How We “Survive” Winter in Montana
If the tv show, “Yellowstone,” in which it’s miraculously never winter, has you thinking about moving to Montana, I’d encourage you to consider the fact that it can truly feel like winter here for six months of the year! This winter (2022/2023), our first in Missoula, felt abnormally and brutally long, even by Montana standards. As it turns out, it was the third longest in Missoula’s history as measured by the consecutive number of days with at least one inch of snow on the ground. This was a complete contrast to our last winter, which, where we lived near Twin Bridges, was unusually mild and dry. This spoiled us but it didn’t last long as we got our FULL Montana winter experience this year.
That’s not to say there aren’t plenty ways to make the best of the season. Certainly, there are periods when it’s just too cold to do much outside and we’re limited to indoor pastimes. But most of the time, it’s really not that bad and if we bundle-up we can still enjoy the outdoors. Either way, we manage to stay busy through the winter with these activities:
Skiing: Or snowboarding, if that’s your thing. This is by far our primary pastime. There are sooo many ski hills in Montana. Bonus points if we can gather some friends and hit the lodge for post-ski drinks. I’ll admit that I’ve only started skiing within the last few seasons and learning as an adult has been… humbling. But what else am I going to do during a Montana winter? My partner has even took his avalanche courses and broke into ski touring, which can be done minutes from our house.
Hiking/Snowshoeing: We try to get ourselves and our dogs outside for some exercise even if it’s cold and/or snowy. There’s an astounding amount of public land in Montana. Many trails and forest roads remain accessible through the winter. We’re always careful to be prepared for winter conditions and hazards!
Hot Springs: Whether we visit developed hot springs or strap on the snowshoes to hike to natural ones, this is a wonderful way to keep warm in the winter. Just like ski hills and hiking trails, there are an incredible number of hot springs in Montana to choose from.
Board/Card Games: Better enjoyed with friends and gratefully, we’re nearby a few close ones. We spend plenty of winter evenings at each other’s houses laughing over games. Last year, our favorite was Mexican Train.
Exploring New Bars and Restaurants: This one is a lot easier now that we are in Missoula, rather than living rurally. Our eating-out options near Twin Bridges were slim but Missoula has more bars and restaurants than we could visit. I personally try to limit this to one or two nights a week for $$$ and health reasons, but it’s a great way to get out of the house.
Local Events: Like trivia, karaoke, live music, etc. Again, this one is much more obtainable now that we’re in “the city.”
Bowling: No elaboration needed.
Go Fishing: Sometimes it’s “warm” enough to get out on the river. While fishing is much, much slower, we usually manage to dredge up a few fish.
Hit the Gym: One of the best things I did for myself last winter was get a gym membership and workout on a regular schedule.
Pursue Other Indoor Hobbies/Goals: Take an online class, exercise a creative hobby like painting, crafting or digital art, pursue a “side hustle,” tie flies, etc. I took an EMT course that was mostly online, and I built this webpage/started this blog!
Escape to Somewhere Warmer!: Sometimes I just need warm sunshine on my skin. I try to take a vacation to a warmer destination every winter. This year I went on a fly fishing trip to Mexico with a gal friend and came back feeling energized.