Algonquin Backcountry

I couldn't resist...

• Posted on December 13, 2007 at 6:25 PM
• Previous

I bought a pair of snowshoes and I couldn't resist one last weekend trip before year end. I got in a really good workout breaking trail in eighteen inches of fresh powder. When I arrived at the campsite, I pitched my tent and made dinner. No loose wood for an evening fire, so I retired as soon as the sun set at around 5 pm. That made for a very long night in the tent--14 hours--until sunrise at 7 am. The next day, I had time to explore the area and collect some firewood to keep warm.

On my way out, I had a brief conversation with another hiker on his way in. He was planning to camp in a "Quincy" made out of snow. I wasn't quite sure what he was talking about, so I googled it and discovered that it was actually a derivation of the Inuit word "quinzhee"--a snow hut constructed by making a big pile of snow and then hollowing out the inside.

This is supposed to be much warmer than sleeping in a tent, but it requires a few hours to construct so it may not be an option if you arrive at your campsite with only an hour or two of daylight remaining. Still, I think I'll pack my collapsible shovel the next time out.

New photos uploaded.