This winter I had the opportunity to go winter camping with some good friends Seth and Paul.  We cross-country skied out to a cabin (maple syrup sugar shack) in the woods.  It was a beautiful March winter day with the temperatures in the mid 30’s.  We put on our skis, strapped our sleds on, and set off for a 4km ski.  Sounds very easy, except for the fact that you have this dead weight that you are pulling uphill (no I don’t mean the dead weight around my waist).  This weight on sled also pushed you down the hill, which was quite the ride.  Once we got the sugar-shack we settled in and then shoveled the roof off which was our payment for staying the night.  Being that this shack was an actual maple-syrup shack it is only tin wall and roof and the shack was made NOT to hold any heat.  Great when making maple-syrup, but not so good when sleeping in 15 degree weather.  We made a fire in the shack and prepared our dinner.  We talked the evening away.  I decided that I only get to do this once in a while, so I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to sleep under the stars, to my luck there was a picnic table which became my bed.  I stayed nice and warm in my bag and it was a beautiful night.  In the morning we made breakfast and headed on our way for home.  On our trip back I took to nice falls because of being off balance with my dead weight sled.  I didn’t think my falls were that bad, but when we got back to the car I realized that my ski had taken the worst of the falls.  My ski was cracked in half and I skied 3km and had not idea that my ski was broken.  Oh well, all in a days work.  It was a blast.  Here are some pictures of our time at the shack.

The boys…Paul, Seth, and myself!!!!

A view of the sugar shack and me pulling the sled of gear.  AKA-dead weight!!

Paul and I at the highest point on the Birkie trail!!!

Peacefully sleeping on the picnic table in 15 degree weather!!