Silent, windless, day-after-day snowfall buried the evergreen forests in a soft, deep, white blanket. Woodsmoke from cabin chimneys rose straight up through the trees and the temperature dropped to 50 and 60 (degrees below zero. Inside tight warm cabins people read, listened to music, played poker, and entertained their neighbors, who arrived on snowshoes or skis, or by dog team. The world "outside" seemed unreal and very far away. Most of the time it was dark except for stars and moonlight and when the sun rolled along the horizon for a few hours; the frenetic activity of summer was gone and the world of humans drew in upon itself, waiting for the sun. (Reflections of a Digger 1992, p. 48).