Yurt So Good

We just got back from our trek into the wilderness and our first stay in a yurt. (Although originally designed for easy transport by nomads, for us campers, a yurt is a semi-permanent structure used for shelter against the elements by weary travelers hiking in the back-country.) As I write this, my back is aching, my right knee is swollen, I'm cranky from lack of sleep, and yet I'm already thinking about our next trip. It was that much fun. Before we got started, we rigged our own ski polk, a sled you pull behind you that holds your gear as you ski or snowshoe through the snow. We bought some kids' sleds and drilled holes around their edges so the rope would be pulling the whole sled and not just the front. Then we hit the trail head, packed our stuff, and we were off. About an hour later, we saw our home for the night. The yurt, which was nestled behind a small ridge, blended into the scenery pretty well and looked very welcoming to us after hiking through the woods even for only an hour. Turns out that pulling a sled while snowshoeing through sun-warmed snow is actually pretty difficult. Who knew? After we unloaded our gear and checked out the place, we had some fun sledding down a short hill. I had forgotten how fun it was to speed down a hill, the wind whipping against your face. We promised to do more of that next winter as we headed to the yurt to prepare for dinner and the coming night. As Stephanie fiddled with the tiny propane stove, I got the fire going inside the cast-iron wood-burning stove. It lit easily and after 15 minutes or so, the small room was nice and toasty. It wouldn't stay that way for long. By the time we had dinner (soup and cookies), it had already grown dark out and we were ready for bed. I made a mental note that I'd need to check the fire again before I fell asleep, but since I was sweating from the heat, I didn't think it would be necessary immediately. I woke up a moment later and realized that hours had passed, that the fire had gone out, and that it was 30 degrees in the hut. The burning embers from the fire were still giving off heat, but I wondered what would've happened had I woken up a few hours later to a completely cold stove. Brrr. After I got the fire started again, we both realized there would be no falling back to sleep unless we went to the bathroom first. Of course, the bathroom was called an outhouse about 30 yards from the hut. Neither of us were looking forward to walking outside, but it was part of the adventures, so we bundled up and made the short but damn called walk to relieve ourselves. On our way back, we noticed the stars. What a beautiful, clear night it was. And the stars were out in force. We stared upward, lost in our own thoughts. For the briefest moments we considered sitting outside and just looking toward the heavens, but the yurt quickly drew us back to its warm embrace. The rest of the night, while Stephanie slept by my side, I woke every hour or so to stoke the fire to make sure it didn't get any colder. The sounds of coyotes filled the night air and woke me to remind me of my duty. As I fed the fire, I wondered if the packs of coyotes would pay us a visit. Although their howls woke me several times, I knew they were no closer than a few valleys away, so I slept soundly: my wife and the warmth of the hut inside, the coyotes and the cold of winter outside. The next morning, I stoked the fire one last time and chopped some wood for the next travelers who would visit the yurt. After we had some hot chocolate and oatmeal Stephanie whipped up, we packed our sleds, cleaned the yurt, and were off. The trek back was quicker for us, but since most of it was downhill, we realized just how poorly prepared our sleds were. Not only were the ropes too long, but without some hard shell around the rope to help guide the sled, the sleds were pretty much uncontrollable going downhill. Many times they just sped past us and practically pulled us down the hill after them. Still, we made it to the car in one piece, no worse for wear. We started for home, proud that we survived our first yurt experience and already planning for next time. As we drove out of the state park, we saw three moose: a relative new-born who was all legs, a female who was so fat she looked ready to give birth, and a very tall and bulky male. Yep, it was one hell of a trip, and seeing the moose was just icing on the cake.