We pull out of Macdowall anticipating a fun ride 80 to 90 Miles one way over to Emma Lake and back somewhere around 160 to 180 miles. However once we leave the protective lining of the fairly well sheltered Nisbet Forest and North Branch River valley, we find some pretty rough sled 'n out in the open, and there is several "open stretches" along the way cross country to Emma. The same wind that made the open areas tough going has also built some monster snow banks where the open land meets the more treed valleys and forests. Finding  some  nice new banks that hasn't hardened up is plane B. The valleys, nicely sheltered were pristine and we followed the tree lines along the valleys S to SW in a loop over to Shellbrook for lunch on route back to Macdowell. We still managed to put on 140 miles, running the Shell river and many connected secluded valleys and lightly forested areas adjacent that had great snow.