...Swanson River Canoe Landing Ski Tour

Super model and bushwhack skier, Mrs. Huffy, hydrates on the trail.

Silhouette of a skier on the swamp behind Stormy Lake.


Ski tips follow Mrs. Huffy as she bushwhacks toward the Swanson River Canoe Landing.

Gabby the ski dog cools off by rolling in the snow.

Self-portrait of a goggled skier.

I have to admit that the Swanson River Canoe Landing is not on the destination list of many people in the middle of winter. In fact, it's pretty much snowed in unless you drive a snowmachine out there or happen to get lucky and have someone plow the road in between storms. In any event, Mrs. Huffy and I made it our goal for the afternoon.

I should mention that we were starting on our skis from the Stormy Lake boat ramp to get there. So, the trip began with a lake crossing, then we went through the woods, over a swamp, and finished up with some bushwhacking for about half a mile. Once we reached the canoe landing we turned around and did the whole thing again. It was fun. Big time fun.

Surprisingly, just after entering the swamp on the other side of Stormy Lake, we ran into a couple out skiing with their dogs. They said they ski a portion of this route on a daily basis. I was surprised because it really wasn't an established trail by any means.

When we got back to the truck we checked the GPS and found that we had skied 2.6 miles. It was a great trip under beautiful skies and perfect snow conditions. And, now we can't wait for our next...Swanson River Canoe Landing ski tour.