Quinzhee

Hobart, Ben and Dean had all reacted to the over night snow dump the exact same way! QUINZHEE!

Hobart had looked out his window and seen the thick blanket of newly fallen manna! He immediately went to the mud room, and assembled his gear! He was already wearing his long underwear onesie and socks with woollen socks over top of those! He pulled his heavy ski pants from the pile he’d left them in a day or two before, he also grabbed his hoody, overcoat, woollen mittens, leather mittens, toque, earmuffs, and – best of all – his freshly mink oiled leather moccasins!Placing them all in one corner for the moment, he made his way into the kitchen and pulled open that drawer! Candles, matches, and plastic ziplock baggies! He stopped by the house phone and dialled Ben’s number, and thought of what to say to Mrs. Archer. She was such a wonderful Mom! He looked forward to seeing her whenever he got the chance!

“Way ahead of you!” Ben’s excited voice declared when the phone was picked up! “I’ve already called Dean, he’ll be at my place in 20 minutes, you?”

“Just gotta pull on all my gear and I’ll see you in 20!” Hobart declared.

He saw Dean in the distance just on the ridge headed over to Ben’s place! Dean must have seen him at the same time cuz he broke into a run! Wait! He was running weird!

“No way!” Hobart realized out loud! “He brought his cross country skis!”

Dean’s form was gliding along the top of the ridge, and his arms were making wide sweeping back and forth motions in harmony with his full striding legs!

He no time to lose! He skipped into high gear! He had two things to his advantage, the light weight moccasins were tight and secure on his feet, and he was just about faster on foot than any boy alive! He’d give Dean a ‘run’ for it all right! With long strides his feet dipped in and out of the snow, and he practically flew along the familiar path to the Archer homestead! As he turned south, he could see himself and Dean, stride for stride en route to arriving at the same time to Ben’s! Hobart’s heart was pounding, and he flushed as he felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins! Hahahaha the last stretch of the road was freshly sanded by Mr Wickenhausr, Sally Archer’s neighbor! He’d been such a jewel since Ben’s Dad had passed away the previous winter! And now! As Dean also landed on the long driveway to the farm house, Hobart has the upper hand! He thought he was flying before! With renewed vigor he poured on the coal and hit the front porch ahead of Dean!

Dean was laughing, gratefully accepting his defeat, and high fives were exchanged!

Once inside Mrs Archer’s freshly baked cinnamon raisin biscuits were beckoning them to the warmth of the wood stove in the kitchen. Both Dean and Hobart shed their outer layers, and hung them on the drying rack. As they sat down a fresh mug of Hot Chocolate was waiting for them, and in the centre of the table a platter of her famous biscuits!

“Look who blew in from the cold,” Sally chuckled as Ben strode into the room. Their chatter was loud and excited as they discussed just where they’d build it!

Out to the barn, and the sleigh piled with supplies, Dean was voluntold to get into the harness – he looked at his two friends, trying to muffle their own giggles – and with a giggle of his own, he gladly did so! Ben – after getting their attention – drew from his waistband the snow knife he’d pulled from his father’s things.

He could read it in their eyes!

“Mom gave me permission! In fact, it was her idea! I totally forgot!” Ben and Dean looked at each other, only half believed him, but skipped off into the woods for their adventure. They were very glad they’d gotten up early, they had lots of daylight left, and they’d need it!

Once they came to the clearing, just below the tree fort they’d built with Kennedy Archer, Ben’s Dad, three summer’s before, they pulled the sleigh over to one side, and Ben began stomp stomp stomping a wide circle in the deep snow. Ben joined in, and after Dean had shed his skis for and replaced them with the snow shoes they’d brought along, he began to trample down the snow within the circle.

Ben took the large scoop shovel from their supplies, and I was piling it in the centre of the base, and with each scoop the snow hit higher and the circumference wider. Dean and Hobart each grabbed a snow shoe, and swept the snow upwards to make a higher pile. Soon they had snow hill about 6×6 and about four feet high in the centre. They each took turns packing the snow down with the shovel and snow shoes. Then, choosing the leeward side, they carved a little path in the snow for what would be walk to the front door of the Quinzhee.

Dean and Hobart turned to Ben and somewhat mellow dramatically bowed and gestured towards the waiting packed down heap. Ben withdrew the snow knife, and a small tear welled up in his eyes,

“Thanks Dad!” He said, as he plunged the knife into the bottom couple of feet of the pile. He cut an arc, just wide enough for them to get in! And pulled the snow from inside of that arc.

Each took turns pulling snow out from the interior of the structure, and piled it along the pathway to the door.

Soon, Ben ascended to the surface, and carefully reached the spot where the air vent would be cut, and stabbed into the top right hand side of the dome, opposite the door. Meanwhile Dean and Hobart carefully shaved away at the ceiling until they saw the hole the knife had made. They used that as a gauge for how to carve away the remaining snow of icy castle!

Once fully loaded evolved, they brought the sleigh close, and pulled off the supplies, and placed them along the pathway.

Dean, having brought the hunting knife Mr Marchenko had given him, pulled it from its scabbard, and walked into woods, and cut down a few spruce boughs. He delivered them to the mouth of the Quinzhee, and giggled as a pair of hands reached out to snatch them inside! It reminded him of a hermit crab pouncing on its prey! Soon there was enough to cover the floor.

“Ok! Buddy! Nuff!” A muffled voice cried from inside.

Hobart gave an “alrighty right then!” And pulled the blankets and sleeping bags from the sleigh, along with the candles. And tossed them in the door.

Ben and Dean scooped them inside, and assembled their communal sleeping pad, and placed the candles along the ledge they’d built into the interior.

Hobart places the remaining spruce boughs over the sleigh, and placed just enough snow on them to camouflage it all. He slipped inside the Quinzhee.

The moon was high and bright! The stars shone in the sky, and he could see fluffy flakes of new snow just starting to fall as he disappeared within.

It never got old! The interior of their structure was already so warm! It was the coldest day of the year! January 21st! -36° F! Outside, but warm enough to take off their outer clothing, as they climbed inside their sleeping bags.

Soon only the sound of the soft blowing breeze in the branches above could be heard, along with the Zzzz of three cozy, happy, friends!