekend. We’ve both since enjoyed wonderful first cross-country skis of the season (boy, did they feel good) and are making plans to dust off the downhill gear. We’ve also been sledding, warmed up with hot chocolate, and raged as we try to push strollers on sidewalks that haven’t been shovelled and across Calgary’s terribly cleared intersections.
So, how do we, self-proclaimed winter lovers, convince you that this long season isn’t so bad? Well, we’re going to try. Today and throughout the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned.
One of the biggest compliments we’ve gotten in previous years (from more than one person thank you very much) is that our little newsletter has helped them reframe winter and positively change the way they inhabit this cold, dark place. Let’s see if we can do that some more this winter.
I (Annalise) found myself yelling at my radio while driving the other day. Why? The person talking about the weather was saying things like, “We just have to get through this week. Then it will warm up!” That’s no way to think about winter, especially when it’s only November and the real bone-chilling temperatures haven’t yet hit.
Sorry to break it to you, but we have at least three more months of snow, ice and windchill before you’ll get real relief. Waiting for a chinook (which seems to be a favourite past-time of Calgarians) is not, in our opinion, the secret to enjoy winter.
So, what is? Here are our some current thoughts regarding:
How to Make Winter Less Sad
Feel free to add yours in the comments. And, be prepared for more winter-loving content in the coming months.
Find something, anything, that gets you excited about going outside in winter
We don’t care what it is. Skating, sledding, skiing (cross-country, downhill, backcountry…there are many different types and we love them all!), going for walks and taking pictures of fresh snow on plants, birdwatching, running, biking, making a snow angel every time it snows, watching your dog get snow on their cute little nose, saving your favourite podcast to listen to while you walk around the block.
It doesn’t matter what the activity is, in order to enjoy winter, you need to find a hobby that gets you excited about going outside. Trust us. Said hobby need not be expensive or fancy. Be creative. You just need to find something that makes you want to go outside (even if it’s only for 10 minutes!) when it’s cold and snowy. This small act of having something to look forward to in winter makes a big difference. Studies show that going outside can improve your health in numerous ways, and those benefits shouldn’t be limited to only the warmer months.
Channel your Inner Toddler!
Pictured above is Annalise’s toddler on a recent winter hike to the Blackshale Suspension Bridge. The short hike (well, short for a human, long at toddler pace) started with making snowballs and snow angels and ended with sliding down the trail on our bums and giggling hard. Travelling at toddler pace means stopping to answer question after question (why does the snow stick on tree branches that way, why isn’t that person who just passed us wearing mitts, why is there a long bridge over the valley and why is it swingy?), carefully examine the simplest things (like dog paw prints in the snow) and stopping for plenty of snacks. Honestly, we should all channel our inner toddlers more in winter. Go outside, be curious, ask questions, go slow, enjoy the beauty around you, have fun and giggle a lot. Oh, and don’t forget to eat lots of snacks.
Perfect your winter layering
Enjoying winter doesn’t mean enjoying being cold. As we like to say (and my toddler has started to repeat) There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. Layer, layer, layer. Experiment early on in the season (i.e. now) with what keeps you warm. If you come home from a walk and you’re cold, add another layer next time. If you come home hot and sweating (as I did after Saturday’s cross-country ski) know that you’re overdressed and need to remove a layer or too.
Don’t be afraid to wear longjohns under your clothes (Merino wool isn’t just for winter sports…I walked 30 minutes to work and back home every day for an entire winter and wore a merino layer under my dress clothes on the regular.) And again, this need not be expensive (though we’ll put in our usual plug for www.TheLastHunt.com if you’re looking for discounted outdoor layers and gear and you know your size and are ok with no returns). We’ve seen many a base layer at thrift stores and Decathlon often has base layers for $10. That $20 investment (for a shirt and pants) combined with putting on more of the clothing you already have can be the difference between an enjoyable walk in winter and a freezing cold one.
Let us know your tips for embracing winter and stay tuned for more pro-winter content in December, January and February.
A reminder, if you’re free tomorrow (Friday Nov. 29) we’ll be at the BLOX Arts Centre in the late afternoon for a panel discussion on outdoor recreation in Alberta. We’ll have Go Outside stickers so please say Hi if you come. Free tickets here. And Doug Horner’s feature on the topic is now live here.
Winter hikes are fantastic:
- No bugs!
- No bears! (And you can clearly see the tracks of other animals, so you know who else is in the area.)
- No mud!
- No crowds on trails!
- No forest fire smoke!
- No need to sunblock your entire body; just sunblock your face because everything else will be covered!
- No leaves on the trees interfering with visibility; you’re less likely to take the wrong fork in the trail!
- Photos often turn out nicer than in summer! (Many winter days are slightly overcast and the light is diffused.)
- You get to slide down the hills on your bum instead of jogging down and destroying your aging knees or crushing your toes!
- When you’re tired, you can lie on your back in a clearing and be exquisitely cushioned by the snow!
- You get interesting new trail snacks: holiday cookies!!! A granola bar will freeze and become impossible to chew, so you might as well enjoy a nice shortbread that will easily crumble in your mouth, especially if you chase it with a thermos of hot tea/coffee/cocoa.
Highways in my region are usually treacherous, so I tend to stay on trails in and around my city instead of driving to the mountains, but it’s nice to get to know the plants and animals on my local trails so intimately. And it’s nice to get a break from the travel-planning, campsite-booking, and packing that eats up so much time in summer.
I love winter, the sun glinting off fresh snow is unbelievably beautiful and I look forward to it, in fact the mountains are more beautiful in winter than any other season so I make sure to have 2-3 overnight trips to the parks. I also love looking at the architecture of bare trees, it fascinates me. I hike or snowshoe depending on the trail conditions. The only thing that makes me sad is occasionally having poor driving conditions.