As I previously wrote here http://faint-traces.blogspot.com/2015/02/first-attempt-at-quinzhee-winter1-ed0.html, I have been looking to sharpen my winter hiking skills. The first attempt consisted of piling up snow, letting it sinter, then hollowing it out. The results were positive, although I learned that a) you get soaked and b) to do it right you need a big pile and…
Month: February 2015
MSR Revo Explore 25 review
Disclaimer: I’ve never snowshoed before, and have no experience, other than selling them when I worked at an outfitter a very long time ago. Before I begin, kudos to LL Bean – for the 10% off online shopping, the free shipping, and the 2-day delivery even though they had said 7 days. I bought the…
Sometimes properly planning for a trip means to skip the trip
You can know and trust your equipment as well as possible, but there are limits to human endurance and capabilities. Kate activated a GPS tracker beacon when she got into trouble, but it’s not a sure thing. In this kind of weather, maybe bring a buddy. When it’s 30 below out, maybe stay indoors. “Unfortunately,…
First attempt at a quinzhee; Winter:1, Ed:0
With all the snow on the ground I thought I’d practice some winter skills, so I decided to build a quinzhee. Yesterday I shoveled fresh snow into an approx 5′ high pile, maybe 8′ around. Today I began excavation. It’s a good idea to let the snow sit, as it sinters together. I began with…