Editor’s Note: Emily Morrison is a 30-year-old from Ontario, Canada. An avid camper, paddler, and winter camper, she spends much of her free time exploring the backcountry of Ontario’s Algonquin Park. This is the same setting where her relative, Tom Thomson, found inspiration for his art, and ultimately where he died under mysterious circumstances in 1917. Emily is working on a written piece for Paddle & Portage where she will share some of her family’s story and connection to Thomson, the acclaimed Canadian artist.

ONTARIO – Spring thaw was happening all week. It was one of those strange early‑March moods where winter loosens its grip just enough to make everything uncertain.

I stood at the edge of my gear pile. I was nervous about the weather for the first time ever.

I have taught myself to love the deep cold. The crisp bite of -20 air, the clean crunch of snow underfoot, the quiet confidence that came from knowing exactly how to thrive in it. But this… this mild, rainy forecast, felt like a different creature entirely.