NTier 19-20 Day 6

A Lazy Day on Base

Well, it’s our last day on base. We were awakened again, almost amusedly this time since we slept in a cabin, by our interpeter checking in on us and giving out hot applesauce to encourage us to roll out and meet outside for breakfast. Despite being back on base, all our meals are designed to be trail meals, so he’s still in charge of the prep. Once breakfast is done we all head over to the main parking lot, which in the winter becomes the broomball court. Broomball is a lot like hockey with a small ball and the chopped off end of a straw broom. We mix it up with a crew of female Scouts and a lot of fun was had by all.

After our game we stop for a while for photos at the base sign and then head back for lunch. The afternoon is somewhat of a repeat of being lazy on base, hanging out mostly in our cabins, or hanging out in the dining hall and its endless supply of hot chocolate.

Like a little miracle of the fall that was, we discover a moth in our cabin. How could this guy have survived the cold, and survive the cold again once we left? Do moths hibernate, or just lay low over the winter?

We do our fair share of souvenir shopping and getting items branded. Gavin and I get water bottles branded with the Northern Tier logo, and pick up all our patches for awards that we earned during our trek.

All in all, it was a good time and an interesting take on a high adventure trek. They have some other winter treks which look interesting – an intro to sled dog mushing trek where you sleep on base and learn how to handle and drive dog teams. Then there’s the advanced mushing trek where they drop you off 40 miles away and you mush and camp your way back to base. I hope I get to do that trip someday, it sounds so awesome!

I think we all learned something about ourselves this trip, as well. Gear especially had lots of lessons learned, but even how you almost need to be constantly eating in order to stay warm. Also, despite the desire or thinking that being bundled up is good, if you’re unable to get your moisture outside of whatever you’re in at the moment, be it sleeping bag or clothes, you will eventually be wet.

I’ll close this out with a video of us playing broomball.