Hi Mindy! We read your journals about the camping experience, and the interesting training you went through. Do all the expedition teams that will be on land go through the same training? My fifth graders were fascinated by it! Here are some of their questions:

Stefon: Would you ever go through snow camp again if you could?

Natasha: What was it like walking around with the buckets on your head? did anyone fall?

Haley: How big were the tires and the truck that rescued you? they look really big!

Andrew: How long will it take to recover from the frostbite?

Daniel: Does frostbite hurt? how long does it take to get it?

We wish you well, and a speedy recovery for your fingers! Get those big gloves onTongue out

Lollie/ Redd School fifth grade

Mindy Bell

Hi Stefon: I'd love to do Happy Camp again if it was a little warmer.  I went winter camping when I lived in Minnesota but it wasn't this cold!Hi Natasha: It was really tempting to cheat and lift the bucket a little bit, like when you want to lift the blindfold when you play pin-the-tail at birthday parties!  But we were all serious about learning from the experience so I don't think anyone cheated, and we stayed touching each other so none of us fell.  Phew!
Hi Haley: I will have to go out an measure those tires.  I am going to be showing more vehicles soon in journals and I'll try to measure some tires for you!   Everything is BIG here!
Hi Andrew: My fingers are still "tough" feeling but the blisters have gone away. It really depends on how bad the frostbite is, but for me it has been almost a week and they aren't "normal" yet!
Hi Daniel: I'm not positive, but I think my fingers got frostbit because I was helping to get a camp stove to work and some of the fuel leaked on my liner gloves.  When you get fuel on you, it does a super quick freeze.  Normal frostbit, from just getting cold fingers or faces (most common here is cheeks) may take just a few minutes if it is really cold out.
I've got my big mitts now and am taking care of my hands.  You kids should have Ms. Garay practice picking up sticks with hot pads on for practice!!!