To the OP, why winter camp?
Your first sentence (about the appeal of winter camping as you get older, which I am) is what caught my attention. I really don't have any expereince (nothing to speak of anyway), winter camping.

Where I'm living now, cross country skiing, or even snow shoes, would not be remotely practical, we don't get that much snow here, or if we do, it's gone quickly.

But back to your first sentence. I never really liked cold weather much, but (I've had this conversation with another poster in a PM), I think I'm going to try to get out at least three or four weeks, this winter, not all at once. Which means some new gear for the lower temps, and such. I'll pretty much hang close to a base camp, unless we have some of our 45 to 50 degree weather, which we can have here. And if it's really cold 10 to 5 degree weather, even more so.

I'm just going to try it because of the solitude. Not many people here in KY, backpack or camp in the winter, and, according to some of the park Rangers, very few. I tend to sleep lighter when there are absolutely no distractions, so, I'm guessing I'll be spending a great deal of the night sipping coffee, and just enjoying the solitude.

So, from what most of you are referring to, trekking and backpacking through snow, well I have no real experience with that, and won't get a chance to learn those skills, but the rest of what you describe sounds incredible. I'm really looking forward to it (I never thought I'd here myself say I'd be looking forward to Backpacking/Camping in the cold, rather than enjoying a football game at home at 70 degrees,), but this is something I've actually been pondering for quite a while.

Maybe, if all goes well, I can arrange a paid guided trip, with experts, in "real" winter conditions, and see what it's really all about at some point before I kick the bucket.

We'll see, but it sounds great....

J.