Day 4 - Sunday, January 16

Just before sunrise we all began to stir. Just getting out of the sleeping bag was a challenge. First I had to scrape away a thick layer of frost from the opening of the bag where my breath had solidified, then I had to work free a frozen zipper. But soon the layers were pulled on and the stove rekindled, bringing warmth back quickly. About twelve miles due west at the closest weather station at Crane Lake, the recorded low temperature that morning was -31 below zero. Other nearby locations had the temperature anywhere from -25 to -29. It was so cold that my camera froze up, which explains why I have no photographs from this last day.

The key this final morning was to keep moving while we tore down camp. Once on the skis and pulling sleds, the challenge then switched to not becoming too warm and getting wet with sweat. By the end of the first portage out of Shell Lake, my eyelashes had become frosted, and ice covered my hair, beard and eyebrows. It was an odd feeling sweating under a helmet of ice.

The rest of the trip back was a fair amount of work. The cold added grit to the snow and made pulling the sleds more difficult. It also didn't help that I had broken a metal bend in my sled pole rig which caused the sled to pull unevenly to one side. Still, it was a beautiful day and the scenery was outstanding. The boundary waters has a completely different look in the winter and an even more profound quiet.

Waiting for us at the end of the trail (or "death march") back was the final steep uphill to the entry point. A final pull and we were back to our cars and loading up gear. It was a successful first winter trip for me, and I'm very grateful to have shared it with such a great group of people. Thanks, Dan, Matt, Mallory and Mark (and Dave). I'm looking forward to the next winter trip, so bring on the cold!