This place is so far north that even in the middle of July, the mornings are 25 degrees. You have to wear wool socks until noon when the sun finally comes out.

There is no one around. The lakes are unnamed.

For twelve days straight, I saw only the people I had chosen to go on this trip with, no new faces, no house, no signs of human footprint.

We usually woke up early, around 6 in the morning. There was no sense in sleeping longer when life began to stir around you.

Breakfast was hot cocoa if we had some left and packets of oatmeal.

We feared opening our mouths for it would ruin the stillness and the silence around us.