Winter Wilderness

Grades 7 – 12
Marlow, NH

On this winter expedition, we will travel by snowshoe through the forest and over frozen lakes, carrying our gear in packs on our backs. Deep in the winter wilderness we will set our camp, a canvas tent with a crackling woodstove and a balsam fir floor. Each day, we will cut and split firewood to warm our tent and cook our meals, and chisel a hole in the ice to collect water. Adventures by day will include snow shelter making, exploring the woods by snowshoe, and skiing over the beaver flowages. We will bake biscuits over the fire, drink hot chocolate to warm our toes, and play games on the ice. At night, the stars and the moon will illuminate the scene of a winter paradise with ice crackling in the cold and snow blanketing the trees. There will be stories, songs and great conversations in our candlelit canvas wall tent.

Day 1

Arrive by 11:00 AM. Snowshoe tour around Kroka’s Base Camp. Clothing, packing and equipment loan. Sleep in traditional earthen lodges at Base Camp.

Day 2

Travel by foot to Kroka’s winter camp in the Grassy Brook Wilderness. Winter camp setup, including setting wall tent, balsam bough floor, firewood, water.

Day 3

Travel to second camp, which will be our home for the remainder of the trip. Camp setup and exploration.

Day 4-6

Depending on the winter conditions, our days may include tracking, navigation, snow shelter building, games on the ice, snowshoeing, and skiing. On Day 6, we pack up our camp and make our way back to Kroka Village.

Day 7

Wake up at Kroka base camp. After putting away gear and packing belongings, we share lunch, a closing circle, and students depart at 1:00 PM.