Three feet of snow fell in three days as a winter storm gripped Mt. Hood this past week. Freezing temperatures, howling winds, and white-out conditions prevailed, but most of the time I was snug, warm and comfortable in a snow cave.
I joined the Next Adventure crew for the start of their full moon ski night. They cruised down the Glade trail, while I tromped off through knee-deep powder. Finding a suitable spot, I dug into a snowdrift, and within two hours, I had a comfortable snow cave to spend the rest of the night in.
Deep powder wouldn't pack, and proved to be a challenge, as spindrift crept in every crack and crevice; whereas good old regular old Cascade Concrete usually stays where you put it.
There was more than a foot of new powder on top of my shelter by the next morning. Weather reports said that an inch an hour was falling. Howling winds and white-out conditions prevailed.
I snowshoed over to Timberline Lodge, where I toured the many fireplaces available for drying out. I particularly enjoyed overhearing stories of people calling in sick in order to ride the big dump of powder.
If you would like to find out more about how to camp safe and warm in the snow, come by the shop this Tuesday night, February 12, at 7:00 pm, for a
free presentation.
Plus we've added more dates for our snowshoe and cross-country ski trips in February.
Find out more on the
Outdoor School page.
