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In the Bush: Even outdoors guru Viki Mather admits there's a lot of snow this year

'Yes, all that snow. It makes for challenging travel, no matter how we go.'

This winter finds me staring out the window every morning, and afternoons too. It’s so beautiful. Especially from the comfy chair in my living room. 

It's cold out, you know. Or if it’s not cold, then it must be snowing. Even I will admit there’s a lot of snow.

I love watching the sun rise on the really cold mornings. A little bit earlier every day. I love watching as February unfolds and the sun moves a little bit more from south-east to the east. It reaches higher in the sky, making for longer days. Love all that light!

When it is really cold out there, the sun shines brightly into my house. We can let the fire go out and be toasty warm. Except for this year. Sometimes it has been really cold and really snowy at the same time. Hmm. 

I do like winter. I like the freedom of travel in the wilderness. Walk on the lake, snowshoe through the wetlands, and take the snowmachine up and around the portages from lake to lake to lake. 

As we speed by the summer campsites, I remember the warmth of last summer. The quiet paddles, the long days, the dark nights under the stars.

I love camping in winter too, though we have not been out overnight yet this year. Getting to the winter campsite has been challenging. We’ve packed the trails to get there four times already. And then it snows again. 

We’re reticent to pull a big sled full of our camping gear across the vast expanses of lake without a pre-packed trail.

All that snow makes for a lot of slush. Maybe the snowmachine will stay on top … but maybe it won’t. Slush is the winter troll, we worry about it reaching up from under the deep snow and sucking us into its depths.

Yes, all that snow. It makes for challenging travel, no matter how we go. Thinking back to all the snowshoeing we did last year, I have a feeling this year will be far less adventurous. 

Ideally we pack a trail to the top of the ridge and explore from there. The first venture uphill on snowshoes will take four hours to cover just a few kilometres. The second trip on that packed trail will take just one hour. Then we can venture out further, though slowly. 

Unless it snows again between trips. Which it likely will.

I do love winter, and I do love the snow. Still, this is enough already! More than enough for all kinds of playing in the snow. My opinion holds little influence with the clouds. We’re just half past February. Probably there is a lot more snow in our future.

Viki Mather has been commenting for Northern Life on the natural world and life in Greater Sudbury since the spring of 1984. Got a question or idea for Viki? Send an email to [email protected]


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