Around this time of year, we pack up the beach, canoes/kayaks, lounge chairs, umbrellas, and move the sauna beside the cabin for the winter.
There are still a few warm days left where we enjoy the last memories of summer before going out to find trees that need felling and bucking up. It’s all a bit melancholy; but the anticipation of cozy clothing, reading by the crackling fire in the woodstove, more time available to make bread and stews, and the deep snows that blanket everything in light calls for slowing down time and hibernating with the animals for at least few months.
During the cold season, we allow for adventurous winter campers who like to test their strength and ability. The Guest House is ready for those who want to ski, snowshoe or snowmobile, yet come back to a fully functional home. The Cabin is for those who like outdoor winter adventures with the added experience of knowing how to stay warm in the harsher climate of the north, chopping wood, and splitting kindling (you MUST have someone with you knowledgable in these things, don’t go swinging axes and using hatchets unless you know how!) – and keeping the sauna lit for ‘Nordic Cycling’ (the intense act of hot/cold plunging) – nothing screams clean and vibrant like scrubbing with our sauna-oils/Epsom salts in the hot sauna and then rolling around in soft snow (or just standing outside in the freezing wind with a washcloth!). Lastly, there is one Glamp tent with a woodstove available (built by our friends at R&S), where you hike/ski/snowshoe/snowmobile in, and can experience a type of winter camping that requires bringing less gear and has more amenities. Both the Cabin and the Glamp tent prices go up for the cold months because firewood is expensive, and a lot of it is used to keep these dwellings warm, and the sauna hot!
This year, especially because arenas may be closed due to the C-word, we will be creating a skating rink on the lake starting in January – bring your skates!
Winter is Coming. Northern Ontario is a wonderland. Experience it.