winter outside: a seasonal bucket list
getting outdoors and embracing the cold.
Every year around the end of January, the Great Northern festival sweeps through Minnesota. It centers around celebrating the cold and bringing community together to keep it that way - cold! While we often think of turning inwards in the winter months, seeking solitary time and warmth indoors, I love the idea of fully embracing cold temperatures and making the chilly outdoors into a gathering place. In the spirit of celebrating the cold, I have put together my own outdoor winter bucket list right in this post. Interested in the cozier side of things? You can find my indoor winter bucket list right here along with a little more on the magic of seasonal bucket lists.
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On to the outdoor winter bucket list.
Host a bonfire.
January and February is the perfect time of year to host an outdoor bonfire. There’s snow on the ground. The sky is often cold and clear. After so many nights indoors alone, an early evening bonfire is a wonderful way to add some more outdoor time to your day and to host a social space. Invite a friend or five over, slip into your coveralls, and start a roaring fire. (Have a crispy Christmas tree to take care of? Even better. That is a wonderful excuse for a bonfire.)
Go sledding.
Fresh fallen snow = sledding. There’s no way around it! Sledding is the ultimate outdoor winter activity. There are no skills required. A sled is a very affordable piece of winter gear and one sled can bring countless afternoons of joy. The hardest thing to come by is a proper hill for it! Use your community to find your sledding hill. The next time a snow falls, keep your eyes peeled for where people are congregating. Whether it’s where plow drivers pile up snow in a parking lot (the only hill in town where I grew up) or a lovely sloping hillside in a city park, follow the people. Yes, it may get a little crowded, but sledding is made to be social. Go for it!
Go for a walk.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Winter is the loveliest time to go for a walk! Through snowy city streets or along a pasture on a chilly morning, walking in the winter just feels good. The air feels fresh and the sun on your face never feels better than in the midst of February. While the walks may be shorter in winter, it is always time well spent.
Go skiing.
Cross country skiing is hard work! I will never say it is an easy item to cross of your winter bucket list (the gear alone is an incredible barrier), but I will say that going for a ski is a truly one-of-a-kind way to experience the magic of winter. Cross country skiing allows you to cover miles of fresh snow and to stay warm and toasty (because you’re working so hard!) for hours in cold winter temperatures. In particular skiing in Northern Minnesota, I have been able to pass through real Narnia-like winter wonderlands. If you’re interested in some specifics, Bearskin Lodge is a beautiful place to stay on the historic Gunflint trail, directly connected to 77 kilometers of cross country skiing trails. A once in a lifetime experience!
Here in the Twin Cities, organizations like the Loppet are providing spaces for folks of all backgrounds to access the great outdoors. If you live somewhere that it snows (or have the opportunity to visit), I can’t recommend enough taking the leap and giving cross country skiing a go. Of course if you have the fortune of access to mountains, downhill skiing is absolutely magical as well!
Go ice-skating.
Flying over the ice! Gliding around a bend! Is there a more magical activity than ice-skating? It feels like smoothly floating on top of a frozen body of water shouldn’t even be possible, but somehow it is. Whether in an improvised backyard skating rink or on an ice-covered lake, ice skating is a quintessential winter activity. Local skating rinks with rentable skates are a simple way to cross ice-skating off your bucket list. If you’re interested in skating a little more regularly, secondhand sports shops are a fantastic place to pick up your own pair of skates. Get out there and skate!
There are so many ways to embrace the winter! From a simple walk in the neighborhood to a once-in-a-lifetime skiing trip, the winter is waiting for you right outside your door. These are a few activities that I try to do every year to embrace the season, but there are countless others. Whether it is browsing a holiday market or taking a cold water plunge, your bucket list may look a little different from mine. The important thing is that you make it!
Take a look back at my winter indoor bucket list here and follow the process. Think through a few things that you’d love to do this winter (around 5 items is a great, do-able number). This could include a few indoor activities like a craft project or a recipe you’d like to make, alongside a few outdoor activities. Choose activities that are appealing to you. Write them down. And then do them. You don’t have to cross every item off your list (there is always next winter to look forward to!). By thinking through things you’d like to do, you’re ready to go the next time you have a free Saturday or are making plans to meet up with a friend. Happy wintering!
Thank you for reading! If you’d like more nudges to live seasonally, please subscribe to seasonal things.