Winter Camping – Buffalo Pound Provincial Park

Birthday 3/3 for our 2023 camping birthday tour.

A December birthday means a loose version of winter camping. Due to some other commitments that birthday weekend, we wanted to stay close. Buffalo Pound for the night in a yurt was our best option, bonus the weather was looking great.

When we arrived Ty realized he forgot his jacket – this what happens when you focus all your energy on making sure your children have their jackets haha. (good thing we were close!) He headed back home while the kids and I hung around the yurt, but mostly in the yurt. The afternoon consisted of sliding down the road and walking to pit toilets. I walked up the ridge to check out some views and explore.

The Yurts at Buffalo Pound are equipped with 2 bunk camping cots and a queen bed. There were 2 small space heaters and 2 camping lights. Buffalo Pound has two yurts, but we were the only ones out that day/ night.

Supper was a gourmet meal of beans and wieners over the campfire with cake and sparklers to celebrate a special three year old.

It took about 3 hours before we found out that a metal looking storage structure was a heated outhouse located very close to the yurts. Walking to the pit toilets I remember thinking that’s it’s so strange the bathrooms are so far away.

Full disclosure- the heated outhouse was rank. I’m not sure if that was the normal smell, or just bad timing, but it smelled so bad that Ty or I couldn’t even go in.

After supper the kids were ready to not spend anymore time outside. Ty and I enjoyed the fire for a bit before retiring to the yurt for the night, it was maybe 730 pm haha.

I had the genius idea to make hot toddy’s while camping, which is funny because I’ve never had a hot toddy ever – so obviously winter camping is the best time to try them! We forgot the kettle and yes I did use the brown bean can to boil water over the fire.

After all that effort and maybe a ratio of too much lemon or whiskey ? It turns out camping hot toddy’s maybe aren’t for me.

We watched a movie on the tablet and ate chips. Life was good.

Upon going to bed – Ty and I were mildly chilly. We put on our full sweat suits and wool socks to retire for the night. The kids eventually fell asleep – it was late. We also all managed to sleep in the queen bed in all different directions. This was out of laziness and warmth.

Honestly I don’t know if it was insulated differently, or we were not yet acclimated to winter, or even the direction the heaters were pointed in, but we were definitely cooler than our night at a Echo Valley even though it was warmer outside (around -10). It wasn’t awful, just cooler.

We had to pack early in the morning to attend an event later that day. The kids had a simple breakfast of muffins and yogurt while Ty and I opted to make the coffee at home.

Short and sweet – maybe the best plan of attack for winter camping! If you have any questions please reach out!

There’s lots of things to do at Buffalo Pound in the winter (we just didn’t leave the yurt area), here are a few :

• sliding hill
• snowshoeing (rentals available)
• cross country skiing
• visitor centre ( with a café)
• visit the bison
• explore
• icefishing
• fat biking

Keep On Sasking In The Snow ❄️