The Happy Camper: “Freezing Woman” Event Draws Hundreds of Women to Winter Camp Together in Algonquin Park
I receive a lot of requests to present to a group or to be a part of some outdoor event. I love it. The wilderness camping community is an incredible one. My latest one, however, was even more special. It’s called Freezing Woman and consists of hundreds of women (and other genders) camping all together in early winter at Algonquin’s Mew Lake campground. They spend the weekend sleeping in cold tents, hot tents, camper trailers and even the back seat of their cars. They take hikes together, participate on winter workshops together, roast marshmallows around the campfire together, take a polar plunge together and generally hang out in a winter wonderland to empower themselves as women out in the cold wilds—feeling connected with nature and with themselves.
Just for the record, I signed my new kids book A Spark of Courage on the Friday prior to the event. I figured my three older sisters would appreciate that I wanted the women to “freeze” on their own. They did. It was the right thing to do.
During my time at the market event where other authors, regional makers and innovative gear vendors sold their wares, I chatted with dozens of women, all smelling of wood smoke and pine needles, about their time so far camping together. This was the seventh year of this annual event, and it was filled with seasoned regulars, as well as first-time cold campers.
To quote Andrea Ross, the main organizer of Ripples and Leaves, who puts together Freezing Woman:
“Seasoned experts and first-timers may not otherwise meet. Freezing Woman is a place where we are all peers and equals for sharing and learning. This helps us all grow. It is also a space where many of us can find our ‘peeps.’ The friendships that form can last a lifetime of adventures.”
Close to 400 women made camp to spend a few nights battling the elements, chasing curious raccoons from their tents, forming a knitting club around a wood stove, eating amazing meals cooked over a fire, having a wee sip of spirits while sitting in a snowbank, giggling through it all and having the time of their lives.
Andrea told me the event was never about numbers, but it seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year—mostly through word of mouth from past participants. Feedback from the 2025 gathering was amazing. 5.8 percent of partakers rated it as good and an overwhelming 94.2 percent rated it as great! When asked who was coming back to Freezing Woman 8—100 percent of survey respondents said they are coming again next year! Incredible!
Becky Mason, daughter of renowned Canadian canoeist, filmmaker and artist Bill Mason, was a guest speaker. She carries on the family tradition, sharing her passion for canoeing through a variety of avenues including paddling instructions, filmmaking, writing, demonstrations and presentations. Another speaker was Jill Heinerth. Heinerth serves as a tireless advocate for conservation, climate change and water resource protection. She works toward creating awareness and inspiring action through her writing, photography, films, social media, podcasts and speaking engagements. The Wall Street Journal, Oprah and New York Times lauded her best-selling books Into the Planet and The Aquanaut. In 2025, Running Cloud Productions of Australia released a feature documentary, Diving into the Darkness, about Jill’s remarkable life.
What I witnessed during my short time at Freezing Woman is a great sense of community. There was a circle of trust forming there and a strong sense of belonging. It seemed everyone was there to help one another out and there was so much knowledge to be shared throughout. It was a time for hundreds of like-minded outdoorsy women to gather at a frozen campsite and be a part of something bigger than themselves.
Check out the details for next year’s event and other women outdoor gatherings: https://www.ripplesandleaves.ca/events
