Due North

Recently we have been actively working on finding our next job and in the end we opted for Japan.  This means that our time in Canada is swiftly coming to an end.  We decided to take one last trip and head North on a snowmobiling trip and here are some of the highlights...

The cottage where we stayed.

The cottage as seen from the lake.

By all accounts the fishing is fantastic in the summer.

Inside the cottage which was basically like a house, we certainly weren't roughing it.

We arrived pretty late in the evening on the first day so we went out for supper.

The lakes were frozen pretty good and had a nice layer of snow on top for snowmobiling.

Our first day snowmobiling.

I took a few pictures of Brady playing in deeper snow.

This time on a hillside.

The tracks varied a lot in condition but the area was stunning.

First evening and making sure the boots are dry for the next day.

Earlier in the morning it would be around -15 although it got quite a bit warmer throughout the day.

This guy was just outside the cottage.

Chef Brady making a good Canadian breakfast to start the day...

It doesn't get much better than crispy bacon...

and eggs!!!

Good morning Baileys!! (Making coffee taste even better)

A typical ice fishing hut for softer folk who cannot stand the cold.

The traditional way: dig a hole and sit around until you think of something better to do.

Or improvise and use the hole as nature's cooler.

Keeping things light - the trip was sponsored by Coors.

Setting sun on the adjacent lake.

We took off for a quick evening ride which turned into a four hour round trip.  We traveled some two hours home in the dark, through forests and over frozen lakes without seeing a single other person.  It was surreal, slightly eerie and completely captivating. 

The different locations in the area that can be reached by the trails.

A reminder that the ice can move causing these types of breaks which are the snowmobiling equivalent of a) a speed bump or if you're going fast b) a death trap.

On the third day, we headed down the worst track ever made to see these ice caves.

Cassandra with her brother Brady and father Bill.

Brady found some water and wanted to 'puddle jump' so I got the other side and took some pictures.

Here is the outcome...

It was a fantastic trip offering everything that is fantastic about Canada - Good company, the great outdoors and a whole lot of fun.