leiavoia wrote: ↑December 23rd, 2023, 10:27 am
Does anyone here snow camp in the winter? If so, where do you go and what kind of gear do you bring?
I know some folks on the east side of the continent do this, but they have colder temperatures and lower elevations. The PNW has different concerns.
I would like to get out for backpacking trips in the “off season” but not sure where to start.
Locations:
I've snow camped around Oregon and Washington on occasion since 2009 or so. White River Canyon, Muddy River Lahar (Mt St Helens), PCT to Twin Lakes, and Mirror Lake have been great locally. Crater Lake, McKenzie Pass, and Steens Mountain are favorite regional destinations.
Steens Mountain:
Gear:
- For travel, I've gone with AT skis, Nordic backcountry skis, and snowshoes
- For shelter, I've used a tarp (sufficient but suboptimal), three season tent, or four season tent, depending on the expected weather. On one trip, wind bent the poles of a three season tent, so if it looks snowy or windy I'll take an old GoLite pyramid style shelter
- For stoves, there's a concern about cold temperatures affecting pressurized fuel canisters. However, since it's not actually that cold here, I have found a Jetboil or an MSR Wind Pro sufficient (i.e., an inverted canister has not been necessary)
- For sleeping, I have a Western Mountaineering 10F degree bag that is warm enough for me, while sleeping in longjohns, long sleeves, puffy jacket, hat and neck gaiter. I use a long closed cell foam pad for insulation, plus a NeoAir for comfort
I've camped in snowstorms and in clear, 6F weather. The only problems I've ever had were cold fingers, while photographing in the night or morning. Handwarmers and liner gloves helped with that.
Near Muddy River Lahar, MSH:
McKenzie Pass:
Different concerns, as compared to the East Coast:
Yeah it's different, though my understanding is based only on
reading about snow camping on the east side of the continent.
The main thing I'd say are that it's often just way
colder over there. That's good for things like fuel canister use, but bad for condensation building up in your insulation over a period of days. I haven't been out long enough to experience a real loss of insulation value- I think two nights is my max? And I avoid going out when it's rainy (rainy snow camping is the worst).
Another concern is
avalanches: though technically that's possible anywhere with sufficient snow and avalanche terrain, I think most people hiking into the Maine woods are not going to be at risk.
White River Canyon:
Where to start:
I highly recommend going up White River Canyon during a window of stable, clear weather, with low temps below freezing. Not only does the canyon have great views, but it combines a feeling of wildness with a proximity to a maintained highway, and a safe approach. There are plenty of safe, flat places to camp, and you might even be able to get water out of the river, rather than melting snow. If you get halfway through the night and decide it's not for you, it's not a far or complicated walk back to the car.
One caveat- truly massive avalanches will occasionally sweep down into the flats along the river, in the upper parts of the canyon (upstream of the powerlines).
An example:
viewtopic.php?t=30768
This one happened in late April, 2023, several days after NWAC stopped offering its daily avalanche forecasts. They actually posted a "Special Avalanche Bulletin" that very day, but it appears that the avalanche in question had occurred previously.
The treed western benches would seem to be very safe for an overnight stay, as long as you stay downhill of the Timberline Trail. If you'd like to go camping without any concern for avalanches, check the avalanche forecast, and go only when the rating is green or yellow. Alternately, go whenever, but just don't go down into the river flats near the end of the route. I've skied that every year since probably 2009 or so, and have yet to see an avalanche like this, so don't let my caveat scare you out of going.
White River Canyon:
The popular snowshoe routes to Mirror Lake and the Twin Lakes are free of avalanche risk. (The route up Tom, Dick, and Harry does pass through avalanche terrain.)
Believe it or not, I barely ever ride a mountain bike.