Have you ever wondered what Laketrails looks like in the winter? Base Camp is pretty peaceful during this time of year. The cabins and canoes are nestled under blankets of snow, the pathways are buried deep, and instead of campers voices raised in song, one hears only the wind shuffling through the trees and the occasional chirp of the hardy little chickadees. Snowshoes are best for traversing the island as the snow often piles up waist-deep. If you’re lucky, you might find evidence of animal life, most likely in the form of fox tracks or perhaps the slides made by otters who often hole up under the docks for their winter haven. In more rare instances, a pack of wolves have left their tracks behind as they’ve crossed the island before heading out across the ice.
A trek to the island in winter can be achieved by skiing the 6 miles from Young’s Bay, and a stay there is usually brief with no running water and limited heat. And, those outhouses are mighty cold on one’s bum! Winter here offers a different type of adventure–one based a little more on simple survival–yet it can be a fun time on the edge of the wilderness. While our little island rests under its blanket of white, it’s a good time to dream of summer… just around the corner.