Our friends over at EasternSlopes publish articles covering a range of snow sports.  Recently David Shedd published a review of two monster packs: Osprey Argon 110 & Kelty Red Cloud 6650 suitable for winter camping.

With the trend towards go-light camping many transitioning hikers are not cognizant of the bulk (and weight) necessary for winter camping.  Bigger sleeping bags, extra pads, additional warm (and bulky) clothing, snowshoes;  it all starts to add up.

David reviews two options:

the Osprey Argon 110 (6700-7100 cubic inches for medium to extra large) and costing $419

the Kelty Red Cloud 6650 (one  size at 6650 cubic inches) and costing $210

David subjected them both to a trail test and writes of the suspension systems, ability to strap on accessories, loading ease and fit.  He reports: “The Kelty is a tall, narrow pack; the Osprey,  shorter and deeper.  That forces more of the load in the Kelty to be carried high up over the shoulders.”

You can read his full article here.  Thanks Dave!

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Compared to three-season experiences there are valid reasons why people may not want to go winter camping:

Conditions may not be favorable to consistent comfort
Snow may slow your travel and can make route-finding difficult
Nights can seem long
There is more preparation necessary
More gear may be necessary and the margin of error is less.

However, a winter landscape offers campers solitude, inspiration, natural quiet, a place to get away.  Winter camping can provide a haven from the pressures of our fast-paced, industrialized society, providing a place where one can seek relief from the noise, haste, and crowds.

Winter camping has several advantages over summer camping:

You can reach areas that are too wet or overgrown during other seasons.  In fact, these are often ideal destinations for winter camping.
Snow covers rocks, roots and uneven ground under your tent.
Hikes can easily cross frozen lakes and ponds to directly access locations that might require lengthy hikes during other seasons.
The clear and open view is unparalleled.  Deciduous trees shed their leaves and provide unobstructed vistas.
Clear night skies offer a great star grazing opportunities for amateur astronomers.
Winter camping provides solitude and a feeling of exploration; even heavily traveled trails can seem like virgin territory when covered by a fresh blanket of snow.
One can justify eating excessive amounts of snacks and chocolate for energy.
Night time sounds carry easily enhancing an audio landscape of coyotes, owls, trees snapping and ice cracking.
Winter camping provides a different perspective  into nature than offered during the other three seasons.
Camping in the winter inspires a feeling of independence and gives people confidence in their survival skills.
There is a satisfaction in learning new skills or enhancing/extending your current outdoor skills.
There is little competition from other campers.  Camping sites that are overly popular during summer months are rarely visited or usually only visited by day hikers.
One gets to practice snow shoeing and XC skiing skills.
The skills one gains from winter camping (e.g. dressing properly, recognizing signs of hypothermia) can make one deal more comfortably with winter conditions encountered during regular life.
There are no mosquitoes or bears.

I have read that the Boy Scouts regard winter camping as a quarter system: 25% hate it, 50% are ambivalent about it, and 25% love it.  Winter camping is an activity that requires planning and preparation, physical stamina, the right equipment, an adventuresome spirit and a positive mental attitude.  With the correct mix of these attributes we hope you are in the last quadrant.

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Ruffed grouse require a specific combination of habitats to survive.  They live in mature deciduous forests that include nearby stands of poplars or birches.  During most of the year, they eat the buds and twigs of these trees. They roost in coniferous trees when they’re available, but they also roost in large deciduous trees.

In the fall Ruffed Grouse layer in stores of fat, grow a long downy covering for body and legs and put on their snowshoes, which consist of little horny comb-like appendages (pectinations) that grow from the sides of the toes to help support the weight of the body on the snow.

Ruffed grouse survive winter snow storms by diving full speed into deep snow at dusk to sleep.  They may tunnel a short distance (10-14″) to form a burrow, known as a kieppe (kee-ep-ee).   Falling snow can hide the evidence of its entry.  The insulating qualities of both their feathers and the snow itself prevent the birds from freezing.  In the morning, the birds break out of their caves and take off again. If there is a cold snap or heavy snowfall, the ruffed grouse might remain in a snow cave for a few days, making them vulnerable to predators such as foxes and bobcats.

A grouse bursting at one’s feet from flat snow covered ground can be quite startling. This grouse had left before I approached on snowshoes, but one can see the faint feathery outlines of it’s wings and tail around the escape hole.

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I got one of my favorite pictures went I went on a nice snowshoe hike in the woods near my house and encountered two snow snakes lying in wait for me to pass underneath where they could attack.  I suspected the larger of the two was the mother teaching her offspring proper technique for a tree limb ambush.

The smaller snow snake posed no danger as I could easily skirt it.

;-)

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Phil’s official forecast as read February 2nd, 2009 at sunrise at Gobbler’s Knob:

Hear Ye Hear Ye Hear Ye

On Gobbler’s Knob on this glorious Groundhog Day, February 2nd, 2010, Punxsutawney Phil, Seer of Seers, Prognosticator of all Prognosticators awoke to the call of President Bill Deeley and greeted his handlers, John Griffiths and Ben Hughes.

After casting a joyful eye towards thousands of his faithful followers, Phil proclaimed, “If you want to know what’s next, you must read my text. As the sky shines bright above me, my shadow I see beside me. So six more weeks of winter it will be.”

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How to tell if you’ve got authentic snowshoeing boots? Look for a little lip on the heel. This extension keeps the rear binding from slipping down over your heel.  It performs a similar function if you wear a traction device such as ice cleats.

Do your boots have one?

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Adirondacks High Peaks Forum is attempting to put someone on top of as many different peaks anywhere in the Adirondack or Catskills Parks as possible on February 20, 2010.  Read more here.

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Some of our excursions have had a discussion that sounds something like this.

Question: “Are we lost”

Answer ” No we aren’t lost , we  just not sure where the trail is.”

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1. Do not fight the cold – instead, embrace it.

It can be difficult to be outside in frigid temperatures. Comfort does not come easy, and routine tasks can be challenging.  The effect of the cold  on things can be downright annoying, like when food freezes to the sides of your pot before you are finished with dinner. But do not fight the cold, instead, seek harmony with it; think of the cold as part of the experience.

2. Margin of error.

You can easily put yourself over the edge by messing up – e.g. falling into a creek, losing a glove, spilling your soup on your sleeping bag, miscalculating fuel needs, not noticing a fatal crack in your binding, or overestimating the limits of you and your gear. In the winter you always need to stay engaged and to bring your A-game; you can go on auto-pilot and make amateur mistakes again when it warms up in a few months.

3. Never be “hot” or “cold”; always be “comfortable.”

Proper thermo-regulation is important for safe and fun wintertime travel. If you become too hot, you sweat, which will result in evaporative heat loss and will collapse your insulation. If you become too cold, you will lose the dexterity in your fingers, making it difficult to zip your coat, start your stove, or clip a buckle; hypothermia follows. Like Goldilocks, you want to find the equilibrium that is “just right.” Achieve this by appropriately adjusting your layers, utilizing venting features, and creating a versatile and flexible clothing system (e.g. take two lightweight base layers instead of one mid-weight layer).

4. Know how things behave in frigid conditions.

Gear is similarly affected by the cold, and you need to know what those items are and the severity – e.g. my camera being inoperable unless I kept it in a chest pocket was not life threatening, but not knowing that insulated items collapse due to moisture build-up could be.

5. Go ahead, give it a shot.

To thrive in the wintertime you need to familiarize yourself with a list of gear, techniques, and skills that are unique to the season. And you need to accept that the experience will be less comfortable and more challenging than if you did the same trip in more hospitable conditions. But do not let this re-education or the intimidation sway you from reaping wintertime’s rewards and magic. Start slowly and in low-risk settings; and push your limits further and accept more risk as your skill level and confidence increase.

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