PicoBlog

“When will you return to Wyoming for another visit?” I recently asked an old friend over the phone. “When I can be sure I won’t experience frostbite,” she cheekily replied. 

“Oh, come on. You can bundle up. The Rockies are magnificent in winter,” I countered. “Really?” she inquired in a curious tone, “Winter feels abysmal everywhere, so what makes the Rockies any different?”  

Recalling a viral news story out of Yellowstone last week I rejoined, “Where else can you witness first-hand a pack of wolves kill a 1,500 pound bison and enjoy it for dinner? Also, no mosquitoes.”

Most folks these days would choose the fair days of summer over the blustery days of winter. Summer is the well-worn path, the comfort zone of seasons. Summer doesn’t challenge us the way winter does. Devotees of  summer simply endure winter instead of truly experiencing it. To winter’s detractors it’s the Seabiscuit of the four seasons–not attractive and highly underrated. But I suggest that instead of holing up and counting the days until fairer weather, why not embrace this boreal time and all that it embodies? 19th century poet William Wordsworth laments society’s proclivity for comfortable things that distance us from harsher seasons, declaring that we “lay waste our powers” because “little we see in nature that is ours” and “we have given our hearts away” to fleece blankets and Netflix. Why stop living merely because a four month cold front moved in?  Just ask the kids at the local elementary school here in Cody who recently ventured outside for recess on a -14 degree day after five inches of snow fell.  No polar vortex will curtail their fun.  We live a rugged life here in the wild West! Wyoming is the Chuck Norris of U.S. states.

One of the best reasons to visit the Rockies in winter is for the celestial fireworks show that takes place most evenings. The unadulterated views of the night sky point to a glorious Creator who reminds us in scripture that “The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” The big sky over Wyoming on winter nights is the main act, the feature show with free admission. To the naked eye, the stars speak without uttering a word, yet their message overcomes the soul. Author and pastor Tim Keller writes that the heavens are “nonverbal communication that there is a God” and calls them “the meaningful work of an artist’s hands.” Cold winter nights in Wyoming offer unrivaled views of the heavens and occasionally the whimsical aurora borealis when conditions permit; but, to experience this activity one must venture outside and let the frigid evening sky infect the soul as the constellations stretch across the midnight blue canvas.

We need only look to Yellowstone National Park to make a convincing case for winter.  Yellowstone in winter will truly captivate the traveler with its powdery landscape, frosty geysers, and abundant wildlife.  Temperatures in Yellowstone rarely rise above freezing during winter, so only its most loyal enthusiasts visit during this time, making for a peaceful experience without the irritating crowds of summer that often include tourons taking selfies too close to animals that can kill them. When temperatures drop below zero, some visitors have witnessed “arctic air diamond dust” which is a by-product of calmer skies and extremely cold temperatures that combine to create a vapory “dust” that resembles diamonds hovering in the air. Is there anything more magical than floating snow diamonds?

Except for the Northeast Entrance Road, park management curbs travel to snowcoach, snowmobile, cross country skis, or snowshoes; limiting cars makes for a more intimate experience. And, visitors will find more opportunities to view wildlife. In the heat of the summer, so many of the animals retire to the higher elevations to escape uncomfortable temps. But in winter, places like Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley bustle with wolves, coyotes, bison, bobcats, bald eagles, and even the elusive wolverine. With any luck, visitors might encounter Limpy the Coyote, a popular resident in the snowy Lamar Valley who fakes an injured hind leg to procure snacks from gullible tourists. Once Limpy pulls off the ruse, he’ll gambol away with his spoils as sprightly as a spring chicken. 

Skijoring, a uniquely Western sporting event, is the unofficial winter sport of Wyoming whereby a skier tows behind a cowboy on a horse much like a water skier behind a boat. Competitions take place all across the state (and in Montana) during a winter rodeo or winter festival. The Pinedale Winter Carnival might be the most popular of the skijoring events as spectators pack the Pinedale Rodeo Grounds for a rip-roaring good time, cowboy style. The carnival also offers a hot dog eating contest for those less adept at skiing behind a horse and more gifted at overeating. Another win for winter in Wyoming.

Perhaps the best way to make the case for winter over summer requires using the friendship metaphor. The summer friend abides during fair winds and following seas, during sunny days and cloudless nights, during prosperity or victory. The summer friend will hang around when the friendship comes at no cost, when there’s no suffering to share or burden to bear. But the winter friend will be there in the eye of the tempest or the darkest hour.  The winter friend shares in suffering, walking through the Slough of Despond shoulder to shoulder with a sister or brother in need, giving succor and encouragement; the winter friend will help carry the burden knowing it will come at a price. Whereas the summer friend relies on feelings, the winter friend makes a decision—to sacrifice and love through trials, knowing that feelings often deceive. Winter wins again.

So there it is, the case for winter. Its spiritual nature molds our character, refines us, and teaches us to endure by learning to appreciate it as a period on loan to us from above. We can either waste it as we await spring, or embrace its gifts. And, as author John Steinbeck observed, “What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?”

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