Liard Hot Springs Winter

On a long weekend Brett and I race down to Liard Hot Springs, eager to soak in the ever hot water.

The temperature hovers around -30C for the weekend, so we’re both stoked Brett bought his latest piece of fancy gear – a very special winter wall tent called an Arctic Oven. Made by Alaska Tent & Tarp the Arctic Oven is a small tent with double walls for extra insulation and a small wood stove to keep things toasty. Even sleeping on my thermarest of the floor of the tent I’m extremely warm, and the little wood stove still has coals in the morning we use to get it going again. Often we have to open the door to let in some -30 air because we’ve made it too hot inside.

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Camping at Liard Hot Springs in the Arctic Oven

We sent the tent up right in the parking lot, and it quickly becomes the hub of Liard Hot Springs for the weekend. It’s bright and cheery, and people can’t believe we’re warm inside. Of course we invite them in to have a look and soon we’re drinking beer and eating snacks. We name the tent “The Magic Pumpkin”.

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Brett eager to enter the hot water after walking across the frozen boardwalk

The spring itself is amazing – all the surrounding trees are loaded with hoar frost caused by the steam pouring off the hot water. During the summer it never gets dark enough to see the stars, making a night soak in the winter all the more magical.

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Looking downstream past the waterfall

We’re stoked to be outside in the winter, so we go for a snowshoe each afternoon.

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Getting icy after the snowshoe

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Sunset behind Liard Hot Springs

I honestly think winter in the North is more beautiful than summer.

-Dan

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