Some of my high school friends and I went up to the family cabin in January for my bachelor party, about a four hour drive north from Madison.
Winter is a special time up there. The snow opens the forest, making it easy to reach untouched beauty. The cold is isolating, and everything is dead-quiet. In a lot of ways, it’s my favorite season up there.
The lake is completely frozen by late December, and is perfectly safe to walk on.
The lake offers some dramatic views. Perfect for a late sunset.
But the real fun is in the surrounding land, filled with trails for hiking and snowmobiling, along with a skeet-shooting range with a gun shack.


We fired up the wood stove and the shack really started to warm up. Then we got to drinking whiskey and playing poker.
Snowshoeing in the 100+ acre forest is one of the most relaxing things I know how to do, and we hiked everywhere.
And took a ton of photos.
We also practiced the fine art of indoor RC flight.
Winter is the perfect time to have a northwoods bachelor party. Everyone had a blast!
*Credits: Photography by Brody Kidd
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