Snowshoeing at Minus 30

 When temperatures drop well below zero, the forest becomes quiet; very quiet. 

The sound of your passage echoes off trees and spreads deep into the surrounding woods. When you stop moving, silence fills the air and you stand alone, immersed in the wonder of the woods. 

The cold is relentless as it looks for ways to seep into your skin. Walking helps to generate heat; however, the speed at which you walk must be carefully controlled, for if you should begin to sweat, the water will dampen your garments and hypothermia will stalk you. 

Learning how to create and maintain a fire in the dead of winter is a skill which must not be taken for granted. Without it, you are at the mercy of the cold which surrounds you. 

Hiking in the winter is an activity which is invigorating and challenging. Being prepared to face the bitter cold is a necessity. 

If you have the skills and are prepared, there is nothing like a long snowshoe hike through the deep silent woods of winter. 

Happy Trails. 

Rob

Winter Trails for Wildlife

 Winter is harsh on wildlife. Food sources are limited and therefore the animals energy levels are not optimal. 

All winter wildlife have adaptions which allow them to survive during the lean months.

White Tailed Deer for example, enter a state where their metabolism reduces to the point where they can subsist on buds from trees.  

Never feed deer in the winter unless you can sustain it over the entire duration of the cold weather. The food you feed them will increase their metabolism to the point where they will become dependent on you for survival. 

You will help them much more by simply creating trails in the deep snow with snowshoes, skis or snowmobile.   This allows the wild ones to move through their home territories with very little expenditure of valuable energy. 

Of course, the wild ones do not need us; but since we live in their homelands, it suffices to say that helping them out by simply packing down a few trails goes a long way to making our transgressions feel less intrusive. 

Happy Wandering. 

  

Simple camp backrest

 The winter woods are full of wonder and silent secrets which have been written upon the snow for us to read and decipher. Snowshoes are a perfect conveyance for anyone wishing to reach the pages of the book. 

Snowshoes disperse your weight thus allowing you to traverse deep snow with relative ease.

 

Once you have a comfortable camp setup and a fire is radiating heat into your shelter, put your snowshoes to work and create a backrest. 

I refer to a term "kick" in this video. What I am referring to is the long piece of wood which extends from the back of a traditional snowshoe commonly referred to as the Algonquin snowshoe.

The "kick" helps to keep your feet tracking straight while walking. It can be a hinderance if you find yourself in dense bush but it is invaluable when traversing open fields and lakes. 

I prefer the bearpaw or modified bearpaw snowshoe as shown in this video. It disperses my weight perfectly and allows for ease of movement in the wilderness through which I wander. 

Hope this is of some service to my fellow wanderers. 

Happy wandering. 

  

Testing a camp stove

Packing for a trip through the woods requires a few fundamental items. One of the items you should carry is a portable camp stove. 

Be it the humble hobo stove or a commercially made unit is a matter of choice and function. 

Always test your equipment before heading out. Ensure it meets or exceeds your needs and does not add too much bulk or weight to your pack. 

In this video I test out the Uberleben Stoker Flatpack Stove. 

I am not affiliated with Uberleben or any company that sells their gear. I simply want to share with you  the equipment that can handle the reality of the bush. 

Happy Wandering

 

 

Testing out an Uberleben Kessel pot

Carrying a small provisions pack is always a good idea if you wander amongst the trees. Being able to eat on the trail and obtain drinkable water is a comfort which should not be overlooked.  

Having the means to boil water and cook food requires three essential items: 

1. A cooking pot - easily cleaned and light weight.

2. A source of heat - fire, camp stove or a hobo stove.

3. A means to light a fire or gas stove. 

Item one (1) on the list can range from a single walled stainless steel thermos to a stainless steel cook pot. 

There are many camp pots on the market and most of them will serve you well out on the trail. 

In this video, I test out an Oberleben Kessel 2.0 pot which I was very fortunate to receive as a gift. 

After testing this cooking utensil out; I can say with certainty, that it is the best cooking pot I have used in a lifetime of being out here.  

My old stainless steel pot will now reside in my tipi (teepee) as a permanent fixture and the new pot will be carried with me wherever my wanders take me. 

Notes:

I put the handle on the wrong way in this video. I should have read the instructions. Oops. 

I am not affiliated with Uberleben or any company that sells their gear. I simply want to share with you  the equipment that can handle the reality of the bush. 

Happy Wandering. 

 

   

Packing for a winter day hike

 

Wandering through the woods on a quiet snow clad day is an experience which is unique. You leave footsteps in your wake which shows you your past, the unbroken snow in front of you is a canvas upon which you will write your future.  

Such a hike leads to many discoveries and deep self examination. Your mind, body and spirit can join as one entity and soak in the beauty of the wilderness around you. 

Winnie the porcupine

Having a small provisions pack helps to extend your day in the woods. Knowing how much to carry is knowledge only gained through experience. 

This video explains the bare bone basics of a provisions pack for a typical day hike in the woods.  

Remember to carry only that which you need, all the rest is just extra weight. The snow will demand more of your energy to enjoy its beauty, the extra stuff you have in your pack will become a burden and it will detract from your experience. 

Happy wandering.   

A Winter Walk in Algonquin Highlands.

The March sun fills the forest with a warmth which has been absent for several months. 

As the sun stretches the shadows from the trees, I wander through the woods with no destination in mind. Animal tracks dictate my direction of travel.  

Wandering in this fashion allows one to purge the concerns of tomorrow and live for the very moment in which you find yourself. 

Even if it is just a fleeting release from the realities of the man-made world in which we all must function, taking a walk in a place where trees grow and wild ones walk always returns me to a place within myself which I call home. 

Whenever you get a chance to drift away from everyone and wander through the woods, don't hesitate, jump right in and lose tomorrow for today. 

  

Keeping the trails groomed.

When the snow gets deep in the woods, the wild ones follow in each others foot prints creating trails which crisscross the forest. 

In the woods which I call home, there are many such trails which lead from feeding areas to sleeping areas. There are always stories written on the snow which, to the observant eye, will entertain the imagination for hours. 

I have always groomed trails through that same forest using my little Yamaha Bravo. It is light and maneuverable allowing me to go into areas modern machines can-not follow. 

The snow gets packed down by the sled and within a few hours, the wild ones are using the trail as if it were a sidewalk. Wolf, deer, moose and a host of other forest dwellers leave their footprints superimposed on the track impression of the Bravo. 

This video is a rear view look at the grooming process as I traverse my forest following and being followed by the wild creatures which reside within its shelter.   

Passing along some information I have learned about snowshoes.

There is nothing quite like wandering through the woods when the snow lies deep upon the forest floor. 

There is a stillness which seeps into your soul and transports you to a place where you feel as if you are floating rather than walking. It is hard to explain and must be experienced to fully understand what I am trying to convey. 

When the clouds repaint the wilderness with their white paintbrush, I do not have the power to resist putting my snowshoes on and wandering through the winter wonderland which stretches out before my eyes.  

In this short video, I tell you my thoughts on the wonderful invention called the snowshoe.