It’s Snowing, It’s Snowing!

WRITTEN BY TIM LYNCH

A volley of cheers thunders down the stairwell, streaming down into the kitchen as I pour the final steamy cascade over the coffee filter. It’s too dark to see out the kitchen window, but as I peer beyond the dim reflection, feathery flakes coat the fence post signaling the start of Montana’s magical season—winter!

There is nothing like the first snow arriving as we sleep, a sneaky dusting on local peaks signaling change from the colorful mosaic of fall, promising a wonderland of activities and landscapes.

Holiday lights twinkle on trees, soft light glows on neighborhood porches, plows mark paths on blanketed streets. We stroll after dinner; paw prints appear ahead as puffy clouds dance into the air.

Our family loves the winter months and the piles of snow, mornings gliding up blanketed hills and surfing through pillowy glades. The first snowman of the year with an old trucker hat and forgotten scarf. Family traditions abound in the winter season.

Winter takes us on cherished family sojourns that we plan each summer when we reserve forested cabins that our daughters have grown up traveling through snowy glens to reach. First, in the cozy confines of a ski equipped Chariot. Then, with mini skis just long enough to break trail. Now, towing a sled with holiday favorites, cookies, pastas and caramel desserts.

We are fortunate to live in this seasonal place; seasons transform our perspective, our paths and our passions. Winter is a time that always seems to bring the promise of wonder whether a holiday eve, a frozen lake or a powdery trail into a quiet wood.

No matter what the day or the weather, we often find ourselves venturing right out the back door, exploring the snowy paths that wind through our neighborhood and the hills that surround our town. Gliding by ski, floating with snowshoes or gripping the trail with our Yak Trax, following the trail breakers of the day.

Montana winter delivers joy, adventure and family experiences that will be our legacy.

Join us in celebrating winter, snowy adventures and the Montana lands we value and love.

Tim Lynch is the Manager of The Base Camp in Helena.