For the last couple of years Yankee and I have traveled to Vermont to do some winter camping at Merck Forest for my birthday. The first year (you can read about here) we stayed in a cozy cabin called Viewpoint. Last year we made the trek with friends who have since moved. This year it was just the two of us with Gracie, and we had a great week-end. I know many of you would put this at the bottom of your to-do list, but it is great to get off the grid and really appreciate nature in the middle of winter. We feel as if we are stepping back in time during those week-end trips. Since we had to hike about two miles to get to our cabin, we decided to just use our iphones for photos instead of a heavy camera, and we decided to play around with the filters on our phones.
This is our cabin. Normally, there is lots of snow, but this year we had just a little which made more work for us. The day we left I talked to both of my grandmas and told them what we were doing for the week-end. I said the only thing I did not like was going out in the cold to walk to the outhouse. They both thought that was funny. I didn’t!!!
Our goal every year is to have enough snow to melt for water, and this was the first year we just backpacked in and didn’t have to wear our snowshoes. It is hard to tell from this picture but we only had about two inches of snow, but it was still quite chilly. The high on Saturday was 12. This cabin had some large windows and a nice wood burning stove. We made a fire the moment we got in the house.
When I was at the store picking up some last minute items, I found the popcorn you cook over the heat, and I decided to put one in our backpack to have for our “happy hour” appetizer.
This was the first time I recall making popcorn this way but it really hit the spot.
(This picture was from our trip last year with all the snow.)
The week-ends are always filled with reading, playing cards, keeping the fire going and usually a hike. This year our hike was back out to our car to get more water since there was so little snow. During the previous years we melted snow and ran it through our water treatment system all day long. This year we just used the bottled water we brought along. Since it was heavy, we could only carry so much of it from the car to the cabin at a time. Thankfully, Saturday was a sunny day, and so we just made a hike out of it. Gracie likes to feel as if she is helping, so she carried a few empty plastic bottles.
After our water hike, we decided to enjoy the roaring fire and relax.
Overall, it was another great winter week-end camping in Vermont. I’m already looking forward to next year.
What do you to escape, relax and take a break from the world?
How fun and romantic. We always popped popcorn that way when I was growing up. Jiffy Pop!
Kim, my mom said the same thing.
priceless weekend in the best ways
Mary,
Couldn’t agree more!
Cheers
Sounds like a great trip! Love that idea. Who owns the cabin? Where can you find something like that to rent?
Lauren,
I have always wanted to snowshoe to a cabin so I just started googling and came across Merck Farm. We rent the cabins for the weekend. My best advice start googling for the area you are interested to try winter camping.
Cheers!
Wow, you do love “roughing it” lol! Very similar type cabin we used to go to growing up, but it was on the American River in CA. I remember sitting on the porch swing and the rushing water was just a few yards away….loved the sound of the water, and the sun filtering through the tall pines. I also remember there was an outhouse too and my Mom bringing chamber pots up to the attic where we slept. I love the filter effect from your camera…you look like you are from the 1800’s . Such a great get away spot!