In Community | By Fogo Island Inn | December 14, 2017
A Fogo Island Winter Wonderland
Nature informs us, shapes us, and challenges us. Fogo Island’s most powerful seasons bring wind, snow, ice, and difficult decisions: to stay outside, or retreat indoors? Fogo Islanders know that there is no decision to make. Here are a few of our Innkeepers' favourite things to do during the long winter months, from the adventuresome and exhilarating, to the cozy and comfortable:
"When I think of winter my thoughts immediately take me inside my home to the cozy warmth of my wood stove, with oil lamps glowing as I kneel on the couch peering through the window as blowing snow transforms the ordinary scene outside.
Another favourite winter experience for me is snowmobiling on a frosty night, stopping on a frozen pond under a March moon and laying back to gaze in wonderment at the spectacular starlit majesty of the glistening sky!"
-Sandra Cull, Community Hosting Coordinator
"By far my favourite winter activities are snowshoeing and ice fishing for speckled trout. So why not combine the two? With our many freshwater ponds it makes for a variety of different trail lengths and destinations, and of course, a snowshoe or fishing trip wouldn't be complete without a boil-up right on the edge of the pond. Sounds good to me!"
-PJ Decker, Outdoor Adventure Guide
"Heading to the cabin and sitting around the fire. People will usually share stories of "the old days" here in Newfoundland. Tapping maple trees for delicious maple syrup. Some even roll the syrup in the snow."
-Ashley Hunt, Reservations Team
"Take a snowmobile on the back of the hills of Joe Batt's Arm, head down towards the famous Round Head. Then, take the trail up along the shoreline to the Great Auk. The view is totally amazing, and sometimes, we stop up at Big Greeps Cove for a boil-up to see many birds and caribou. It is truly a beautiful trail all the way up along the shore...on the way back up, the trail is marked with little inukshuks, it's amazing."
-Elaine Penton, Reservations Team
"One December, Margaret and I spent an afternoon making French macarons in her kitchen: we think we may have made the world's first partridgeberry macarons (Fogo Island is a place of firsts). In general, winter is the best time to try new recipes...it lends to all sorts of warmth, both literal and figurative, to your home.
The harshest of climates breed the warmest of human kindness. This is especially true on Fogo Island."
-Amy Rowsell, Creative and Communications Coordinator
Image Credit: Nicole Wolf Photography
