Making Friends with Winter

I used to love winter. Many of my childhood winter hours were spent making snow forts, skiing, sledding, eating snow, ice skating, rolling down hills, getting soaked and cold…

What happened? And when did winter shift from fun frivolity to this arduous chore that makes 4 months of the year so difficult? After railing against the snow in my adult life (and not getting anywhere), I’ve decided that embracing winter is my only option in moving forward and changing the story I tell myself about winter. How can I make friends with winter? How can we all make friends with winter?

Thankfully, we can look to the Danes for some help on how to be cold and still cozy. Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a quality of being, a quality of life, that is infused into Danish culture and it describes the coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment and well-being.

I’ve taken some tips from the Danes, added some of my own mindful wilderness experiences, and created the below list of how we can all make friends with winter (or at least become friendly acquaintances):

Outdoor hobbies & activities

If you find that shoveling, scraping the car, and cursing are your only outdoor activities during these months, I invite you to try something new! Maybe those outdoor chores can be balanced with some outdoor fun. I’m talking about tracking footprints, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, fort building, ice fishing, sledding, snowball fights, iceskating, feeding the birds, outdoor meditation, star gazing, making maple sugar snow candy, roasting marshmallows on an outdoor fire. Engage all of your senses- taste, touch, feel, see, and hear. Sensory anesthesia is real concern in the winter and it happens when we spend all of our time in an environment that is closed-off and climate-controlled (think about that 70 degree room that you work from home in, day after day).

You have to get uncomfortable to enjoy being comfortable. You have to get cold to appreciate being warm. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t dress safely for being in the outdoors when it’s cold.

Layer up. My rule is that I always wear or bring one more layer than I think I need. When spending time outdoors during winter, wearing at least 3 layers is a good start. Your base layer (top and bottom) should consist of wool or a wool/synthetic blend. NO COTTON! Your mid layer should consist of a thicker wool or fleece sweater or jacket. Your outer layer (top and bottom) should be waterproof and made from fabric like gortex or another synthetic fabric. Socks should be made from a wool blend (think Smartwool or DarnTough) and don’t forget your gloves, hat, and really warm boots. This year, I’m substituting the scarf for a gaiter that will act as a neck warmer and a mask.

Fire

Whether it be outside, inside, or a beeswax candle, I encourage you to make fire and make it often. Use old school wooden matches for a deeper sensory experience. I’ve been practicing using my flint & steel kit and am happy to give demonstrations on how to use primitive methods to birth fire. When you get a fire going, be it with a candle or otherwise, spend about 5-10 minutes gazing into the heart of the flames. This is a great way to settle your mind and body, along with practicing soft fascination/focus.

Fire plays a deep role in the history of our species. Check out this article on why sitting by a fire is so entrancing.

“Wood heats you three times: when you saw it, when you stack it, and when you burn it.” -Micah Mortali

Connection

The winter months are often a time when we grow less connected with others. I am excited to try new ways of both slowing down and staying in touch with folks I care about. Mailing out cards (whether there is an official occasion or not) is one of my favorite ways to surprise folks with snail mail and to also help support the USPS. I have also found some joy in dropping off surprise presents or food on my friends’ front steps. Another way to stay connected and keep under the radar is to give yourself a challenge- Can you do one random act of kindness every day without getting caught? Maybe you pay for the next person’s coffee in the Dunkin’ Donuts line or slow down and let someone merge ahead of you in traffic . If you really want to invest in a 21 day challenge, check out KindSpring.

Handcrafts

What I appreciate about handcrafts is that most are relatively inexpensive and, with the availability of youtube, most can be self-taught. I just purchased a relatively cheap pyrography kit and am excited to see what trouble I can get myself into with it. Luckily, I have good friends that just felled some trees in their backyard, so I have some cool slices of wood to practice on. Other fun handcrafts include: knitting, crocheting, embroidery, whittling, sewing, drawing, painting, weaving, tie-dye, jewelry making, visible mending, journaling, wood working, sketching, learning an instrument, quilting, pyrography, card making, stamping, collage, scrapbooking.

Night walks

This time of year, night comes at 5pm and usually stops me from venturing out after work. I’m going to try something new this year- I have this vision of strapping my headlamp on, donning my snowshoes, and exploring a trail by the light of the moon. I wonder what sights and smells I might encounter that will be different from my day explorations. I don’t know it will go, but I’m excited to experiment. If you end up taking your own night walk, let me know!

If you find something that helps you befriend winter, please send me an email! I would love to hear from you and add your tip to my list for next year. And stay tuned for the January 2021 Newsletter when the dates for the 2021 Wolf Tree Wilderness Groups will be posted and opened for registration. This year, there will be groups for all ages and abilities! I’m excited to expand my offerings to a larger community.

Take care & stay wild,

Snowy