Chapter 2, January, Long Nights and Deep Snows Summary and Analysis

January is very cold at Cache Lake; it therefore becomes a season of rest in nature. Even plants are dead and seeds are waiting to grow. One day Jim takes his favorite husky, Wolf, to go see the Chief. He notes that in the winter, people are so grateful to see each other that everyone is always welcome at any time. When Jim arrives, it is nearly nightfall and a blizzard is on the way. The sounds of the night storms are wonderful and vary substantially. Jim notes that Hank put together a wind gauge to measure the wind.

Walking in the snow, one can often get snowshoe lameness that makes it hard to walk for a few days; it results from the bending of one's toes while walking...