It was the most fantastic vacation we've had in awhile. We got there, and the guy picked us up on snowmobile, pulling a sled, the kind that you could easily use for tobogganing, however it had higher walls. So we put all our belongings and dog kennel into it. I sat in the sled with dog kennel (dog inside) and belongings. Tim rode on the back of snowmobile. After about a 15 minute ride across two lakes (one small portage), we arrived. In the middle of the lake our cabin rested on, he stopped and showed us a mound and a big stick...he explained that this is where we could retrieve water for dishes and sauna/bathing. It was about 1/4 mile away.
Monday was snowy all day., which was fine, because the tempwas up. The above depicts the outhouse. The upper part of the outhouse door?OPEN TO THE weather! It would have been one thing using an outhouse in the coldthat had four solid walls…this … did NOT. BRRR.
Tuesday, the real temp never got above the negatives, and the wind was so brutally violent, that we didn’t really get out much at all.Luckily the cabin was very well sealed off from the elements, and had an outstanding wood burning stove to keep us toasty warm.
Since there was no data coverage, and we didn’t want to drain cell phone batteries, they were never turned on. We had brought books(via the kindle) and a couple of decks of cards. Auntie would have been thrilled at the fact that there was a game there I believe she quite likes. We played one round of that. During the day Tuesday, my mind drifted back to childhood when we would spend cold winter weekends at the farm, and everyone would hang out in the kitchen, playing solitaire and talking. This is what our day consisted of. I would make an occasional batch of coffee via the percolator, and realized how difficult life must have been on that farm prior to electricity and indoor plumbing.Everything takes twice as long. Dishes, cooking, etc. But, everyone is present.Even the smells in the cabin, and the faint sound of the wind roaring outside constantly reminded me of that farmhouse.
Annabelle managed to make herself home peering through all of the windows that were “her height.”
It was clear to us by 8 pm, why people in the olden days went to bed so early in the winter. It is COLD, and there is NOTHING to do! We felt spoiled having propane lighting. We always stayed up until at least 9 pm so that we could minimize getting up to early the next day.
Wednesday was far warmer and the wind had finally died down.So, we got up around 6 am, and by the time breakfast was done, and chores were completed, it was almost noon. So we decided to try out some snowshoeing.
The entire time we were at the cabin, we had constant visitors. Birds, birds, birds.
On Wednesday, while waiting for the sauna to heat up, we decided to try our hand at sledding, like kids. I hit a tree…Tim did not.
The sauna was interesting. The main room where you would sauna and bathe, had wider set floorboards, and the water runs right through to the ground. There is a water tank next to the sauna itself to be used for bathing. You would take a dipper and pour water from that tank into a bucket,and mix with some cold water to get
the correct temp. It was actually cleaner feeling than any shower. Also, you would get so hot, that you could walk outside stark naked and it would not feel cold at all. Tim was the only one brave enough to make a snow angel. :D
And then as quickly as we got there, it was over. TK could have stayed another day, but I was flat out tired of being half naked while peeing in -22 degree weather.
But I am so glad we went. It was the most eyeopening experience, and really made you appreciate the conveniences of modern life. The people in the pre-electricity/indoor plumbing days busted their hump,and there was little time for play in the winter. We only mildly tasted that life, because we only had to get water daily, but it was enough to make one realize that it wasn’t easy.
We are already making plans to go back next winter!
