Marrone explains that most people sign up for Lure of the North’s primer to—literally, as it turns out—test the waters. Others may register for Training Camp to prepare for a longer expedition with Lure of the North, which offers multi-day guided trips throughout northern Ontario. The company also offers hands-on courses in crafting traditional snowshoes, winter moccasins, and anoraks throughout the year at locations across Ontario.

Hand-crafted cotton anoraks, wool capotes and buckskin moccasins. 

This style of winter adventure parallels a summer canoe trip. Travel favours frozen waterways, but sometimes involves overland portages between lakes.

Teamwork gets the job done.

This style of winter adventure parallels a summer canoe trip. Travel favours frozen waterways, but sometimes involves overland portages between lakes. So, after trying the various shapes of wooden snowshoes and learning a simple but effective binding to attach them to our feet, we’re coached in how to pack our own toboggan and work as a team to wrangle it uphill and along narrow trails.

The program is based out of the Lure of the North homestead, taking advantage of a range of conditions frequently encountered on a winter trip. We’re living outdoors, experiencing different styles of canvas winter tents, and learning how to safely set up and operate a small woodstove inside.

Setting up the tent takes a little practice. 

Remarkably, all this equipment fits on our toboggans and, in typical conditions, isn’t too much of a struggle to haul.

HDPE trail toboggans are the most versatile craft for winter travel. 

Dave Marrone offers tips for gathering firewood, highlighting the softwoods that burn best in compact woodstoves. At night, the white canvas tent glows by candlelight beneath the crisp starry sky, and we relax inside in T-shirts.

Tent glows by candlelight. 

Many participants combine Training Camp with Vast Horizons—a three-day wilderness trip leaving the Marrones’ property to traverse the frozen lakes and snowy wetlands of the La Cloche Mountains—to put their new skills to use. “The greatest takeaway is how comfortable you are,” says Kielyn Marrone. “All of the gear works as a system to keep you warm. People are amazed at how cozy the tent is, how comfortable it is to sleep overnight. There’s no suffering in this type of winter camping!”

Kielyn Marrone fires up the wood stove to make the tent warm and cozy. 

But now, plunging into ice-cold water sounds like misery. I take a deep breath, summon the nerve, and drop in, feet first. The burning sensation is eclipsed by the cheers of my fellow participants. I even take a moment to dunk my head, feeling the abrasiveness of slushy water rubbed on my skin. Getting out requires minimal effort. I push up and slither away, simulating self-rescue from an unexpected breakthrough. “You did it!” Marrone shouts as I scurry back into my clothes, thinking warm thoughts about the coming evening in our hot tent.