There are lots of reasons people get obsessed with the outdoors. Sometimes it’s a natural draw to the pastoral setting, which can be a force so strong that it will tempt even the most citified among us. Others have a deep connection with the wild that was instilled there by their family. In this episode, Jack tags his wife, Riley, and Ellie the Dog along to their family cabin in northern Minnesota. Up there, Jack has a family cabin that carries with it a long history of stories, both personal and cold. After all, northern Minnesota is a place of legendary tough winters and a storied history of cold. Thai is bound to be a good adventure, and one where everyone can learn a thing or two.
Table Of Contents
The Nighttime Arrival
It’s 7:00 pm, and it must be winter because it already looks like the wee hours of the morning. Jack makes good use of his time and picks up Riley from work so they can hit the road. They have a few hours ahead of them, and the worry isn’t so much the drive as the approach. If the cabin hasn’t been plowed, the initial road into the cabin might not be drivable. This means they’ll have to walk.
After a long, dark drive, the two assess the terrain. The road leading to the cabin should be wide enough for two, but because of the high snow drifts to both sides of the road, there only appears to be room enough for one car. The dark blackens in the distance, and seeing beyond the trees lining the road is impossible. At last, they arrive at their cabin’s turnoff. To their dismay, the road isn’t plowed. At first sight, it looks manageable. Jack assures Riley that it’s only about 200 yards. This instills a bit of confidence, and out they go.
At their arrival, the temperature is -18°F. Jack tests the snow and it’s nearly to his knee. Provided this will be problematic for both him and a much shorter Riley, he insists on snowshoes. It would seem that Jack thought this was always going to be the option. He has a sled loaded with their supplies and cut firewood in baskets. Riley hunkers down in a massive puff, and both of them secure their snowshoes to their feet.
A few yards down the path, and Jack is gassed. The sled is heavy, and the snow is draining all their strength. The winter air braces against Riley’s lungs, and even her breaths sound cold. Jack takes a break, but in sub-zero temperatures, this can’t last long. He decides to ditch the sled, and it’s clear that right now, at this moment, no one is having much fun. The thought of a nice, warm cabin ahead of them might be the only thing keeping them going. Finally, just over the hill, through a few more feet of knee-deep snow, they see the cabin. They’ve made it, and despite the miserable approach, they’re ready for a nice retreat.
Settling In
After wildly underestimating the depth of the snow and the treacherous approach, Jack gets a fire going in the family cabin, and as the flesh warms, the spirits rise. The two of them are jovial, and Riley notes that she feels accomplished. This might be the very ethos of the whole trip, and get to the core of the reason people trek into wild places. It’s usually never easy; it’s always going out of the way to get away from the creature comforts of home, and it’s inevitably not going to be comfortable. But the fact remains that people love the effort it takes to get into the wild. And Riley’s sense of accomplishment is a manifestation of exactly that. They’re smiling and they’re proud.
Earlier, it was easier to just leave the sled full of supplies in the cold; nothing would bother it anyway, and get Riley and Ellie the Dog to the cabin. So, Jack has ventured back out into the dark and cold to retrieve the sled. Their legs each post-holed a path through the deep snow, so the travel isn’t so difficult now. This will also mean they will have a much easier path back to the car in the morning.
The moon is aglow and the stars twinkle in the black-blanket sky. Riley and Jack are each packing White Duck canvas duffel bags. If there was any worry about their gear before, there sure isn’t now. Jack knocks the snow off the sturdy duffels and secures one over his shoulder, and continues back to the cabin. He’s panting again, but finally he’s back at the cabin and he’s secured all their gear.
It’s no secret that extreme weather burns more calories and can bring on exhaustion sooner. This is definitely the case with Jack and Riley, as the two look whipped after the long drive and the nasty haul getting to the cabin. It’s 43 degrees inside the cabin, and for tonight, it’s time to tough out the cold and try to get some shuteye.
A New Dawn
With hopes and aspirations of a good night’s sleep, the camera opens to the sight of a phone; it’s almost 4:00 am, and the temperature inside is still only 48 degrees F. After another hour, Jack lets everyone know it’s 5:00 and that the night has been, in fact, a total failure. When they finally get up, it’s clear neither one of them slept well. Their eyes are bleary in the early dawn. Jack made coffee, and the white light of morning doesn’t appear to inspire any hope in the cold crew.
The family cabin is equipped with a wood stove, but this particular model might be better suited for a larger wall tent. The family cabin has a high ceiling and a lot of cubic air to heat. While much of the heat remains at the top of the cabin, it takes an immense amount of time for the whole cabin to get toasty. For that reason, Jack and Riley paid the price of a cold, restless night’s sleep.
The general warmth is only one thing to consider. In -23 F, this means there is no running water; that would account for part of Jack’s heavy load, the massive water jug. And not to mention, there are no bathrooms. This will prove tricky for Jack, but more difficult for Riley as the snow nearly reached her waist on the walk in. It’s going to be an interesting trip.
To Stay or Not to Stay, That is the Question
Without running water or proper facilities, the question arises: Should the two stay, or pack up and head home. This is going to require a little off-camera discussion, but the result is that they are going to tough it out. With the cabin warming up, Jack feels confident they’ll be able to get some good sleep. There are, however, other worries.
It’s still the case that there is no bathroom. This might be a situation that Jack has dealt with in the past, because he quickly fashions a wicker basket that previously held the wood into a toilet for Riley. It’s lined with two garbage bags and secured with ties around the top. In a pinch, it will do. Jack warms up a bit, gears up, and heads back to the car to drop off some supplies.
The Reason for the Season
As Jack sets out into the snow, he notices that the path from the sled and their tracks from the night before have laid out an easier way back to the car. As Riley had a poignant response last night to the drudgery of experience, Jack takes stock of the beautiful landscape around him. It is rugged, it is difficult and brutal, but Jack notes that it is incredibly beautiful. Perhaps this is the other side of the coin, the one side being the hard work being the reward, is that beauty is a reward as well. People grow confined to the spaces in the city. The office, the living room, the car. All begin to look like cramped versions of the world. When Jack and Riley are outside, they feel free, able to see beyond the next block, and able to find comfort in their closeness to each other in a historic family cabin.
Jack passes the lake. It’s covered in multiple feet of ice and snow. He could drive a backhoe onto the lake and be just fine. Back at the car, the clean air looks immensely cold, and the snow crunches under Jack’s feet. Since he doesn’t have much need for the chainsaw, he leaves that at the car but gets a crucial bag of chips. It’s going to be a munchy day.
Back at the cabin, Riley had a bit of a mishap. In the interest of keeping the cabin as warm as possible, Riley left the door to the stove open. After burning down and settling, a log fell out of the stove. In a panic, she patted it down with what looked like a wool blanket before getting it back into the stove. The cabin is smoky. Riley’s face wipes are frozen. This is cabin living.
Back into the World
Jack isn’t going to make the same mistake as last night. While the problem wasn’t the amount of wood they had, it was simply the cold, Jack still is going to go out and grab some more stove fuel. This is a perfect time to bring a White Duck log carrier with him. These canvas log carriers are not simply ideal for going out and gathering wood, but their practicality can, in extreme instances, prevent injuries and mitigate risk. If Jack is able to make fewer trips in the freezing temps, he’s much better off. The log carrier can, of course, organize his pile even as he’s outside, but in the extreme temperatures, the log carrier makes sure he takes fewer trips and does more with less time. If you’re having a winter fire, a log carrier is necessary.
Wisely, Jack didn’t leave the motorized handsaw at home. He only has a short distance to go, right around the corner of the cabin, but it’s far enough to need the log carrier. Back inside, he’s able to get the fire going hotter and get the cabin to a comfortable temperature. The day drags on, languid and comfortable, and in the distance, the skies grey against the flat treeline of the Minnesota wild. As cold as it looks outside, the inside of the cabin is warm and comforting.
Time to Shove Off
It would appear that Jack and Riley had a comfortable night. Jack is outside in the morning at 7:00 am, in -26 degrees. The light has not yet yellowed from the sun, and Ellie the Dog prances over the frosted snow and urinates with impunity in the wild. The mornings are always for the dogs. Jack’s beard grows stiff with frost, and the air hurts as it enters his lungs. He’s gleeful and pleased at the confrontation of the extreme temperatures. It’s a good morning to be out, and a good time to head back inside.
Coffee first, and the awakening. Riley is taking her time, enjoying the restful morning while Jack notes the temperature, dropping to -30, and is astounded at the absurdity of it all. In these moments, it feels like time could stop. When Jack and Riley are only a glass pane away from deathly cold, yet they remain inside with their toes exposed, it presents an uncanny feeling. The effort to leave becomes a distant examination, a task for some unknown future, and everything melds into the present.
In the Frigid North
It’s time to pack it out, but Jack has one more surprise for Riley. With departure on the horizon and the temperature still unbearably low, Jack spared a little water and set it to boil. Once he had a mug full of boiling water, he set outside and in a quick flash of the arm, tossed the water, over 200 degrees F, into the air, and not a drop hit the ground. Above Jack, a cloud formed, an arching mist of boiled water-turned-frost. And in all its beautiful chemistry, fell silently to the Earth.
A simple trip. A moment to release. For Jack and Riley, even a short time at the family cabin is long enough to instill lifelong memories. This might be the third reason we head into the wild. No matter what happens in the wilderness, something always happens. Memories are always made. And moments are always created that we can never forget. As they trek back to the car, it’s clear that Jack and Riley will never forget this one.
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