A Little Background
It’s important to note that we moved to our cabin in Jackson, WY from Austin, TX. In Austin, our winters were 30 degrees, slightly brown, and generally just cold enough to put on a scarf. On the rare occasions when there was ice on the roads in Austin, the whole town would shut down. So we weren’t familiar with cabin life in winter, let alone any other season.
Moving to a Cabin
So when my husband and I decided to move to our cabin, it felt like we were embarking on an adventure to the Great White North. I knew very little about snow. With the amount of snow that Jackson gets, surely people don’t go outside in it? There must be many snow days, and many things must shut down in winter!
I was very wrong. Things carry on in winter here, unless there’s a blizzard (and not a blizzard by my Texan standards – a real blizzard).
the cabin in January during a snowstorm
But worse than my uncertainty about winter was some real fear. It sounds silly now, but I had no idea how we would operate in the cold. My questions were endless: what do we wear when it gets very cold? Would the cabin keep us warm? Would we be able to drive in the snow?
And when we arrived in Jackson, we heard some scary tales of winter whispered by the locals. We were told that the winters are long and dark. Snow piles up and sometimes you can’t leave your home. These painted a few pictures of winter in my head that left me biting my nails.
snow piling up outside our cabin window
Cabin Life in Winter: An Unexpected Twist…
Imagine my surprise when finally, the dreaded winter months came and they weren’t as bad as I thought they would be.
The most unexpected part of cabin life in winter: I like it!
I love having the wood stove burning, making the cabin cozy. And waking up to a fresh blanketing of snow is a magical feeling. It’s not over yet (I’m writing this at the end of January), but winter has been a cozy, reflective, and fun time in the cabin.
The Best Parts Of Winter
The main reason why I’m loving winter here? Winter here is stunningly beautiful, and every day looks different.
The most beautiful thing I’ve seen was small ice crystals swirling in the air on a clear day. They looked like small diamond flakes, and made the air glitter in the sun. How is that even real?! My husband and I both stood outside, staring at the air around us, thinking it was magic.
Another surprising part of winter has been that moose have come by the cabin several times! The first time, they sat outside the front door in the snow all morning. Another time, I was going to bed an heard a funny noise outside my window. Sure enough, it was a mother and baby moose chomping on a willow next to the cabin.
A Lesson Learned
It’s ironic that one of the parts of cabin life that I was most nervous about — the winters — is shaping up to be one of my favorites. And it goes to show that sometimes the things we worry most about aren’t worth it!
For more posts like this one, check out our Cabin Life series.
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Love reading your stories and life in the cabin!
Thank you!! Can’t wait for you to come visit! 🙂
My goodness, it looks gorgeous! We have long winters here where we are, being at a similar latitude to southern parts of alaska. And I love it! I absolutely love long, dark evenings, and short days. Most folks I know are on the point of depression by mid winter…. Not me! Now, having said that, I love our summers too, when it barely gets dark at all. I think it’s the big differences I love…. Loving your photos and your updates. Gorgeous!
Thanks so much!! I like the big differences too – we have long winters but we also have long sunny days in the summer. Probably not quite much sun as you guys get in the summer though – it can stay light until 9 or 10 here 🙂 The balance is good!