Belated Snowshoe Trip Report

cmdionne · Feb 28, 2010

As some of you know I went out for a weekend trip in Michigan's UP last weekend. I'm finally getting around to uploading pics.

We stayed in a cabin run by the US Forest Service. Rustic but nice. No electricity and no cell service for miles. A good woodstove, 4 bunk beds, a hand pump and an outhouse were about the extent of the amenities. It was relatively large, maybe 20x20. Somewhat divided into two rooms, one room with the stove and the tables and chairs and kitchen area, and then the bunk room.

I went out with a good buddy and his girlfriend. A female friend of mine was supposed to come with us as well, but she bailed last minute.

We did some snowshoeing and some shooting. A good amount of drinking as well. Should have brought ice-fishing stuff, but we weren't really thinking. Had a blast, I'm going to start on the pictures now.

The stove with a view into the bunk room.

Just the necessities. Booze, knives guns and topo maps. What more do you need?

The blades I brought for the weekend.

Trails onto the lake right down from our cabin.

This was my self-imposed sexile to allow my buddy and his girlfriend to have some time to themselves. I figured I'd trek across the lake to a little island, hang out drink a few beers and then head back, which would give them enough time.

Kitchen set-up for the weekend. Worked great.

Us snowshoeing across the lake, I'm on the left.

In front of the cabin, I'm on the right this time.

Any questions let me know, I've got some more pics too that I can post.

cmdionne · Feb 28, 2010

Bunk Room

Wood box, guide books.

Coyote track on the lake

BushCooler (trademark pending)

Batonning down some kindling with my Koyote Trail Knife.

Nice and warm, we were snowshoeing in just out baselayer tops after we warmed up. Didn't even need gloves or hat.

Front of the cabin.

ratamahatta · Feb 28, 2010

great pics!!!! thanks for sharing!!!!

flnder · Feb 28, 2010

How much does your friend weigh when he is fully loaded and what kind(size) of snowshoe is he using?

DOC-CANADA · Feb 28, 2010

Nice pictures. Looks like a great place to spend the weekend. The female companionship might have improved things, and then again, maybe not.

Doc

KuRUpTD · Feb 28, 2010

flnder said:
How much does your friend weigh when he is fully loaded ?

I don't think there would be much weight fluctuation fully loaded or sober for that matter

metermatch · Feb 28, 2010

Nice pics man! Sexile, I've got to remember that one!

cmdionne · Feb 28, 2010

flnder said:
How much does your friend weigh when he is fully loaded and what kind(size) of snowshoe is he using?

I'm a pretty big guy (5'11, 240) and I feel small when I'm hanging out with him. He's a shade under 300, and about 6'3. We had sleds to pull the heavy gear into the cabin, when we were out for the day he just had a small daypack with water and an extra layer or whatever. I'm in better shape than him so I took the backpacking stove, fuel bottle, lunch and other heavier gear. My load was probably about 40 pounds. We realized we should have given the gear to his g/f, she's only like 5'3 and 120 but she runs 5 miles a day and was leaving us in the dust.

I had the modern shoes that you see in front of the cabin, his were the traditionals. My moderns are 36" and the trads that he rented from his college were probably at least a foot or more longer than mine. They worked alright for him, but like I said he didn't have much in the way of pack weight.

remmmm · Feb 28, 2010

Looks like a good time. I've made a trip up that way to go snowmobiling the past couple of years, not going to make it this year though. How far was the hike in? Are there snowmobile trails in the area? Do you think that stove would have kept the whole cabin decently warm in say zero degree temps? It may just be the angle, but it seems pretty far from the stove to the bunks.

cmdionne · Mar 1, 2010

remmmm said:
Looks like a good time. I've made a trip up that way to go snowmobiling the past couple of years, not going to make it this year though. How far was the hike in? Are there snowmobile trails in the area? Do you think that stove would have kept the whole cabin decently warm in say zero degree temps? It may just be the angle, but it seems pretty far from the stove to the bunks.

Ton of snowmobile trails etc around.

Hike in was probably about a 1/2 mile. In the summer you could drive right in, and if you had snowmobiles or a capable 4WD you could have probably drive in even when we went. We just didn't want to risk getting my buddys Jeep Grand Cherokee stuck so we hiked in.

It was getting into the low teens at night (beer froze on the porch the first night) and the stove did a good job once we figured out how to use it. We got the cabin up to 80 degrees the last night and it only dropped down to 70 before we woke up. I wouldn't hesitate to go if it were around 0, but if it were getting into the -20s I might not want to do it without alot of extra bedding. Had push come to shove we could have taken the matresses off the bunks and slept on the floor around the stove.

LMT66 · Mar 1, 2010

Nice! That's a great way to spend a weekend. Just PM'd you for info on the area.