Winter on Birch Island: What the Off‑Season Actually Looks Like

After a fall of newborn days and school routines, winter settles in differently than summer ever could.

When the docks are out and the last boat is pulled, people often assume lodge life simply pauses. It doesn’t. It just changes shape.

Here’s what winter actually looks like for us.

1. Closing the Island (For Real)

Before we ever step into “cozy winter mode,” there’s work.

Every cabin gets:

• Fully cleaned and inventoried

• Linens washed, labeled, and stored

• Pipes winterized

• Refrigerators emptied and propped open

• Mattresses covered and furniture shifted away from exterior walls

We walk through each building slowly. Make lists. Note what broke in July. Notice what felt worn by August.

Winter is when we price out repairs, schedule projects, and decide what upgrades actually matter — not just what looks good online.

2. Planning Next Season’s Revenue (Not Just Dreaming It)

Winter is budgeting season.

We:

• Review what cabins booked fastest

• Look at cancellations (and why they happened)

• Adjust pricing where we undercharged

• Decide which retreats are worth repeating

• Map out marketing deadlines instead of “winging it in May”

If summer is service, winter is strategy.

It’s spreadsheets at the kitchen table. It’s coffee refills and honest conversations. It’s deciding what we say yes to — and what we don’t.

3. Family Rhythm Reset

On the mainland, life tightens into routine.

School drop‑offs and pick-ups. Grocery runs that cost more than they should. Laundry that never ends.

With Ryle still little, my days are slower by necessity. Winter has forced me to accept that not everything can run at summer speed.

There’s more floor time. More read‑alouds. More Crock‑Pot dinners. Less proving.

And honestly? That’s good for us.

4. Maintenance & Projects We Ignore in July

Spring is when we finally tackle the things guests never see:

• Re‑staining trim

• Replacing dock boards

• Servicing boats and motors

• Deep cleaning kitchen equipment

• Reorganizing storage (again)

Barrett builds. Fixes. Improves. I reorganize systems. Rewrite guides. Tighten processes.

Summer is execution. Winter is refinement.

5. What We’re Focusing on This Winter

For this season, our priorities are simple:

• Stronger systems (so summer feels lighter)

• Paying down what we can

• Preserving family meals

• Letting the island rest

  
  

Winter isn’t glamorous. It’s not Instagram‑worthy.

It’s paperwork. It’s snowbanks. It’s budgeting and baby naps.

But it’s also foundation.

And foundation is what lets summer feel effortless.

If you only see us in July, just know — winter is where July is built.

Thanks for following along in every season.

— Josie