Skip the Lodge. Stoke the Fire.

Let’s set the stage. Pre-dawn starts. Carpooling to your local mountain, chasing first tracks on crisp corduroy groomers. You ski until the snow is spent, the ice starts to surface, and the cold creeps into your gloves, coats, and boots. The lifts power down to start resetting the hill for tomorrow’s pilgrims seeking their own crisp turns. The joy of the day is written all over your crew’s windburned faces.

Do you head to the lodge, or brave the winter weather and blaze your own path? No spoilers, but we tend to lean toward more time outside. And we have our own little hack for staying warm—fire.

That’s why we teamed up with Subaru Winterfest, where we found a crowd of people who felt the same way. After a full day on the slopes in sub-20° temps, they weren’t ready to call it. Live music, good friends, and a cold night ahead? They knew exactly what to do—huddle up, fire up, and keep the good times going.

Breaking the Winter Cycle

So why put in the effort to create a day on the slopes? Why step out into the cold instead of retreating inside? Because it breaks the cycle of giving in to winter. It carves out space for people to come together in ways that only happen in snow-covered mountains.

For some, ski season is the thing they build their whole year around. For others, it’s a chance to push past “comfortable” and make the most of every season. Either way, it’s a life-to-the-fullest kind of perspective.

At Winterfest, we asked people what got them off the couch and into the cold. The answer was almost always the same: good times with good people. A community that doesn’t let dropping temps dictate the fun.That’s something we can get behind.

And for those who already had Solo Stoves, we got to hear how a little fire made all the difference—and not just on the slopes.

Winter Warm Up Hacks

The Aprés Warm Down

We ran into a crew that brings their fire pit to the mountain—creating a rally point for post-run debriefs. Packed with snacks and beverages, their setup let them warm up, swap stories, and stretch out the high from the hill before heading home. Pro tip: Bring extra snacks. No one regrets a warm drink and a full stomach.

The Spontaneous Starry Night

Another solid move from the Winterfest crowd? Pre-loading a Ranger or Bonfire with wood before heading out. That way, when the moment strikes, they can grab it and go—whether it’s an impromptu trailhead bonfire or a backyard wind-down under winter’s clearest skies. The best nights? The ones that don’t take much planning.

The More Heat, Please

We had fire pits set up with Heat Deflectors, and one thing was clear: game changer. More heat. More warmth. More people sticking around just a little longer. The verdict? If you’re heading into winter, use a Heat Deflector and thank us later. It’s like upgrading from a hand warmer to a full-body hug.

The No-Snow Days Needed

Not a skier? Doesn’t matter. Some people we talked to keep their Solo Stove right outside their back door, so they never need an excuse to fire it up. Snow day? No problem. Work night? Still an option. A little fire makes winter feel a lot less like something to endure—and a lot more like something to enjoy.

We love partnering with groups like Subaru Winterfest because it gives people the chance to break out of hibernation and make the most of winter. No blanket forts or binge-watching required.

Winter isn’t for waiting. It’s for living.

It’s for crisp air in your lungs and fresh turns under your feet. For firelight dancing on windburned cheeks. For the moments when the cold should send you inside—but instead, you lean in.

So skip the lodge. Stoke the fire. Stay out just a little longer.

Because the best nights aren’t the ones spent chasing warmth. They’re the ones spent making it.

So… can you really call it Aprés if it’s what you’re looking forward to most? (Technically, yes. Of course.)