I've wanted to try winter camping for many years. I've talked it over with my camping partners, watched tv shows (Due North Outdoors) and given this a lot of thought. Last year we had a plan in place but it fell through. Then last summer my daughter, Hannah, got a job at Wilderness Canoe Base and invited us up for a few days to see the camp. While there, I happened to talk to a young fellow, Bill, who works on the camp year 'round and he mentioned that he liked to winter camp. I told him that I would love to go if he would agree to show us the ropes. After Hannah graduated from college, she returned to WCB this winter to do some work for them and we decided to give the winter a shot. My partners could not come along--Mike had too many kid's activities and my son, Colin, could not get out of class at college. I told them I could not wait any longer--I had to do this and see what it was like. Bill agreed to take me and Hannah out on a trial run. This past Wednesday, I drove up to the end of the Gunflint with a fun audio book on play in my car ("Fire Season: Notes from a Wilderness Lookout" but Philip Connors). I never stopped smiling the whole way and even stopped at Frost River in Duluth to shop around. I bought Hannah a little t shirt there as a gift when I arrived.