It hasn't gotten that bad here...yet. We've hit zero a couple times, but not 20 below like we did last year. But, winter's not over yet. January and February are always our coldest months, so we'll undoubtedly get sub-zero temperatures. It's just a given...it happens every year.
A few things that are just standard operating procedure up here in the mountains....
First, we try to make sure the woodshed is full by the beginning of summer so we'll have a few good months of 90-degree weather to dry and season the wood properly before fall and have plenty of wood to last through the winter.
We also drain all outdoor water lines (sprinklers, irrigation, etc.) by the first of November at the latest.
Most of us usually pack a "72-hour kit" in our vehicles just in case we inadvertently get stuck up the canyon overnight. It's a pack containing food, water, first aid kit, small stove, shelter, sleeping bag or blankets, etc. We also usually have a shovel, axe, and maybe a saw in our vehicles, too.
As for clothing, although I wear polyester long johns, for other clothing there is nothing like wool, in my opinion. I have a pair of heavy wool pants that I've owned for 30 years and they're still going strong...and miraculously, they still fit!! They are amazing and beat the heck out of cotton jeans during winter. I also wear heavy chamois shirts, Filson wool vest, Filson wool Mackinaw or a down Warden's parka, along with a homemade knit wool scarf, a polyester-lined wool hat, and a good pair of mittens...either leather with a wool liner or a pair of heavy-duty down-filled mittens. My boots are felt-lined packs that are rated to -65. (Maybe that's over kill, but I hate cold feet.)
Normally, when it gets -20, the only time I really go out, if I can help it, is to tend to the livestock, make sure the water troughs are full and opened, and to grab a load of wood from the woodshed. Also, if we get dumped on with a heavy load of snow, I'll go out and fire up the Rhino with the snow blade on it and plow the drive.
My wife's car is kept in a heated garage. My diesel pickup is out by the barn, plugged into an engine block heater, and with plenty of additive to keep the diesel from turning to jelly. All of our gas-burning things that we normally use during the spring (mowers, garden tractor, tiller, chainsaw, etc.) have either been drained or have a stabilizing additive in the fuel tank.
Other than that, I try to spend most of my time by the wood stove with my feet in a pair of sheepskin-lined slippers either reading a good book, sharpening knives, cleaning guns, or just taking a nap.
A few things that are just standard operating procedure up here in the mountains....
First, we try to make sure the woodshed is full by the beginning of summer so we'll have a few good months of 90-degree weather to dry and season the wood properly before fall and have plenty of wood to last through the winter.
We also drain all outdoor water lines (sprinklers, irrigation, etc.) by the first of November at the latest.
Most of us usually pack a "72-hour kit" in our vehicles just in case we inadvertently get stuck up the canyon overnight. It's a pack containing food, water, first aid kit, small stove, shelter, sleeping bag or blankets, etc. We also usually have a shovel, axe, and maybe a saw in our vehicles, too.
As for clothing, although I wear polyester long johns, for other clothing there is nothing like wool, in my opinion. I have a pair of heavy wool pants that I've owned for 30 years and they're still going strong...and miraculously, they still fit!! They are amazing and beat the heck out of cotton jeans during winter. I also wear heavy chamois shirts, Filson wool vest, Filson wool Mackinaw or a down Warden's parka, along with a homemade knit wool scarf, a polyester-lined wool hat, and a good pair of mittens...either leather with a wool liner or a pair of heavy-duty down-filled mittens. My boots are felt-lined packs that are rated to -65. (Maybe that's over kill, but I hate cold feet.)
Normally, when it gets -20, the only time I really go out, if I can help it, is to tend to the livestock, make sure the water troughs are full and opened, and to grab a load of wood from the woodshed. Also, if we get dumped on with a heavy load of snow, I'll go out and fire up the Rhino with the snow blade on it and plow the drive.
My wife's car is kept in a heated garage. My diesel pickup is out by the barn, plugged into an engine block heater, and with plenty of additive to keep the diesel from turning to jelly. All of our gas-burning things that we normally use during the spring (mowers, garden tractor, tiller, chainsaw, etc.) have either been drained or have a stabilizing additive in the fuel tank.
Other than that, I try to spend most of my time by the wood stove with my feet in a pair of sheepskin-lined slippers either reading a good book, sharpening knives, cleaning guns, or just taking a nap.
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