A Hidden Winter Feast

Under a clear winter night sky dotted with thousands of stars we drive our snowmobiles up into the mountains. The snow that covers the mountains reflects the light from the sky making their silhouettes easy to see. The fresh snow on the track is lit up by our headlights while cold air hits our faces through our helmets as we drive along until we reach a large, beautiful one room cabin on a peaceful lake. The stars in the sky can clearly be seen in the perfect reflection of the water on the lake and the cabin looks so warm and inviting with the an orange glow escaping from the windows. At the front of the cabin there is a fire roaring in the middle of a seating area which is surrounded by hundreds of tiny LED fairy lights suspended from the trees.

Me and seven of my favourite people to adventure with, a group of four I travelled to Japan with, my best friend and the two people I snowboard with most regularly, enter the warm, inviting cabin and start to warm up immediately. The cabin is very large with a high vaulted glass roof, a huge fire place burning away and throw rugs cover most of the hardwood floors. In the middle of the room a large dining table is set up for eight with long benches covered with comfortable looking cushions and over the centre of the table is a huge candle burning chandler hanging from above. There another long prep table at the back with four cooking stations with cutting boards, pots and pans, pasta makers and burners.

We take all of our winter gear off and find large comfortable sweaters and slippers have been set out for everyone. Then our chef greets us, offering everyone some wine or craft beer. The chef then asks us to head on over to the prep table to work in groups of two. We’re not just here to make dinner, we’re to learn how to make it. Tonight’s menu will include mini thin crust pizzas that we cook on the fire and the most amazing ravioli with paper thin pasta, everyone’s own choice of filling and the a flavourful tomato sauce. We get some of our favourite songs going on the speakers in the background. With our chef coaching us, we end up with a table full of some of the most delicious food we have ever made. Dinner is so tasty, we have fun telling our travel stories and dreaming up new plans. When dinner is finished, chef surprises us with chocolate fondue. We are all feeling full but who doesn’t have room? There’s an entire plate of strawberries, pineapples, apples and melons cut up and two pots of melted chocolate, one milk and one dark.

After dessert is cleared we head outside to the fire still roaring out front. As if anybody still has room for anymore food, our chef has set out s’mores kits to go along with the fire. We roast marshmallows and check out the the milky way which is so clear in the night sky. Eventually we head back inside to break out some card games, letting our competitive sides out which leads to some suspenseful moments and a lot of laughter.

As the night carries on we are all starting to feel tired we move the table and benches to the edges of the cabin and set up the air beds, pillows and sleeping bags that are stored in the cabin. We all settle into our beds for the evening, the fire still crackling in the background. The night sky can be seen through the glass roof and we all drift off to sleep with the stars watching over us.

I hope there’s coffee in the morning.