Life on the Ranch: Outside Winter Hobbies

With 6 months or more of winter, cabin fever can set in quickly. Here are my go-to activities to keep the winter blues away.

Winter can feel terribly long by January when the first snow fell in October. I love sunshine, warmth and fresh air and accepting the cold is a daily decision.

“The color of springtime is in the flowers. The color of winter is in the imagination.”- Terri Guillemets

Anyone who lives in a cold climate can agree that a 20-degree day can feel like a heatwave after a below-zero cold snap, in those moments here are a few things I like to do in both.

Get Outside

As a child, I learned how to cross-country ski with my parents and immediately loved it. Something about gliding across untouched snow brought me peace and a time to clear my head since much of our time is spent planning for the coming year on the ranch. I have to admit that I am not an avid skier, but I'm hoping to change that in the coming years. The great thing about skiing is that you can do it about anywhere - If you have snow, a path and free time it's all yours. Go for it!

Even in the winter months, I like to hike and go for walks. Call me crazy, but trudging through the snow exploring is a good workout and opportunity to observe nature. Not too long ago, I took our cow dogs, who don't get used as much in the winter, my dog Myra and Daughter Avery out for a hike. My hope was to find a moose paddle which I never did, but we did see several moose, whitetail and mule deer, and various birds. Last year my Mom was able to find a used Osprey pack so Avery could go on adventures and work with us on the ranch and it has been a lifesaver! I highly recommend investing in one so you can both enjoy the outdoors.

Before we had Avery last year, my husband and I would take time to go hunting for either coyotes, bobcats or mountain lions during the winter months. Coyotes are common on the ranch and also a problem during calving time, so thinning the population and setting some parameters to these predators doesn't hurt. The other predators usually lead you on a long chase with hounds in hot pursuit.

Tracking a bobcat or mountain lion is much harder than some realize with some hunts lasting only a couple of hours and some all day with 10 or more miles between you and the truck. For those who haven't hunted these types of predators, it is usually a "catch and release" type hunt with only the largest male animals being harvested. I went with my husband about five or six times before I even saw my first Mountain Lion. It was an amazing sight to see and since it was a female, we left the tree with the dogs and parted company with the lion.

This year we had a large amount of snow that made everything look beautiful, but it made ranch life a little harder. I naturally love warm, sunny weather so each spring is extra exciting to me, but no need to long for spring when you can enjoy the beauty of winter.