How to Love Winter

The first snow has fallen. Temperatures are dropping. For many people, this time of year comes with a low-key sense of dread. You bundle yourself into thick layers, dig out the ice scraper and shovel, obsessively check the weather. It’s a time of wet mittens and freezing toes, of runny noses and slush puddles, of black ice and static electricity. Not to mention it’s cold. And dark. 

Welcome to the most controversial season.  

I am someone who loves winter. Brazenly, obnoxiously so. I run outside at first snow to catch it on my tongue. I live in Maine — the third-coldest and fourth-snowiest state in the country – where I cold dip in the ocean on sub-freezing mornings. Last year I made local news for sledding in a blizzard. I am an enthusiastic but mediocre skier, and I’ve guided multi-week backcountry snowshoeing expeditions where we slept in tarp pits and boiled snow to drink. I live for the time of year when I get to trade the long, frenzied days of summer for dark and quiet and bedtime at 9 p.m. Give me the snowy shoulder of a mountain, the ice fishing, the cold hands, the crackling fires. Give me neighbors who, despite their differences, push each other’s cars out of snowbanks. Give me sunlight glittering on snow, wind-flushed cheeks. Give me winter.  

I wasn’t always this way. I’ve muddled through plenty of cold, gray seasons, pining for spring. I even spent half a decade hiding from winter in California. So how does one go from just get through it to let’s get after it? 

“Resigning ourselves to trudging through the season costs us,” says health psychologist Kari Leibowitz, author of How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days. “At best, we’re missing the joys and delights of a special time, one unique in its opportunities for contemplation, connection, and delight. At worst, though, we’re sleepwalking through a third of the year or more–meaning we’re opting out of fully embracing months of our lives. Whether we’re aware of them or not, our mindsets impact our experience of winter.” 

Whether you’re out there making snow forts or are already dreaming of warmer weather, here are some tips for leaning into the season of cold and ice from an AMC writer and an outdoor guide who deeply, wildly loves the winter.  

Find your joy.  

 Think about what lights you up during the warmer months. What about your favorite activity makes it so enjoyable?  

• Is trail running really about getting your heart rate up? Try cross-country skiing lodge to lodge in Maine!  
• All about connecting with nature? Sign up for a full moon walk along Virginia’s Potomac or a dusky solstice stroll through Pennsylvania’s Pool Wildlife Sanctuary.  
• Love the social aspect of hiking with friends? Grab some adventure pals and head out on one of AMC’s guided winter hikes.  

“Getting outside in winter is essential,” Leibowitz says. “The belief that we can’t enjoy ourselves outdoors is largely responsible for the idea that winter is limiting; this perspective makes the world feel out of reach. But this view is erroneous and self-fulfilling. If we remain cooped up, we will feel winter’s limitations, and our mood will drop, no matter how hygge we make it inside.”  

The things you love don’t have to stop just because it’s winter. From community indoor climbing nights to wintry outdoor exploration, AMC’s got something for everyone. 

Embrace the hygge.  

You’ve probably heard of the Danish concept of hygge (hoo-ga): the feeling of coziness and contentment that comes from slowing down and enjoying life’s simple pleasures. But it’s about way more than being cozy. 

“You cannot buy the right atmosphere or a sense of togetherness,” writes Meik Wiking in The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living. “You cannot hygge if you are in a hurry or stressed out, and the art of creating intimacy cannot be bought by anything but time, interest and engagement in the people around you.” 

Trade overhead lights for candles. Turn off your phone and be present with those around you. Indulge in coffee and sweet treats. Relax into easy conversation. Watch the weather from a window seat while you enjoy a steaming mug of hot cocoa.  

Winter is the coziest time to visit AMC lodges. Take a sauna at Medawisla or Gorman Chairback. Curl up by the fireplace at Little Lyford. Go for a quiet hike in the woods at Mohican. Let your imagination — and taste buds — run wild on Wednesday evenings January through March at AMC’s International Dinner & Adventure Series at Pinkham Notch. 

Most of all (and this is a big one!), remember to take it in. Feel your gratitude. In this moment, you’re comfortable, warm, and happy. Let it be so.  

Don’t be scared — be prepared.  

The trail you hiked last summer is a different world now, but it’s still worth exploring — it just takes a little extra preparation and planning. Here are some ways to make sure your winter outing is safe and enjoyable: 

• Beef up your backpack with our Winter Hiking Essential Gear List.  
• Don’t have your own gear? No problem! AMC lodge guests and program participants can borrow boots, backpacks, outerwear, snowshoes and more from our gear libraries at Highland Center and Joe Dodge Lodge.  
• AMC guidebooks can help you find hikes in your area or improve your outdoor skills. Pick up a copy of our Essential Guide to Winter Recreation. 
• Winter conditions up the stakes and require a little more know-how. If that feels daunting, don’t let it stop you! From mountain hikes to lodge-to-lodge snowshoe or skiing adventures, you can take the stress out of your winter adventure by going with an experienced AMC guide. 

Let it snow. 

How would the way we view winter change if we saw it as a gift, not a guarantee? 

AMC’s climate research has shown Pinkham Notch, NH, is losing 8.1 inches of snow per decade and the length of winter is shortening across the Northeast. We’re seeing fewer days when the temperature dips or stays below freezing than in the past 100 years, as well as loss of snow cover, and shorter winters. While Pinkham has been recording snow depth since the 1930s, snow depth measurements in locations across the White Mountains are generally limited.  

You can help researchers this winter by participating in community snow observations. All you need is to pack a smartphone and a ruler or an avalanche probe on your White Mountain trip. Your measurements will help scientists improve snow cover estimates for avalanche safety, flood predictions, agriculture, and ecosystem science. 

Winter is a Mindset.  

The bears have it figured out: step one to loving winter is accepting that it’s winter. It sounds almost too simple, but it’s true — adjusting your mindset can make all the difference. What if we gave ourselves permission to break from our crammed schedules and business as usual? What if we listened to the new rhythm the season is offering us? 

“I recognized winter. I saw it coming […], and I looked it in the eye. I greeted it and let it in,” writes Katherine May in Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times. “I had some tricks up my sleeve, you see. I’ve learned them the hard way. When I started feeling the drag of winter, I began to treat myself like a favored child: with kindness and love. I assumed my needs were reasonable and that my feelings were signals of something important. I kept myself well fed and made sure I was getting enough sleep. I took myself for walks in the fresh air and spent time doing things that soothed me. I asked myself: What is this winter all about? I asked myself: What change is coming?”  

Maybe the most significant way I went from surviving to thriving in winter was shifting my mindset to see the season as an invitation. It doesn’t matter if I’m cozying up with friends over a steaming bowl of soup, exploring a frozen landscape, or just trying to convince myself to get out of bed when my alarm goes off before dawn. The challenge is always the same: To turn toward it. To open, instead of close.