Before long the sun was up again and we were more well rested than the first night.

We had our breakfast (and the last of the trout--very tasty addition) and proceeded to break down the tents and stoves. Bill was very efficient and Hannah does a lot of summer guiding so she knows her stuff as well. We loaded our sleds, slipped on our skis and took off.

The going was pretty hard going home, despite the warmer temp and windless conditions. I think we were just tired from the lack of sleep (Hannah messaged me the next day to say she had slept 14 hours that night after I left). We stopped to rest as we needed and soon we were almost back to WCB. At each rest stop, we marveled at the stark, cold wilderness. It truly is a different place this time of year. Each track we crossed told a different story--maybe a fox???? Perhaps an otter? By the end of the trek out my hips, shoulders and neck were aching. But we made it.

After returning to camp, I loaded my gear and shared lunch at Gunflint lodge with Hannah, Bill and Mrs. Bill. At the beginning of our trip we were saying, "Are we really doing this??" And now as we ate our lunch it was, "We did it!" Already, plans were being laid for another winter camp out.

Chances are that Hannah will be in somewhere else in the world by next year. She has graduated from Luther College now with a degree in choral music/ed, and has applied for a year-long global mission position. If she gets her dream shot, she'll be in Rwanda next winter. After that she wants to apply for teaching jobs.....but this summer she'll be back guiding canoe trips at WCB.

I am so glad Hannah and I shared this awesome experience. We learned a lot and came away with a great sense of accomplishment. Having someone like Bill along really helps the rookies. We could have easily faced new situations with no idea what to do but his experience is broad and he always knew what to do.

We will certainly head back in next year. I hope Mike can come then, and we will try to make it on a break from college classes so Colin can come along. I hope that this helps anyone out there who might be considering a trip like this. It is very doable. Winter camping--there's really nothing else like it!