Through Cold Forests to the Warmth of the Fire

family adventure to the headland: a day by the campfire

Last weekend we had a lovely family trip to a lean-to by the lakeshore. We happened to get a sunny, frosty day for our outing. The forest was unbelievably beautiful.

The sun illuminated the treetops, turning them a bright, deep green. A dusting of powdery snow adorned the spruce branches. Everything was silent, as if the world had stopped when the snow arrived—like someone had pressed pause on everything.

But our family was far from quiet. We brought the sounds of life into this silent, deserted forest. The children immediately discovered animal tracks. They were able to identify at least a mouse, a hare, and a squirrel.

Old massive trees were standing majestic. Some trees had fallen in the storm and their roots were torn from forest soil. Forest floor was partly covered with dusty snow. The leaves of the blueberry plants have already fallen, but lingonberry keeps them over the winter. This lingonberry was standing on the top of this mossy hummock, and sun touched it so beautifully that it looked like the queen of this forest.

We were heading to the point, surrounded by the lake on all sides. We knew there was a lean-to-shelter and campfire site. Through the trees, we saw the lake steaming in the morning light.

Sky was clear. It has been cloudy and grey all this week, so this couldn’t have been better weather for our hiking day.

This photo above shows on the left the point where the campsite is locates. First we noticed that there were no fire woods, and we had not brought our own. My partner somehow found left over fire woods around the lean-to-shelter, so we were able to make small fire.

I poured the first steaming cups of coffee from the thermos while my partner was still whittling kindling. We wondered how we could do an overnight trip here in the winter, either just the two of us or with the children.

It was at this point that I also realized the lake we were looking at wasn’t Päijänne, on whose shore our cottage sits, but Lake Ruotsalainen, literally ‘Swedish Lake’.

The lake got its name because in the 1800s, a man of Swedish origin owned lands along its shores. Consequently, the lake began to be called “Sweden’s Water.”

My 8-year-old son found self-made fishing rod and started to fish with it. The little sisters built a play campfire and gathered frosty mushrooms to play with. My partner tended and stoked the fire while I excitedly photographed the spot and admired the scenery.

The contrast between the sunny tip and the dark, frosty forest was huge. The sun had melted the ground and the trees where its rays reached, but the areas untouched by sunlight remained completely frosty. Walking through that cold forest to reach the sunny point created a unique, almost magical atmosphere.

Steam on the lake moved slowly and it seemed to swirl over the lake. Here’s short video of it. [Zoom the screen to make it full screen.]

Despite the sun, the day was cold. I warmed up my fingers above the fire. We grilled Karelian pastries and cheese, and children had hot chocolate. My partner and I had another cups of coffee and the world felt just right. Everything was perfectly in place.

Then it was time to head back to the cottage. While we returned through the cold and frosty forest, 5yo found winter chanterelles. They were entirely icy. Excitedly, she collected them all into two thermos cups.

This is how our lovely trip ended. We returned to the cottage to light the fireplace and worked on a big Moomin puzzle. In the evening, the children still wanted to go outside, and while playing by the cottage shore, they discovered frosty frogs.

This is such a wonderful time of year. It’s worth remembering that the cycle of the year isn’t just four seasons: there are many combinations, many different phases and conditions in between. Nature is full of wonders every single day of the year.