Embrace the cold
I grew up on a farm and in rural areas near Sudbury. I spent a lot of time with family and friends on snowmobiles. It was the thing to do. On weekends, we would get a huge gathering of machines and people and ride for hours. We would stop at lodges and warm up by fires and eat French fries.
Those were good times. Winter allows the luxury of doing so much more than enjoying a trail on a snowmobile. With the wilderness at our doorsteps, we have endless opportunities to get outdoors and enjoy fun in the snow.
One of our favourite things to do was also one of the more stupid things we could do, so we did it.
We attached a long rope to a snow machine and the other end a big tractor tire tube. Then the set up was given to a bunch of teenagers and young adults from two families and the mayhem unfolded naturally. We had a big farm of about 160 acres and half was bush with trails we cut through it.
We raced the snow machine with two or three or more people on the tube with the full intent to knock the people off by bouncing the tube off trees and big rocks and random fence posts. There were some painful bumps and bruises from time-to-time.
I have no idea how no one was killed, but we had a lot of winter fun in the bush on that contraption.
This issue has stories that cover all kinds of aspects of winter and other general articles and columns. No stories about doing dumb things in the winter, but lots for everyone.
Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are two of the most popular activities to do in winter that immerse you in nature and the beauty of the bush. Used gear is always an inexpensive option to get people started. The best thing about snowshoeing is you don’t need any training or trails. You make your own and go at your own pace. I use snowshoes mostly to hike into backcountry lakes for ice fishing.
With a bit of determination, you can snowshoe into some remote places you might not otherwise go to during the other three seasons. This is what makes this activity so great.
Winter camping and ice climbing are also options for those looking for a bit more of an extreme winter experience. Both require more careful planning and even training by the right people.
Rabbit hunting is also a good chore to keep your mind from becoming stale with too much snow. A day in the bush chasing rabbits can be a neat experience and can also put some hot fresh stew on your stove.
On our farm, I used to go in the morning and check our snare lines for rabbits. There was always one or two. I would usually race down to the tree line by our pastures on a 1981 Yamaha Enticer 340. A lot of the time, I did it just before we left for school and I would be on the snow machine with only a coat and toque. I would run down and grab the rabbits and come back and place them in the barn. I would clean them after school.
In this winter issue, we touch on a lot of fantastic opportunities available for everyone in our region. We have articles on ice fishing derbies and a spotlight on some of the best places to go snowmobiling in the world.
There is also a good supply of content from our awesome contributors. We have columns on all kinds of stuff for winter for people and machines. We are also proud to introduce a new segment starting this issue about fly tying. Flymart owner and fly tying expert Scott Currie has joined us to supply a step-by-step guide for tying flies that work and match the hatch in the northern Ontario area.
This is what I love about the Wild Northerner Magazine. There is nothing set in stone for our magazine. I want it to be as different as it can be from the last issue and the previous season issue, and we have achieved that so far thanks to our contributors.
Enjoy the issue and the season and thanks for reading.
-Scott
Publisher's note