An off-the-grid weekend at Mount Engadine Lodge.

A few weeks ago, J, Freya & I spent a weekend off-the-grid at Mt. Engadine. We left the laptops at home, bringing only our books, my camera and our phones. The last time we were here was about a week before the pandemic really “started"—before life in lockdown, in March 2020. Freya was just 6 months old.

We spent our first morning skiing at nearby Mt. Shark before heading up to the lodge. We enjoyed a hot toddy and read our books in the lounge while waiting for our tent to be ready, with Freya curled up at our feet for a well-deserved nap. Wanting to enjoy our last hour of daylight before settling down for the evening, we decided to go sledding down the hill, shrieking as we flew on little more than a sled made out of reinforced styrofoam down the slope. This must have been what a Canadian childhood was all about. That sense of play and childlike euphoria is a muscle I have poorly exercised, but often comes alive around J & Freya.

We settled into our glamping tent later that afternoon, the propane stove keeping us toasty against the bitter cold. Due to COVID-19 regulations, our afternoon tea, dinner and breakfast would be delivered to our room (ordinarily, we would enjoy it with others in the main lodge)—which meant we had very little reason to put our books down and leave our very comfortable bed. The food is always incredible here. We read for hours and hours that night; I can’t remember the last time I was able to read for hours, uninterrupted.

Right before dinner, we took Freya for short walk. I was in awe of the thousands of stars; their light shining strongly in a sky unpolluted by our own. Apart from the lodge, there was no other building, no electricity for miles in any direction. The stars were so plentiful, appearing so dense, giving true weight to the word “stardust”. It’s hard to fathom them up there in their billions, while we stand here on Planet Earth with a fire at our feet and a forest all around us, occupied with our own lives.

The next day we awoke a little earlier than our usual Sunday to enjoy a breakfast of eggs benedict in our tent before packing up. We would be off for another ski before returning home in the afternoon, content.

If you’re ever in the Rockies, I would highly recommend a stay at Mt. Engadine Lodge. I’m already looking forward to our next off-the-grid weekend.