The words “night” and “winter” usually do not inspire thoughts of being active, but I’m here to tell you that they should.
Looking out my window on a dark snowy evening, it seems so tempting to cancel my plans and curl up in bed, yet I put on the snow gear, grab a headlamp, throw skis in the car, and make my way to the base of the mountain.
The cold is real and the climb ahead steep, yet it feels more like a miniature expedition than a grueling workout. The light grid of the town slowly gets further and further away as I ascend the mountain, and the world becomes quiet under the full moon and accumulating snow.
Through my experience, I have found that skiing or hiking up ski resorts at night offers not only a great way to exercise, but also great views of winter landscapes and exciting meanders through snowy forests. If you are looking for a more exciting way to watch New Years Eve fireworks, I highly recommend hiking up to a unique viewpoint high above the skyline or townscape.
I know I am biased towards these activities because I grew up in a place where nighttime ski-mountaineering, running, and Nordic races are commonplace, but I am nevertheless convinced that there is a lot of untapped active life potential on winter nights.
Post-dinnertime generally allows for so much flexibility in terms of scheduling, and it is comforting to know that even if I didn’t get my daytime hike or run in, the day is not over after the sun sets. Seeing that daylight hours are minimal this time of year anyway, planning activities for night not only relieves the pressure of cramming everything in during the day but also allows for ‘two-a-days’ without really feeling the stress that those usually entail.
Of course, this may not be accessible or appealing to everyone. However, nighttime options are plentiful especially with a good headlamp. Ice-skating, snowshoeing, swimming, biking, late night dance or yoga classes, and even long walks through various winter terrains can all be very rewarding.
I encourage embracing both the winter and the night because if our favorite activities aren’t limited to one type, why should they be limited to one time of day or season?