Try This
do
Build a Snow Shelter
• Let the snow settle before excavating. The more time it has to set, the more stable the shelter will be.
• Include a vent in the roof to help release carbon dioxide buildup. Use a long branch or ski pole as a placeholder for the vent while you’re building your shelter.
By Stephanie Nitsch
• Wear waterproof gloves and outerwear. Hollowing out the shelter is a wet process.
rain. While these winter amenities are far from torturous, last winter I got eager to ditch modern toys and rediscover the innocent pleasure of playing in the snow without feeling the need to scheme up any extreme adventures.
• Build an entrance on the leeward side of the slope, facing away from the wind.
• While wearing your gloves, smooth out the inside walls to prevent water from dripping.
don’t
During some downtime on a multi-day hut trip, I set out to build a snow cave with the help of a few friends. We had no plans to spend the night in one, nor were we desperate to build an emergency shelter. We were just out to have fun in the snow and, as a benefit, pick up a new backcountry skill along the way.
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REBEKAH STEVENS
xploring the curiosities of a winter wonderland resonates with my inner child. It’s rare that I traverse fields blanketed in untouched snow without the urge to ditch my pack and splitboard and build a frosty fortress or stock a supply of snowball ammo in case of an unexpected ambush. But the reasons for playing outside as an adult are different than they are as a kid, when snow days are spent building igloos by hand and letting the imagination run wild. Anymore, snow days are ideally spent floating through powder in souped-up equipment, riding hightech chairlifts, analyzing avalanche danger, and searching for an adrenaline rush in bigger, bolder ter-
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• Build your shelter at the bottom of a slide path or in avalanche-prone terrain.
• Make your walls too thin. Stop hollowing out the shelter when the snow appears blue or when it is 8–12 inches thick.
• Overexert yourself. Digging snow is inherently laborious,
Building a snow shelter isn’t rocket science, but the first attempt was less than reassuring. We shoveled sloppy spring powder into a behemoth pile of slush that, thanks to consistently warm temperatures, made for a poorly constructed dome on the verge of collapse. Soaking wet and nowhere near completion after five hours of communal work, we called it quits—our shelter looking nothing like the step-by-step instructions I had copied from a winter survivalist’s website. But here’s the thing—aside from a few basic principles, building a snow shelter doesn’t require a manual or any high-tech skills. So, abandoning any directions and relying on basic intuition, we made a second attempt a few weeks later. We took turns shoveling and digging and constructed a cozy two-person shelter in less than three hours with nothing more than a pair of shovels.
but sweaty clothing can make you cold and quickly becomes a problem. WV_WomensAdventure_Ad_ol copy.pdf
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With our project finished, we lounged in our surprisingly warm dwelling and conspired plans for a third attempt, vowing to come back next time with our new skills and backpacks full of expensive gear to expedite the process. WAM • WINTER | 2012/13
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