Snow Camping

[Wyatt Holm]

Well you must think I am crazy. Last week we went hiking, we wanted to hike and camp in the snow. There wasn't much left but when we got on the mountain there was several feet. We started out hiking about 9:00 P.M. in the dark. We were nearly to the top at 1130, and we had our camp set up a little after 1:00. We packed good tents and sleeping bags, so we slept quite warm.

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Wyatt, I've always enjoyed winter camping, having the correct gear is the difference between enjoyment and misery.


Regards, Rod.

[glenn bradley]

I also enjoy snow hiking/camping. Others think we're a bit off, eh? Fortunately around here you can go visit the snow and leave when you're done ;-)

[Heather Thompson]

Two thumbs up!

No biting bugs, few neighbors (if any), good clean air and pleanty of serenity. I wish all camping was like this, I hate the 250,000.00+ motorhome crowd, spent New Years in the Okefenokee Swamp. I have never seen it take three park rangers to assist a "camper" in positioning the rig, they fired up the generator at 7:30AM, guess they needed to watch the satellite dish. Thank goodness they left about a half hour later, only took the wife to guide hubby out of the site, took two passes as I cooked breakfast on the campfire (I must be barbaric in the apprroach to camping). I like the Neander approach to camping, I have pictures of my parents digging a hole in the ground to keep the food cold, yes we fought animals to keep our food, bears too (a pan and spoon can do alot). My baths took place in a bucket, great pictures, and no you will not see! I also fished in the minnow bucket when my dad wanted to do serious fishing, he always caught hell when he came in from the boat (he built it). Some of my best memories, tried to give my son some of the same, we camped at Lake Ellery (11,000+ feet), tossed ice at him from the water bucket in the AM . My ex did not allow me to take him to higher levels, would have liked to have him learn to climb in Yosemite Park's great wallls, there is nothing better!

I Digress,




Heather

[David G Baker]

I have read that some of the best camping can be done in snow country when snow is on the ground if you know how to do it. I have never done it as a civilian but did a lot of it when I was stationed in Germany while in the Army. Proper gear is a priority.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Hello,
Yep - add me to the list!
Layered clothes, good knit hat and temps in the mid 20's w/several inches of snow on the ground = a good time.
No bugs and/or other creepy crawlies that fall into the stew pot .

[Joe Chritz]

I've been known to get up after sleeping in the back of a truck and rinsing my waders in the river to thaw them out so it doesn't seem to weird to me.

I always figured if I can't carry it on my back or on a trail horse it really isn't camping per se.

It does open up a lot of new areas that the camper crowd can't get to.

A friend of mine is an avid hiker and has a sign on his wall. "If you have the time, isn't everywhere walking distance?"

I don't have winter gear for all four so we are waiting or spring to do a tandem horseback ride/overnight camp again.

Joe

[Glen Dion]

A winter hiker\camper also.
Wife and I usualy try to hike something and camp a night or two at or around the tree line. Up in the Northeast I particularly like the "Bonds" for winter camping. Once you've hauled everything up - set up camp and bag a summit or two the next day.
Be vigilant about drinking - winter hiking in snow country can be deceivingly dry.

Great way to get high- literally speaking.
Glen

[Mike Henderson]

Yeah, used to snow camp in the Sierra's when I was younger. Proper equipment is a real requirement, as well as knowledge.

There's a few little things that can "get you", even when you think you know what you're doing. For example, hike up, set up camp for the night, sleep. Wake up next morning and go hiking, cross small stream. Come back in the afternoon but can't get back because small stream has turned into a torrent. Sun on the mountains has melted snow. Have to wait till next morning to get back across the stream.

Mike

[Wyatt Holm]

Well its good that I am not the only one who likes it. I noticed no bugs, that is the thing I like the best about it. And I don't have the problem of getting to hot like I do in the summer. Last July we went camping, and one night was so hot it was almost unbearable.

[Lee Schierer]

I went snow camping in the Black Hills when I was a teenager with the Boy Scout troop from the Air Force base where my Dad was stationed. We left Friday afternoon after school and set up camp. As we got there it started to snow. In the morning we had 6" on the ground by mid afternoon it was a foot, by Saturday night we were pulling snow off the tents to keep them from collapsing. Sunday morning we woke to nearly 24" of snow on the ground and it was still snowing hard. During breakfast we heard a loud roaring noise coming our way up the road. The base commander was in the bus behind the Air Force snow blower that had opened the road. He suggested that we leave right away, so we packed up and left since the forecast was for another 12" of snow by nightfall.

[Jon Grider]

Cool, lots of kindred spirits here that enjoy winter camping/hiking as well as woodworking. I love snow shoeing/ winter camping....no crowds, no bugs,lots of areas accessible in winter that are too wet in warm months. Anyone else here a member on Backpacker.com too? Hope I didn't break a rule by mentioning that,but it's a great site for info and commaraderie,as long as you steer clear of the political forums.

[John Schreiber]

Better a little snow than mud and mosquitoes.

There's not much camping around here and it's full of motor homes and noise when it's warm. I can't hike anymore due to knees, but I should get out there some how. One thing I always liked about going solo in the winter was that you knew that you had to be careful. You couldn't afford to hurt yourself or make bad decisions.

Even if it's only car camping, I should get out and watch the stars move.

[Eric DeSilva]

Y'all are nuts. I spent a lot of time sleeping out in the cold in my ice climbing days, but can't really say I enjoyed it. -10F is no fun, even in a winter mountaineering bag rated at -45F on a nice fat pad. I think those ratings represent the temperature below which you will die, not the temperature at which you will be comfortable...

I'll be the one in the hotel with the 12 year old Macallan in my hand...

[Wyatt Holm]

Y'all are nuts. I spent a lot of time sleeping out in the cold in my ice climbing days, but can't really say I enjoyed it. -10F is no fun, even in a winter mountaineering bag rated at -45F on a nice fat pad. I think those ratings represent the temperature below which you will die, not the temperature at which you will be comfortable...

I'll be the one in the hotel with the 12 year old Macallan in my hand...

Get over it. This is supposed to be a positive discussion about snow camping.