When I went to Camp Menogyn this summer for their 100th anniversary event, one of the women who works there was telling me about winter family camp. “It’s so magical! There is dog sledding, and skiing and so much! You should sign up!” And so I did. Because obviously it was something that should not be missed.
2 weeks ago I had a mild panic and went on an amazon shopping spree for new mittens, hats and long underwear. I was starting to re-think this adventure- we aren’t winter outdoorsy people, what did I get us into?!
Last week I went into full meltdown panic mode as I got more and more anxious for our winter adventure. Camp Menogyn is on an island, so during the summer, you pontoon over from the parking lot. During the winter, you walk about a half mile across the frozen lake, pulling your stuff on a sled. We packed bedding, towels, clothes, and all of our winter gear. I bought space saver bags and managed to get everything tightly packed into just 2 duffle bags that weighed approximately 1000lbs apiece.
I was nervous for our adventure. Both boys were NOT at all excited. KT refused to go and spent the weekend at a friend’s house. Nate gave me skeptical looks all week, but was quietly resigned to roughin’ it in the woods for a few days. I was so nervous I got us into something we weren’t going to enjoy.
Our drive to camp on Friday was a little over 5 hours… and then at the very end, we missed a turn (at which point our phones had no service and thus, no maps) and ended up extending the drive by about 40 minutes in the dark. When we arrived, we woke up 2 sleeping boys and had to quickly get all of us bundled head to toe in all of our winter gear so we could walk across the lake in the dark. Luckily they had a snow mobile waiting to pull the sleds of gear for us. I don’t know that we would have made it if we had to pull them ourselves.
When we arrived at camp, we hauled our bags to a camper cabin- just a basic room with 6 sets of bunk beds. But there were 6 top bunks, 6 ladders and 6 little shelf areas under each bunk. The boys walked in and reacted as if we were at a 4 star resort- “this is AWESOME!” They were SO excited to jump from top bunk to top bunk, climb the ladders and explore every little nook. There were extra mattresses to turn into “rafts” and plenty of space to run around. The outhouse was nearby, but no bathroom inside the cabin, which meant at night, they got to pee off the edge of the steps into the trees. 10/10 accommodation.
We explored the dining hall, got unpacked, made our beds, and got settled in. Then it was time for bed on Friday night.
Breakfast on Saturday morning was delicious (the bagels were from scratch!) We ate family style and after breakfast, they announced, “pull out your song books and turn to page 86 for our first song!” Nate’s face was priceless. In my head I thought- Jackpot! From this moment on, Nate will plan every future vacation and it will be a 4 star all inclusive resort and we will stay in the suite. Because I happen to LOVE camper cabins and camp songs and family style meals with strangers. But I also like luxurious vacations. So either way, it was a win for me!
Nate survived the camp songs and we got a quick orientation for the weekend. After breakfast, we went to the dog yard to visit the 21 Alaskan huskies that are at camp for the season. Xander loves huskies and he was thrilled!
There were lots of activities we wanted to try, but the boys begged to go back to the cabin to play. We went back to the cabin and the boys spent 2 hours absolutely lost in fantasy. Nate had to remind me to relax and just let them play. I have been going and going and going nonstop for weeks. I have overcommitted myself and I am constantly multi-tasking, running a mile a minute and I can’t seem to slow down. We had no internet access and there was nothing to accomplish. It was against every fiber in my being to just lay there, but it was glorious. The boys were so imaginative and even though they had no toys or screens, they were so content. They didn’t argue. They jumped from bunk bed to bunk bed. They had mattresses on the floor as rafts. It was so fun to listen to them play in their own made up world.
After lunch on Saturday, we grabbed some skiis and after a little instruction from the program director, we were on the lake, skiing away. Augustus initially had the hang of it really quickly, but after a few falls, he was OVER it and angrily marched off the lake. Xander and Nate were super into it and the weather was gorgeous (walking from the cabin to the dining hall, we were just wearing sweatshirts).
In the dining hall, there was unlimited hot chocolate at all times. There were piles of board games, and almost always lots of kids to run around with. We spent a lot of time hanging out there and it was great. The boys learned how to play Uno and Clue. At the end of the weekend, we asked the boys for the highlights of their weekend, and despite all of the cool things we did, Xander said his highlight was playing Clue.
Saturday evening, we headed down to the point and enjoyed a campfire and s’mores. The boys both ate 2 and then we got chilly and headed back to the cabin.
Sunday morning was our scheduled dogsledding time. We met the Mushers at the dog yard and helped put harnesses on the dogs. Once dogs are harnessed and on the line, we helped pet them and distract them while all the dogs are added to the line. Then it was down to the lake to climb in the sled and go! The dogs can pull 50-100 pounds each. There were 5 or 6 dogs on each sled. It was a surprisingly quiet, relaxing ride. We were snuggled under a sleeping bag, zipping around the lake. It was a very cool experience!
Saturday afternoon, Nate and Xander went skiing again, while Augustus and I grabbed a sled and went down the very steep hill to the lake. The strategically placed mattresses along the tree line tells me that it is a popular place to sled. We went down the hill MULTIPLE times until I thought I might pass out (walking back up was a WORKOUT). Xander joined us for a few runs at the end.
On Saturday afternoon, we went to the sauna to get super hot and then jump into the ICE COLD lake. I wasn’t sure if the boys would actually go in the water, but they both did (Xander even went UNDER water!). After he went all the way in, I felt the peer pressure to go all the way under. I am glad I did it, but it was PAINFULLY cold. Saunas aren’t really Nate’s thing, so he was our support crew. He was there with robes and towels and helped the boys get dressed when we were done.
Our family camp weekend was fantastic. The food was wonderful (and it was such a treat to just show up to the dining hall and there was a meal- no prep, no clean up). We played Scrabble and Yahzee and Uno and Clue. We relaxed. We ate snacks and drank a lot of cocoa. We tried a lot of new things and spent a ton of time enjoying ourselves outside. We didn’t have to rush, weren’t distracted by our phones, we were fully present with each other- just enjoying our time together. And we got to sing songs after every meal!
We got so lucky with the weather- it was cold, but comfortable and it was easy to be outside for long periods of time without getting chilled. The staff at camp were friendly, helpful, fun and made it such a nice place to be. The cabin was a little boy’s dream accommodation and while simple, it was very comfortable- warm, cozy, my bed was super comfortable, it very close to the outhouse and the dining hall, and there was plenty of space for us to spread out all of our gear. I loved every moment of it and I am so glad we were adventurous and tried something so new. I feel rested and refreshed in a way that I haven’t in a VERY long time. I love spending time together as a family and I am so grateful for this weekend.