Winter Bliss

by Viki Mather

Some say the Groundhog saw its shadow on February 2nd, bringing us six more weeks of winter. Or maybe where you live it didn’t see its shadow. What does that mean?  Probably six more weeks of winter. I expect there will be eight more weeks of winter here at the lake!

What’s so great about winter? Lots! I love winter because it is so beautiful. When the big fat flakes of snow fall gently from the sky, when I step outside into piles of softness, when I walk silently along the little path from my door into the forest, beauty surrounds me. And quiet.

Snow on the trees, snow on the ground, snow in the air; it muffles all sound. I walk through the perfection of nature. I am enveloped in the warmth. Yes, snow is warm. Of course, I am also enveloped in several layers of clothes, toque, scarf, and mitts.

Testament to the warmth of snow is that for the most part, the ground under it this year has not frozen.  Go into the forest, find a place where the snow is undisturbed, and dig down…through two feet or more of white, white snow. When you reach the ground, it is going to be soft. All this wonderful snow has insulated the ground.

I love winter when the storms come in. I love to sit in my warm little home and look out into the blustery scene, as I sit cosily by the fire.

I love to bundle up and get out to feel the clean new air in my lungs. I feel so small and warm inside my layers. With snowshoes strapped to my feet, I head out to places unknown. Snowshoes are the most wonderful way to travel in winter. The big, old-style snowshoes made of wood and rawhide let me float on top of the deep snow. I can go anywhere.

Mostly I go deep into the forest, wandering without a goal, just wanting to be out in the storm. I’ll see signs along the way of others who live in this forest all year around. The great deep tracks of the moose and her calf, the bathtub sized depressions in the snow where they slept the night before. A spruce grouse may pop suddenly up from the deep snow, where she had tucked in to stay warm through the chill of the pervious night. Tiny zipper-like tracks of mice, lovely slides of the otters, the bounding tracks of marten.

Then I see the fox, and I stop. She is so beautiful. Her thick rusty-orange coat is highlighted with black. Her sharp eyes keep watch on me. But she does not run. She knows we live here together. She knows I wish her no harm.

I wonder at all the creatures who live so comfortably here through the winter months. Birds and mammals who have no need of solid walls and woodstoves to keep warm and comfortable. The fox always reminds me of this – how well adapted she is to living here, her independence, her ability to survive, and thrive though all the seasons.

Winter is a wondrous season. Maybe not so much in the city, but certainly in the forest. I’d love to hear your stories too, of how you enjoy winter. Drop a note to me at mather@kukagami.infosathse.com or write to Viki Mather, Kukagami Lodge, Wahnapitae, ON

Viki Mather is owner of Kukagami Lodge, a northern Ontario wilderness resort at the southern boundary of the Temagami forest. Web: www.kukagamilodge.com, email: lodge@kukagami.infosathse.com Here you have the option of snowshoeing on marked trails, or taking a guided hike through the wilderness. Snowshoes provided by the lodge!

Viki has lived in the wilderness for 26 years, without electricity or running water. Read these columns monthly to discover wonderful ways to live in harmony with nature, bring edible wilds into your kitchen, thrive without plugging into the grid, and enjoy a healthier life.