{"id":6530,"date":"2015-12-14T13:36:32","date_gmt":"2015-12-14T21:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=6530"},"modified":"2018-11-11T22:27:23","modified_gmt":"2018-11-12T06:27:23","slug":"how-to-survive-the-shortest-day-of-the-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/how-to-survive-the-shortest-day-of-the-year","title":{"rendered":"How to Survive the Shortest Day of the Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winter solstice is on its way, and if you don\u2019t already have plans, it\u2019s time to make them.<\/p>\n

The shortest day of the year, the solstice is the official start of winter\u2013great for anyone who loves to ski. But it also means that from this point forward, the days will be longer, the sun a little warmer, and before you know it, summer will be in full swing. So no matter your favorite season, winter solstice is a win-win. Here\u2019s one way to celebrate it.<\/p>\n

This year, winter solstice falls on December 22. Unfortunately for anyone with a day job, that\u2019s a Tuesday. But if you\u2019ve managed to take it off, you\u2019ll have exactly eight hours and 57 minutes between sunrise and sunset to maximize the daylight. After that you\u2019ll need a headlamp; but don\u2019t worry, that\u2019s all part of the plan.<\/p>\n

\"Winter<\/p>\n

Reserve a hut in advance for you and your friends.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

French-press, pour-over, espresso. However you enjoy your morning pick-me-up, you\u2019re going to need it. Jump in the car before sunrise, which will be at 7:18 AM (MST) and head for the nearest mountain hut. It could be a cabin operated by a state park, some epic bungalow you found for rent, or a secret shack in the woods that allows overnight visitors. Maybe you\u2019ve found one that\u2019s only a mile away from the trailhead, or maybe you\u2019ll need a topographical map and backcountry know-how to get there. Pick a place you\u2019ll have fun getting to, since it might take all day.<\/p>\n

\"Winter<\/p>\n

Take a time out from screen-time. Photo by Bryan Rowe<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve arrived, it\u2019s time to get out of your sweaty layers and unwind. Chop wood. Build a fire. Reflect on your adventures and misadventures of the past year. By the time your friends arrive by headlamp after they get off work, you\u2019ll be recharged and ready to celebrate the changing of the seasons.<\/p>\n

The sun will sink beneath the horizon at 4:39 PM, so plan on embracing the solstice with an after-hours activity. Sled down a route you scoped out earlier, or go for a snowshoe or cross-country ski (the moon will be almost full). Tell your friends to pack their puffies and light a bonfire to celebrate the end of a season and the beginning of another (just have someone else pack in all the firewood). As if we need to tell you how to spend a night with friends in the mountains.<\/p>\n

\"Winter<\/p>\n

Just because the sun sets early doesn\u2019t mean the fun has to.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The next morning, cook up a phenomenal breakfast to welcome in the sun that will rise just a few precious seconds earlier than the day before. Returning to the middle of your work week might be bittersweet after an epic night in the mountains, but with that extra skip in your snowshoe that only mountain air can provide, you just might make it to Saturday, and summer beyond.<\/p>\n

\"Winter<\/p>\n

Think warm thoughts. Summer is on the horizon! Photo by Bryan Rowe<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Have any tips on how to survive the shortest day of the year? We’d love to hear them in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Winter solstice is on its way, and if you don\u2019t already have plans, it\u2019s time to make them. The shortest day of the year, the solstice is the official start of winter\u2013great for anyone who loves to ski. But it also means that from this point forward, the days will be longer, the sun a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6678,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[346,364,66],"internal-tag":[1683,544],"class_list":["post-6530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-snowsports","tag-holiday","tag-snowsports","tag-tips","internal-tag-pre-redirect-snowsports","internal-tag-whitney-james"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/how-to-survive-the-shortest-day-of-the-year","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"How to Survive the Shortest Day of the Year","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/how-to-survive-the-shortest-day-of-the-year","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/snowsports\/how-to-survive-the-shortest-day-of-the-year"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/1-Solstice-Bryan-Rowe.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/1-Solstice-Bryan-Rowe.jpg?fit=1500%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Snowsports","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Angela Crampton"}],"creator":["Angela Crampton"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["holidays","snowsports","tips"],"dateCreated":"2015-12-14T21:36:32Z","datePublished":"2015-12-14T21:36:32Z","dateModified":"2018-11-12T06:27:23Z"},"rendered":"