Early Introduction- A 5yr Old and Winter Camping

What do you get when you tell a 5yr old stories of camping in the Winter and building quinzees?

You get curiosity and enthusiasm, oh ya... and a lot of questions :)

A large part of my Son Hiker's 5 years on the planet have been spent outdoors. We had always went for hikes and spent time in nature. Another part of that, was making sure he was engaged in outdoor activities in the Winter. I was determined to avoid having a child that just wanted to hibernate and hide behind electronics during the Winter months. When he was ready, a backyard snowboard park was built including a 12 foot drop-in ramp as a part of our sloping backyard. Next he would get a Burton snowboard and all the equipment to make the experience comfortable. This gave him an activity in the backyard that was easily accessible providing there was enough snow.

We also spent time making snow forts and small quinzee's in his earlier years. It gave us a chance to bond outdoors over the Winter. Hiker would witness my excitement and enjoyment in doing these activities with him, despite the weather. Usually I would have a fire going outside that we could hover around if we got a little chilled. These experiences set the stage for an early introduction into Winter camping for my now 5 (turning 6 in June) year old boy.

As I continued to plan canoe trips later into the Fall my son had just expected that he would be a part of them and after some deliberating I didn't see why he couldn't. He was becoming more experienced in his young age and showed a real and genuine enthusiasm for tripping, so I planned our first back country canoeing trip outside of the peak season of Summer. The plan was to head to Puzzle Lake Provincial Park in late October.
The video documenting this trip can be found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlklfCbrMNI

This would test my Son's ability to take direction from me in the cooler temperatures of Autumn when travelling by water and venturing into the interior of the non operational park. I would also be able to get a sense of how he would respond to the cooler temperatures in certain situations. There were a couple incidents where he got wet after not heeding my advice but he would learn quickly by natural consequences, as mother nature would not be forgiving. All in all the trip went very well and was a great learning experience for both him and I moving closer to the Winter months.

This winter I have found that Hiker will periodically ask if we could build a quinzee, however it usually ends up being at the most inopportune time. His desire to is consistent and leaves me feeling upset with myself for not making time. Are you wondering why I just don't make the time to do it with him??? Read on, you won't be disappointed.

 Just recently I went on a three day winter backcountry camp in Algonquin Park with nine other adults. It was organized to be a cold tent/tarp camp and required a level of skill. The night before I was set to leave Hiker was pleading for me to take him. I tried to explain the circumstances and it was hard to navigate a conversation telling him he doesn't have the skill required, without telling him outright that he doesn't have the skill required. He very confidently told me that he can do it, just give him a chance. It broke my heart telling him "No" as we always trip together. He and I discussed the issue for a little while and came to a compromise. I explained that if he missed out on this adult trip that I would take him to Algonquin on the family day weekend to do some cold tenting. He was sold on this idea and it lessened that sadness that I was experiencing leaving him behind and he had  a Winter camp on the horizon to look forward to.

Now back to the topic of the quinzee or lack there of. This past weekend, with the winter camp in Algonquin coming up quick, I decided Hiker and I would build a quinzee in the backyard. Hiker was excited and all for that plan. This would be an opportunity to take his Winter experience to the next level and if things went South we would be just outside the house. So on the Saturday morning we got to piling snow. This was an exhausting task as there wasn't a lot of snow. We used my Pelican Snotrek 60 to haul snow to the site where we would build the quinzee. I even went as far as pulling out the snow blower to blow snow from the property onto our pile. I don't think it would be a stretch to say we had to clear about 1/4 of and acre to get a sufficient amount to dig out our snow cave and sleep in it. This process took a couple hours. We went inside to have lunch and allow the pile to settle for a few hours. In the evening we returned to dig out our home for the night. Hiker was determined to dig and although the process was slow he didn't give up. I helped with shaping and moving snow. After well over an hour in, we were able to put our ground sheet, sleeping mats, blankets and sleeping bags in. Home was setup for the night. We returned to the house for some family time with my Wife as she called us nuts and reminded hiker and I how she would be sleeping in a cozy warm bed. Hiker and I laughed as for this night we would be backyard polar adventurers sleeping in the snow. You could see the excitement written all over Hikers face. That warms my heart and is why I pursue these challenges with him , so we can grow together. I feel an obligation as a parent to expose Hiker to as many experiences as possible in hopes that he is drawn to a passion that carries him throughout life.

Out the door we go to the frozen tundra that is our backyard and into the quinzee. Hiker and I chat about the design and certain features i.e. the air hole to allow CO2 to escape and air to circulate from a crack in the wood door we blocked the entrance with. I not only wanted him to help build the shelter but to understand why it was built the way it was. After our discussion we watched a video on quinzees on my phone until Hiker requested to go to sleep. Headlamps were shut off and moments later Hiker was sawing logs like he was sleeping in his own bed. Before I retired I posted pictures on my personal Facebook account and was surprized at the reactions from friends. I knew that what I was doing was key in Hikers growth but to have friends validate or experiences and follow along was nice to see. Our message is getting out there to inspire.

During the night I woke up twice to go pee and it was a challenge to get out of the small quintzee both times but to my surprize Hiker did not wake up once. It wasn't until 6:30am that he started to stir and eventually woke. This is his normal time to wake during weekday's so he was right on par with a normal waking schedule. I would say that is a successful overnighter in a quinzee. Proud father moment right there as we posted a small video on Facebook of our successful outing. Happy and ready for the day as we exit the shelter and head into the house to make some bacon and eggs and gloat in our experience together. Let us know what you think of our experience in the comments and connect with us on our various social media sites to follow along http://www.two4adventure.com/

Until next time, adventure awaits!

Two4adventure

A Thought Provoking Experience

It all started with a facebook message from David Lee a.k.a. The Passionate Paddler, a facebook friend that I had recently been acquainted to over Skype regarding a project we were a part of. What all started you ask? An experience that would have me climbing out of that box I refer to as my comfort zone. David had offered up an opportunity to join himself and 8 other outdoor enthusiasts on a backpacking trip into the Algonquin backcountry. I  initially replied that it wasn't enough notice for me to go, despite my urge to break free of the cabin fever I was starting to experience over the last couple weeks. It was fear provoking, the thought of tripping with 9 strangers but the pull to go was much stronger. My wife was almost pushing me out the door reminding me that this is an opportunity I have been waiting for, that being tripping with other like minded people. Up until this point  we would go out as a family or I would head out with my son Hiker or a friend. This would be much different and I would learn later on that the comradery was second to none. My trips with my son have all been teaching experiences for me whereas this time it would be a learning experience, and that was appealing. So with this I got back to David the next day to let him know that I was in.

We had a few discussions throughout the week in preparation for the trip as we would be partners rounding out the 10 person crew. Our leader and organizer of this trip, GB, had dubbed this trip that would loop Provoking Lake "The Deathmarch". Sounded kind of intimidating to me but I never backed down from a challenge. When brought up, it was said that name was to be taken lightly, or was it? I would also begin communication with the rest of the crew via a facebook messenger chat leading up to the trip. Some people I had already known through facebook interactions and others I had just met through this medium. The stage was set for a memorable trip and that it was.

I crammed a 40hr week into 32hrs and was set to leave for the park Friday morning, EARLY!. I loaded the van with my pulk and gear the night before to leave time for last minute running around once I woke. At 4:30am I crawled out of bed and quickly got ready. I had to purchase 75% of my food still as I didn't have the time throughout my condensed week. Food was tossed into the van with disregard, I topped up my gas tank and with some folk roots blasting on Spotify, I was on my way to meet everyone at the West Gate.

With a quick stop in Minden at the CT, I realized it was 10 minutes before it opened. This gave me time to organize my food and get it properly stored. Once CT opened I quickly ran into to purchase a baselayer bottom as I forgot to bring any. Like a bolt of lightening I grabbed a micro fleece base layer and a jug of wiper fluid. Out the door I went (after paying of course) and back on the road. Fast forward to the Dorset area of the drive. I look to my right on the front seat only to find that the baselayer I had bought was for females. How different could it be I thought? I opened it...lacy at the waistband like the top half of some lingerie, that's how different. Oh well nothing I could do at that point, onward.

I arrived at the West gate shortly before the rest of the crew. We all filed into the permit office. This would be where I make my awkward attempts to break the ice and introduce myself to the group gradually one at a time. My thoughts at this time was that everyone seemed pleasant and I had felt a sigh of relief. After the dirty work of getting our permits, it was off to the Highlands trailhead. Here was where I realized that my Winter gear was a bit on the inadequate side compared to most others. As gear was pulled out I felt a small sense of embarrassment but it appeared that no one was judging and that was fine by me. I have always prided myself on making due with what I have and if what I have is not enough, I make due :) I could always use the excuse that I am not fully prepared to go out but that would mean I wouldn't, so I took what I had and went. Sometimes not having enough or inadequate gear can be dangerous but I felt that from experience I was good to go.

We were all given matching plaid toques provided by a lovely crew member named Joy. With our matching headwear we took trailhead pictures of excitement and anticipation and then we were off. And then bam! two seconds into the trail my strap on my harness for the pulk snaps. Oh jeez, will this be how I am remembered? The guy with all the crap equipment that holds up the crew. Not if I could help it. I pulled out my extra harness and attached the carbineers from my pulk to the daisy chains. In less than a minute I overcame my first malfunction. Oh and did I mention I was not wearing any snowshoes. In looking at the rest of the crews, I came to the conclusion that mine were not up to par and I would save them for around camp if need be. Good thing the rest of the group were breaking trail with theirs or I would have been post holing the entire trek., yikes! I learned within the first 500 meters that I could keep pace without my snowshoes and felt relieved. I still had traction on the uphill's and as long as I stayed on the trail I would be good. A couple steps off trail and I was up to my knees. How do I know? This happened often cornering. We all pitched in helping each other over fallen trees, hills and other varied terrain that slowed the forward momentum. We became a well oiled machine as we moved forward and laughter and jokes ensued. This made for enjoyable travel. Smiles, laughter and conversation in the great outdoors. What more could you ask for?! We eventually made it to our Day 1 camp. Shelters were set up. Three tents and two tarp shelters, as everyone in the group had decided to cold tent/tarp. David and I would be sleeping in a snow trench under a tarp. I was excited at this prospect as I have only cold tented and slept in a quintzee prior. With shelters up, dinner, drinks and a fire were on the agenda. This is where I had the opportunity to break out of my shell get a few drinks into me and ...well... you know the saying "Liquid Courage". I will talk to anyone at this point and it allowed me to be me without overthinking. Sad yes but being shy is something that I have yet to overcome. Anyway, the setting around the fire was tribe like and as hours passed, the numbers dwindled as members of the tribe retired to their shelters, leaving me to be the last. Once I decided to slide into the sleeping bag it wasn't long before sleep took over.

Day #2 began with a hardy breakfast cooked over the fire and after breaking camp, the running joke of the "deathmarch" was no longer a joke. As we merged with the second part of the loop the trail became increasingly tougher to navigate as the trail had not been broken in. It had appeared as though most people before us had turned around after camping at the first sites. The crew took turns breaking trail in their snowshoes except for me who continued to trudge on, sans snowshoes. The terrain also became increasingly harder with more accents and descents. The trail also snaked through the rock and trees making it more challenging for those with pulks and freight toboggans. The day came with many challenges that took its toll, but everyone pushed through as spirits could not be broken. With that said, the campsite on day 2 couldn't have come soon enough. When we arrived a fire was lit to melt snow and replenish our dehydrating bodies. The crew dug in and another small village was created. More fireside stories as cooler temperatures set in. I would opt for an earlier night. It was a taxing day and I was ready for a good night sleep. The "deathmarch" was REAL! ;)

Morning of day 3 was rang in by and early morning role call as distance needed to be covered to ensure members of the group returned home on time. Oatmeal seemed to be the quick breakfast of choice by most. A very creative time lapse of us breaking camp can be viewed at this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dq1hzEZrh4&feature=youtu.be

Our final day had been upon us and picked back up where Day #2 had left off... more challenging terrain. This time it tapered of as we intersected the trail that had lead us in on Day #1 and it wasn't long before we were back at our vehicles bellowing a victory cry. We had completed our trip! There were no injuries, no complaining (at least not outside of our own heads) and spirits were high. Success! More pictures and video were taken in the parking lot before heading to Mew lake campground to change, hit the warming tent and regroup for a celebratory lunch at the Cookhouse Saloon.

As meals were devoured Joy had once again passed around another gift. A sticker to commemorate our trip and to her we thank.

There were parting hugs and handshakes after lunch with promises of future outings together and as I parted ways and began my drive home I could not help but think of the smoldering fire in me that had been reignited by this trip. A fire that had slowly been burning out over the last couple years. The intention is to add fuel to this fire until it spreads (so to speak) and ignites the passion in others to get out of their comfort bubbles, get outdoors and grow from these experiences. Let each outing be the catalyst for next.

To the #Provokingcrew (Grant, Peter, Drea, Amanda, Amber, Marian, David, Duane and Joyanne) thank you for including me. It was a much needed experience that came at the right time :)

Until next time, adventure awaits!

Two4adventure

If you haven't came across their pages yet you can find some of the crew at these links---->


https://www.facebook.com/ThePassionatePaddler/















https://www.facebook.com/TheCampingFamily.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/BariatricBackpacker/