By: Dallin Rahlf 

Can you feel it? Aye, the cold of winter approaches. Did you know that winter doesn’t start until December 21st? Yeah, you’d think December is a winter month with all the holly jolly snow decorations, but nope, December is more fall than it is winter. Wild. Despite that, the colder weather and holiday season prepare us for the coming months where it’s colder outside than your freezer. Most folk are “not down” for the colder months of the year, but it doesn’t have to be all bad! Colder weather unlocks some great activities that you can’t do during the warmer months of the year. 

If you’re one of the many folk who would rather stay inside the entire time and not suffer the harsh coldness, please, allow me to shed some light on how you can utilize your GetOutPass to help you find some joy when it’s a little colder outside. 

Embrace the Cold 

Below are some of my favorite activities to do on the GetOutPass when the air turns cooler and my breath becomes more visible. Here’s some tips when it comes to walking around in the cold!

Braving the cold tips

• Bundle up from head to toe! There’s an old wives’ tale that claims that 50-75% of heat is lost through the head. I believed that for awhile until I checked out some of the #facts about this. Turns out… it’s not true. The reason that this came to be was due to the fact that normally, when someone goes outside in the cold, our heads are usually the most exposed part of our body. Thus came the idea that all the heat is lost in the head. Turns out any part of your body that is exposed to the cold will be the reason that heat is lost. So, be sure to bundle up! There’s no shame is decking yourself in a thick jacket, scarf, beanie, warm pants, thick socks, and thick boots! Do whatever you gotta do to make yourself the warmest looking person around. 
• Hand warmers are an absolute game changer. If you have yet to experience the warm joy of some “hot pockets”, you’ll want to find some of those bad boys real soon. I would want you of two things: one, don’t put them in your shoes. It will be uncomfortable, your feet will get way too hot in the spot they’re in, and taking off your shoes outside in the cold is never fun. Two, consider carefully those things they’ll sell you at the mall at those random kiosks. They’re pretty cool at a glance—they’re these reusable hand warmers that are way hot and can be boiled to use again. What I’ve found by owning a pair is that the longer you have them, the less effective they become. I recon it’s better to use the “one and dones” you can find in bulk. They tend to stay warmer longer. 
• Wear the right shoes! Isolated, warm, rainproof shoes/boots are your way to go. Your Nikes probably look awesome, but they will not get the job done if it's a wet day outside. Having cold, wet toes all day is ROUGH. Trust me. I’ve had cold, wet toes before. 
• Don’t be a hero. Sometimes, it really IS that cold outside and without proper gear, you’ll find yourself in a bad situation that could get nasty pretty quick. Having the right clothing and knowing your limits is essential to having fun outside. Colder parts of the United States can, well, get super cold some nights! Check the weather, see if there’s any weather warning, and you’ll be perfect. 

Activities 

• Skiing and/or snowboarding are naturally one of the coolest things you can be doing with your time once you start seeing snow up in the mountains. If you’re in one of our areas that has a ski range, you’ll certainly want to consider hitting the slopes and begin to, as they say, “shred the gnar”. If you haven’t ever been, I’ve been told from experts in both schools that skiing is typically easier to learn, hard to master and that snowboarding is the opposite. Choose wisely which way you want to cruise down the slopes! 
• Ice skating is a great time for all ages and skill levels. Put on some cute clothes and your favorite jacket and beanie combo and get ready to start looking like Brian Boitano. Or you can go all out with one of those awesome full body suits that they wear at the olympics with those sick helmets! Wow. That’d be awesome. Either way, ice skating is fun, nippy, and a perfect excuse to hold someone’s hand that you’ve been flirting with for awhile now. Seems like an all around great time to me. 
• If you’ve got a zoo on the pass, you’ll want to check that out. Some zoos have awesome lights and shows during their colder months. Touring zoos around this time is downright blast! Some have live shows with Christmas music being played by local artists and some nice, hot beverages to keep you warm while you tour around. 
• Snowshoe hiking is another great way to learn to appreciate the beauty of snow falling from the heavens. You’ve walked through the snow before, and it’s not easy when it piles higher and higher. You’ve got to lift your legs up and over dramatically and somehow keep the snow from entering your shoes. Those problems all go away once you put on some snowshoes. These will keep you above the snow by displacing your weight more evenly in a larger area. Pretty cool, right? If you’ve got something like that on your pass, do be sure to check them out. Super fun. 

I hope you’re now ready for the fun times ahead, and you’re screaming to the world, “Bring on the cold! Cold means fun times outside! And hot chocolate! And cute jackets and beanies!” You’ll have a great time these next couple months if you follow these guidelines. Get out there and have some fun!