For 21 years, I have led an overnight backpacking excursion to a different wild spot in Pennsylvania on a cold, preferably snowy, winter weekend. We donât do it to prove our mettle, but to immerse ourselves in a landscape of sights, sounds and light experienced at no other time of year. Itâs also an antidote to seasonal affective disorder. Nearly each year, several people among us are experiencing winter hiking and camping for the first time. Sometimes overcoming a lifetime of trepidation, they are thrilled to learn that being outdoors when itâs freezing can be quite comfortable as long as they are wearing appropriate layers of clothing and bring the right gear.