Getting Ready for Winter Camping

The recent cold, rainy, and even snowy weather has inspired the Arrowhead Angler (me) to start getting ready for the Winter Camping season. Winter Camping season is my favorite of all the seasons in the north woods. The north woods seasons are Winter Camping (Ice), Waiting for Open Water, Open water, and Waiting for Ice. Some outdoorsy folks also talk about the short season in the middle of Open Water called Going to Weddings of People You've Barely Met.

I have done a few things in preparation for Winter Camping. Last weekend I got the wood stove out, set it up in the yard, and lit a fire in it for the purposes of burning off the preserving oil. It is a sheet metal stove and, to protect it from rust, I had sprayed it down when I put it away for the summer. Last year, I hadn't burned off the oil and so when I went camping the for the first time, the tent filled with an acrid smoke when I got the fire going. It took a good hour for the oil to burn off and the smoke to clear. So it was good to get that task done.

Also, last night, I rolled up my sleeves and made a bunch of burritos. I wrap them individually in foil and freeze them. Then, when I go ice fishing and winter camping, I set the burritos on the wood stove or ice house heater until they are grilled a golden brown and have a nice hot lunch (or breakfast). In total I made 36 burritos (they are small). I decided to make them now because on Monday my lovely bride had cooked a giant turkey for dinner (I could go into a long dissertation on why we made a 24lb turkey for 2.5 people in October, but for everyone's benefit, I won't). I used all the leftover turkey for the basis of the burritos. So I made the following kinds of burritos:

Turkey Fajita Burritos (turkey, cheese, fajita seasoning)
Chipotle Turkey Burritos (turkey, cheese, chipotle seasoning)
Turkey Pizza Burritos (turkey, mozzerella cheese, pepperoni, pizza sauce)
Turkey & Gravy Burritos (turkey, cheese, gravy)
Breakfast Burritos (scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon)

I admit, by the time I got all done, I was a bit nauseous and didn't want to see turkey for a while. But I am now all set for winter lunches in the woods.

This weekend I am headed up north one last time to try and get some rainbow trout and splake in designated trout lakes. The DNR has stocked these trout in a bunch of small lakes in the National Forest that did not otherwise have viable fisheries. The trout bite great in the fall and taste really good. Judging by the weather report, I'll be bringing the winter tent and wood stove, not the summer gear. I'll let you know how it goes.