Frozen Dream 2006

On this weekend two years ago nine friends from Taylor University and I headed into the coldest weather we could imagine for a four day snow camping trip. With our heads down to block the wind and blowing snow, the other guys dissapeared across frozen Lake Superior in front of me. We were in Pictured Rocks National Seashore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and we did not know exactly what would come of the trip. I will never forget the last night of the trip as the wind and snow finally died down and we trekked across the lake in the silence guided only by the moonlight. After four days together we all said it was a surreal time of community as we fought off the elments together. We called that trip the Frozen Dream, and from that trip a tradition began. Last year on this weekend my brother, J.R., and I headed to Hoosier pass at over 12,000 feet with camping gear and snowshoes to continue the tradition. In spite of some altitude sickness and J.R.'s toes getting a bit too cold, a two day brother trip was successful. Last night two friends and I took on the challenge of the third annual Frozen Dream on Ross Island Antarctica. What an amazing time! The snow was falling in huge flakes as we left the station, and the wind had not yet begun to blow very hard. We were the only tracks on the trail and excited to get to our spot. We got to the spot, an old snow cave at the base of Castle Rock. We dug the drifts out of the cave and expanded it so that all three of us could fit. After a while of taking in the views and building stuff out of snow we hunkered down for the night. I woke up only once as I got dumped on by a huge batch of snow in the face from a hole in the roof. When we woke up in the morning the cave was covered with more fresh snow and the wind was blowing hard. There are few finer feelings than waking up warm in a bad snow storm, and there are no trips quite like the annual Frozen Dream. Camping and exploring in the outdoors are thins that I love very much, and I am incredibly lucky to have the chance to come do some of those things here in this frozen land. If camping in the snow sounds like a crazy enough adventure for you then give me a call next winter and let's plan the 4th annual Frozen Dream!