Winter Camping & Backcountry Ski Recon in Newfoundland | Pulk Sleds, Snow, and Sea Cliffs

With the boat buttoned up for winter, it’s finally time to head into the mountains. In this episode, Steve, Robin, and Carter take the new DIY pulk sled bags into the backcountry for a winter camping and ski reconnaissance trip just north of Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Before heading out, Steve walks through how the winter tent over Arabella has transformed life aboard—cutting down condensation, blocking wind, and making cold-weather living far more comfortable. After waiting out uncooperative weather, the crew loads the sleds with gear, including a compact wood stove, and sets off toward the Blow Me Down Mountains along the Humber Arm. Thin snow, exposed trail sections, and heavy sleds make the approach more challenging than expected, forcing off-trail travel through tuckamore and careful terrain choices. The trip becomes less about skiing steep lines and more about learning the land—scouting bowls, gullies, avalanche paths, and access routes for future trips when conditions improve. From sewing custom tent anchors out of old sailcloth to cooking dinner over a wood stove with ocean views below, this episode is a true shakedown: testing gear, refining systems, and getting to know a wild coastal mountain environment where the sea and alpine terrain collide. In this episode: • Winter tent living aboard Arabella • Testing DIY pulk sled bags • Backcountry ski camping in Newfoundland • Coastal mountain recon and route finding • Avalanche awareness without forecasting • Wood stove winter camp setup • Exploring where mountains meet the ocean -------------------------- Sign up for our email newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hn3Qyv Acorn to Arabella started as a wooden boat building project in Granby, Massachusetts. Steve began the journey as an amateur wooden boat builder crafting a 38' wooden sailboat in his backyard: designer William Atkin's Ingrid with a Stormy Petrel's gaff rig. These videos follow the journey from tree felling, to lumber milling, to lofting, to the lead keel pour and now sailing the boat—sharing details of the woodworking, carpentry, metal smithing, tool building, and tool maintenance that traditional wooden boats command. This ultimate DIY project continues beyond the boat shop, as Steve and crew travel and learn to cruise aboard the handmade wooden boat that they've built. Just kidding about all that, this channel is about a Siberian Laika named Akiva. -------------------------- If you are interested in supporting/helping here are a few ways: https://www.acorntoarabella.com/how-to-help Acorn to Arabella's wishlist: https://www.acorntoarabella.com/wishlistpriority TotalBoat supports A2A! Please consider using our Total Boat referral code. Click here, then shop: https://www.totalboat.com/acorntoarabella They'll kick 10% our way! To offer recurring support via Patreon, CLICK BELOW. Just $5 a month gets you an invite to our monthly patron-only livestream Q&A sessions! https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella Original Soundtrack available at benfundis.bandcamp.com FOLLOW US: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/acorntoarabella Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acorntoarabella/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acorntoarabella Website: http://www.acorntoarabella.com