f you have ever ventured to the cottage
during the cold January and February months
than you can relate to my story. For those who
haven’t experience winter in a “non-winterized”
cottage, consider this story a manual!
What to expect: the days are cold, but the
nights are wickedly cold. In the early months of
winter when the ice is not quite safe to cross, we
venture outside into the dark cold night and sit
around a roaring bon fire to listen to the lake
moan and groan. It’s a sound like nothing you
have ever heard. On cold blistering clear nights
you can hear the ice separating and the force of
the water splashing up thru the crack. For those
who are weary about a frozen lake this a good
sign… it’s making ice, the strongest ice is the
blackest.
The average thickness of winter ice on
Wolf Lake takes the entire 38-inch blade of the
auger. The winter of 2005 brought out the brave.
We witnessed a Jeep driving across the ice! (Not
something I would do, nor recommend but it sure
brought out an audience!)
Some nights around the fire we have the
privilege of being entertained by the eerie chorus
of the wolves. That definitely sends chills all over.
This past winter, Dean and I were riding the
Buckhorn snowmobile trail (runs behind Wolf and
Crab Lakes granting access into Cold Lake) when
we came across the site where wolves had killed a
deer. What an experience that was! We felt quite
lucky to have encountered a common act of
survival in the wild. It’s not often that you come
across any tracks or traces of the wolves and
realize that they roam so close to where we play.
Friday nights we typically arrive at
Anstruther Marina by seven, we hook up the
trailer and head back to the landing. We off load
the Ski Doo’s and gear up in our Mustang
floatation suits, heavy duty boots rated for –40C
weather, helmets and gloves, and the must have
fleece balaclava to keep the chill off your face.
We blast across the lake in the black winter night.
There are no lights on in any cottage, as we along
with our neighbour, seem to be the only brave
souls to venture into Ontario’s north in the off
season!
Coming across the lake in a snow squall is
tricky. It’s very easy to get disorientated; when
that happens your adrenaline flows… keep calm,
and ride the shoreline that will keep you on the
right path. I have grown up on Wolf Lake since
the age of three, and I never thought I would not
know where I was, but it happens to us and it
plays on our nerves. We always stick together
and we never ride far alone, especially at night.
Once we get into the cottage we start the
fire. Dean returns to the truck with the dog sled
in tow and loads up our gear and supplies. I stay
back to keep the ‘fires burning’. The temperature
inside is a balmy –12C, a heating blanket goes on
the bed to take out the chill. By midnight the
inside temperature is in the low 60’s, so snuggling
up in bed helps!!! Once the fire is burning steady
we head down to the lake and drill a hole into the
ice for water. It’s an adventure to say the least,
but when it’s a weekly tradition for the family it is
definitely worth ever minute.
When we aren’t out making trails zipping
Winter fun on Fire Route 58H! - Photo by
Catherine Scott.
