Winter Must-Haves to Survive in the Colorado Mountains

Being from Southern California, now don't stop reading, I've been in Montrose Colorado for 5 years. I also lived in South Lake Tahoe for five years, and in Helena, Montana for two years. So I know a few things about winter and the cold. You will need things to stay warm that you may have never even thought of.

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When I first moved to Lake Tahoe 12 years ago, I really had to adapt to snow, cold, berms, you name it. The first time I brushed my teeth, I was in shock when the water wasn't warm enough. My best friend was socks, and two pairs were better than one. I also learned never to leave the house with wet hair, it was like icicles in two minutes. Don't get me started on the snow totals. When I left there winter of 2017 they had a record 550 inches, shoveling snow a foot at a time is no fun!

Now then I was off to Helena, Montana. You talk about cold. I worked in the morning and 10 below for a month was not my idea of fun. The ice is the biggest issue, whether trying to walk on it or drive in it. Ice is ice, I don't care what anyone tells you.

Now that I've been in Montrose, Colorado for just under five years, it's awesome! I've had the experience of snow before, so it can feel more like a country club winter. It is quite cold from time to time. So I've compiled a list of what you will need if you live in any snowy mountain place. Feel free to add a few that I may have forgotten. Oh and those things on top of cars after a big snow, I call them "snow mattresses," in Lake Tahoe I've seen singles, doubles, even triples.