Advanced Dogsled Camping Adventures
Compared with our beginning trips, these highly adventurous treks involve dogsledding, skiing, snowshoeing greater distances and deeper into the wilderness, often to reach the Northwood's top scenic & historic sites. Open to adults & teens in good fitness who are ready for a physical challenge in a remote winter setting. Previous camping experience (summer or winter) and familiarity with skiing are helpful but not essential: the skills you'll use on these trips are gained largely along the trail, rather than through the instruction and training sessions offered on our beginning trips.
During the first evening's orientation at the lodge, the guides will organize your group as a team so that when the trek is launched the next morning, everyone is prepared to learn and assist with camp and trail duties. Each group of 6-7 participants (plus 2 guides) has 2 freight sleds driven by 2 persons each. This means that 4 participants are mushing at any given time while others in rotation are following along on skis or snowshoes. But since these trips take you far off the beaten path across unbroken snowscapes, the travel pace is very moderate (like a brisk walking pace). No technical skiing skills are required.
"Director's Choice" Tutorial Trips
Wintergreen director Paul Schurke leads these special advanced dogsled & ski camping adventures on routes of his choice. Pending snow & ice conditions, it might be the Lac La Croix area (with a visit to the Ojibway village) or the scenic Crooked Lake chain (with some fishing fun), the Kekekabic-Knife Lake heart of the BWCA loop, or possibly even the Rose-Mountain-Moose Chain leading to the Grand Portage Trail on the Boundary Waters' eastern edge. He'll make the route choice by mid-season. But whichever he chooses, you can be sure this trip will be great fun & grand adventure with an added educational edge:
As our "alumni" know, we've garnered a lot of info over the years about the Northwoods and the world of winter that we share on our trips but most of it gets shared very informally and casually. On these special trips, Paul will take a more purposeful tack and prompt campfire chats each morning and/or evening on a variety of topics: cold weather physiology, winter ecology, navigation skills, winter meteorology & climate change, the winter sky. And while we'll be traveling by dogsled & ski each day, we'll also take time on most afternoons for a field trip or workshop to apply this information -- perhaps a snowshoe orienteering course, a flora identification hike, constructing snow shelters or nighttime dogsledding with the stars of Orion as our guide. We'll enjoy a grand adventure together with instruction, discussion & learning-by-doing as the added bonus along the way.
"Heart of the Winter Wilderness" Trip
pm Mon Jan 22, 2024 - am Sun Jan 28, $1,775 ($100 off for Wintergreen "alumni") 6 nights total, 4 nights/5 days on the trail covering 30 miles, 1st and last night in lodges. Led by Wintergreen director Paul Schurke (his favorite route!)
Enjoy the scenic highlights of the Boundary Waters’ spectacular border route in their winter splendor, including Curtain Falls, the Beartrap River, Table Rock, the Indian pictographs of Sunday Bay, the old airplane &WWII "weasel" in the woods, Warrior Hill and the spectacular Painted Cliffs of Lac La Croix.
Visiting this sacred pocket of wilderness at the height of winter is an annual pilgrimage for us. If you want 'real' winter, this is your trip - January means short days, deep snow, brisk temps & generally clear skies (more chance to enjoy stars & northern lights). And you don't want to miss our annual boot hockey or curling match on "Howlin" Wolf bay! (NOTE: Route option may change pending snow conditions.)
Mid-Season Trip -- "The Eagle Moon"
pm Mon Feb 19 - am Sun Feb 25 $1,775 ($100 off for Wintergreen "alumni"), 6 nights total, 4 nights/5 days on the trail covering 40 miles, 1st and last night in lodges. Led by Wintergreen director Paul Schurke -- on a select route of his "choice" pending trail conditions.
Most years, late February still has a "heart of winter" feel to it with crisp temps and snowdrifts on the trees and trails that remain powdery. A daytime thaw is possible but generally travel temps are in the 20s and nights are around zero.
Winter's Ebb Trip -- "The Snow Moon"
pm Mon Mar 4 - am Sun Mar 10 $1,775 ($100 off for Wintergreen "alumni"), 6 nights total, 4 nights/5 days on the trail covering 50 miles or so, 1st and last night in lodges. Led by Wintergreen director Paul Schurke -- on a select route of his "choice" pending trail conditions.
By mid-March, days are noticeably longer and temps are moderate with occasional daytime thaws. The crusted snow can mean easier travel allowing us to cover a lot of country with less effort, especially on the big lake chains.