Every dispatch from the 2016 Route Blanche snowshoe expedition starts with a Haiku summarizing the day’s progress and events.

Over the course of the first week of their 418-kilometre journey along Quebec’s Lower North Shore, Dave and Adrien Greene and their dog Osa have battled heavy snowfall, strong winds and average nighttime temperatures of -20C, yet they have remained in high spirits.

“The Lower North Shore/where people are the kindest/warm homes and warm hearts,” they wrote on Feb. 22. It’s a glowing review of a little-known corner of Canada the Greenes are excited to share with the world upon their return.

What is it like snowshoeing up to 16 kilometres a day across an unspoiled landscape using traditional winter camping methods?

The Greenes must obtain all of their drinking and washing water – upwards of 10 litres per day – by melting and boiling snow on their portable woodstove. They also must eat 2,000 calories a day to stay warm and maintain their energy levels.

They are rewarded for their hard work with incredible scenes like this view of Mutton Bay: