scouting in winter

As you have probably noticed, I do not explore as much in the winter. This is all because in Saskatchewan we have pretty intense winters. Lots of snow and very cold weather. If I had a better vehicle that was higher off the ground I would probably explore more. None the less, winter is a great time to scout out locations for the summer. It is much easier to tell what is/is not abandoned in the winter. Here are my top tips for: scouting in the winter

1 - Look for footprints in the snow. If there are no footprints at all then it could be abandoned, if there are footprints it should be easy to tell how recent they are.

2. Look at the windows. If the windows are smashed or open in the middle of winter its a good sign of abandonment. As well if the doors are smashed or open, this is another good sign of abandonment.

3. Check for vehicle Tracks. Look for tracks in the snow and trace them. Where did they go? Are there footsteps as well? Did it park? Did people get out of the car? Did they drive in just to turn around?

4. Look at the chimney & check the meter outside. If there is smoke and the meter is running the building is being heated.

learn from experience

here are some things that I have learned from the last trip:

• there is not always a way into a building (even if you climb 3 stories to find an entrance)
  

• do not leave "hot toes" or heat packs in your boots overnight, they become crusty & hard (the ones with adhesive stick to your boots)

• in small towns, everything is closed on a sunday

• when you least expect it you can find a washroom and food (just look for the bar)
  

• not all small town hotels are bad

• morning smorgs @ small town restaurants can be very nasty

• don't drink the water - although it is not all bad
  

• some pay phones in Saskatchewan still cost 25cents but only ones in ghost town

• there is less snow in the west

• water pressure is depending on location

• you can find porn in the weirdest places

• know where your cell phone is at all times (ie// make sure your case is in one piece)

• $90 pants do not guarantee quality (the zipper broke on mine, only a month old!)
  

• always pack ear plugs & mp3 player in case one of your friends snores.... loudly.... all night

• ski pants limit what you can do

• always check the doors before attempting to get in other ways – they could be open

trip clip

our trip was very successful, we reached multiple ghost towns, a few large locations and of course very scenic sites. Some of these sites include the sand hills, cypress hills & the grasslands. Here are some of my favorite photographs from the trip.