Happy New Year! My first post of 2018 was published from Nova Scotia on 01/07 at -18C (-1F) with -28C (-19F) wind chill.
On January 1, 1998, I participated in a polar bear dip in Halifax HarboUr. The air temperature was around -15C (5F).* That was the coldest I have ever been. A few months later when I watched the movie Titanic that had recently been released, I thought “Bullshit” as Kate Winslet’s character walked through a corridor flooding with water to find her man. “The Atlantic didn’t warm up as soon as it entered the ship.” Unlike others who make a polar bear dip a yearly celebration, once was enough for me.
Tents at Mount Rainier base camp.
The runner-up for coldest-I’ve-ever-been was during my attempt to climb Washington State’s Mount Rainier (elevation 14,400 feet) in June 2012. On day two of the climb, I knew we would likely be weathered off the mountain and not get much farther than base camp. But because it was a commercial climb, I think the leaders wanted to give us a taste of an alpine start: I slept (wearing all my clothes and a heavy parka) in a tent on the snow at base camp, we were woken up at 2:30 am to gear up, rope up, cross the first glacier, and start climbing over and around rock against high winds.
Let me confess it here for the first time: when I heard that we were turning back, I felt … jubilant. We didn’t have a chance to summit and I was cold, tired, and just wanted to go home. I had fund-raised, trained, and showed up prepared. I had met my goal. Yes, once was enough for that too.
I won’t be topping the dip or the climb by some future goal to prove to myself how tough I am. I think this winter will be challenge enough.
I knew I would have a big adjustment to a real winter again after being in the PNW for 11 years, but I didn’t expect it to start so early. The solstice was only 2.5 weeks ago! We’ve already had two winter storms with high winds and days with the wind chill in the -20’s C. I am grateful for the quality winter gear and outdoor clothes I brought east with me. I recently added a pair of big stomp-around insulated boots and more long underwear. I also got a cozy new duvet just in time.
And if it’s going to be cold, I need more sunshine. Not just for Vitamin D, mood, and the PV panels, it also means I burn less fuel (less $) because the tiny house warms up without keeping the woodstove running. Depending on this first winter, the 2019 SLSR budget for heating may require a serious tweak.
I am not complaining. I am not taking it personally. I am acclimating. And I am also reflecting (frequently) on that record hot stretch in 2015 where I sat in the condo in my underwear every evening for three weeks obsessed with trying to figure out how to cool the place down.
*I looked this up in historical weather data so I wouldn’t exaggerate.
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Neil says
A British comedians favorite word was “coolish.” This extended cold snap is unusual. Guess you picked a bad winter to come home. Glad you came when you did and you’ve had a number of months to adjust to living in the TTR and learning the engineering feats to keep it comfortable and efficient. Nice to recall other “cold” adventures – the polar plunge and the mountain climb. I assume future adventures will be more temperate in nature. The sun is out in the Valley, but it belies the situation. It’s COLD out there!
back is the new forward says
It is a weekend for dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing) … INSIDE!