Winter is Coming

Swap the sound of boats on the lake for snowmobiles on the ice, bikinis for snowsuits, and campfires for roaring fireplaces, and winter at the cottage isn’t so different from summer... as long as you’re prepared. Here are a ten tips to turn up your winter cottaging game, and let you enjoy one of the most serene seasons at the lake.

1. Put on your snow tires Whether you do it yourself or have them done at a shop, winter tires make a huge difference on snowy, icy cottage roads. The softer rubber grips snow and ice, giving you traction when you need it most. If braking is important to you, consider snow tires.

2. Be prepared to dig out Of course you drive with a goal of not careening into a snowbank or nestling your tires into deep snow, but it happens. Have a way to get out: throw a shovel in your trunk; got a cat? Kitty litter is great for traction; or, in a pinch, laying your floor mats out in front of the wheels could let you drive out of that bind. (And make sure your phone is charged, in case you need to call for a tow.) 3. Stock up on wood Wood haulers deliver all winter, but you don’t want to wait until you’re almost out only to hear they’re running low. Stock up early—you’ll want that fire going. (And don’t forget to stock matches, too.) Its a good idea to find a supplier in the spring and put your order in.

4. Don’t forget about the darkness It gets dark early in the winter, and even earlier the further north you go. Keep a flashlight or headlamp in your car for when you arrive—especially if you shut the power off when you leave. Solar spot lights are easy way to add light to entrances.

5. Beware of the pipes If your cottage isn’t winterized, you’re probably used to bringing water up. If it is winterized, there’s still always a chance of the pipes freezing or pump failing, so it’s a good idea to fill a jug at home or keep water in the cottage as backup if you have an area that stays above zero.

6. Keep backup lighting ready We all remember the Christmas of multiple-day power outages in 2015. Winter weather is fickle and power is precarious—have candles and solar lanterns on hand just in case. (Luckily, you’ve already stocked up on matches.) Have someone local check on the place during power outages, ensure this person has a back-up generator available if needed for the heating system.

7. Shelter your shovel You’ll want a path between the car and the cottage (and possibly the outhouse), so make sure the shovel is left somewhere accessible and not in a place that gets, ironically, buried in snow. 8. Keep the axe handy As well as splitting wood for the oh-so-important fireplace, if you’re without water, chipping ice from the lake with an axe is a much more efficient means of getting meltwater than snow. The volume of snow compared to the water it melts down to will make you weep as you sweatily haul bucket after bucket inside—and dehydration would be counterproductive.   9. Plan for dead car batteries In some areas of the country temperatures can drop low enough in cottage country to kill car batteries. Having an extension chord to run from your cottage to plug in a block heater isn’t a bad idea—and jumper cables are always advisable. Batteries loose performance in the cold, an aging battery will let you down.

10. Connect with your neighbours Lakes tend to be a lot less populated in the winter—it’s one of the best things about winter cottaging, but it also spells isolation. Find out who else is heading up—in case the smoke rising from their chimneys isn’t obvious enough—so you know, in an emergency, who’s around. If you don’t know them, now’s a good time to introduce yourself and swap phone numbers—and take a post-holiday tin of cookies for extra points. Have someone knowledgeable in the are available for help.

Getting Ready for Winter