Winter Is Coming. Around Here, That’s Not a Threat.

There are two kinds of people in North Idaho when the first snowflakes start falling.

The first group runs to the window, smiles, and says, “Isn’t it beautiful?”

The second group looks outside and says, “Where in the heck did I put that snow shovel?”

Most of us are a little bit of both.

Around Kootenai, Ponderay, and Sandpoint, winter doesn’t exactly sneak up on anybody. We’ve lived through it before. We have the snow boots, the ice scrapers, the woodpiles, and at least one winter coat that looks like it survived a logging operation.

And yet, every year, somebody acts surprised.

“Can you believe it’s snowing already?”

Well, yes. Actually, we can.

But there’s something special about that first good snowfall. The mountains disappear behind the clouds. The evergreens collect their white frosting. And suddenly, even an ordinary driveway looks like something from a Christmas card.

Of course, winter around here wasn’t always so comfortable.

Back in 1908, Kootenai was a bustling railroad and lumber town, complete with hotels, restaurants, a theater, a roller rink, and an ice house filled with ice harvested from Lake Pend Oreille.

Imagine that. A hundred years ago, people worked to collect and store winter ice. Today, we spend half the season trying to get rid of it.

And when Kootenai’s school opened in 1909, older students traveling to high school in Sandpoint sometimes faced roads closed by winter weather.

No heated seats. No remote starters. And certainly no complaining on Facebook about the snowplow being five minutes late.

Folks over in Pack River, Clark Fork, and Hope knew the same winter realities. You kept the woodpile stocked, the pantry supplied, and a good relationship with whoever owned the biggest shovel.

Some things haven’t changed much.

When the snow really starts coming down, you’ll still find neighbors clearing an extra driveway, checking on somebody who lives alone, or lending a hand to get a stuck vehicle moving.

That’s the North Idaho we know and love.

So as the days get shorter and the temperatures start dropping, enjoy the changing seasons. Get those snow tires ready, put a few emergency supplies in your vehicle, and maybe check on that neighbor you haven’t seen since summer.

Winter is coming, all right.

But around here, that’s just another reason to put on the coffee.

And seriously, go find that shovel.