Most of the narrative takes place in that part of the Canadian wilderness called the Barrens, more commonly referred to by non-Canadians as frozen tundra. Only the top few inches of ground thaw during the summer. The landscape is treeless, and vegetation is largely limited to moss-like ground cover. There are abundant small lakes connected by rivers that flow eastward to Hudson Bay. These waterways and repositories formed in past millennia because of receding ice sheets that also created long ridges of sand and gravel called eskers.

Apart from wolves, there are few large animals in the Barrens permanently. There are foxes, hares, and rodents in abundance. Another animal that is rarely found in the Barrens is the human being. Based on Mike’s report, Farley calculates that only about a dozen individuals live in an area of about 10,000 square miles. The Barrens is vast, comprising about 20% of Canada’s total land area. Beginning in late fall and lasting until late spring, all water freezes, and snow blankets the earth.

While there is little variety in the vegetation and topography of the Barrens, the various seasons result in temporary changes in the animal population.