Mark Frye
Todd Mooney (left), Rob Plankers and Mark Frye pause after setting up camp in the snow of the Tatoosh Range near Mount Rainier.

Winter camping is full of Chills & thrills

N.S. NOKKENTVED, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Tuesday, January 8, 2002

PARADISE -- When Mark Frye awoke, almost 2 feet of new snow had fallen on the camp overnight.

"It was spectacular," said Frye, a Lacey resident who was camping with five friends at Glacier View above Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park in early December.

They had to wait for a snowplow so they could get off the mountain later that day. But on other winter camping trips, Frye has watched the sunrise on Rainier from the comfort of his tent, still snuggled in a warm sleeping bag. He heats up some hot chocolate or tea and cooks breakfast on a small stove in the alcove of his tent -- without getting out of his sleeping bag.

Breakfast in bed and a close-up view of Mount Rainier -- what could be better than that?

Frye and other South Sound outdoor enthusiasts don't let winter and a little snow keep them from their favorite backcountry trails. Winter camping in the mountains means camping in the snow.

"It doesn't get as cold as most people think," he said. Despite heavy snowfall, it is rarely colder than the mid-20s on the flanks of Mount Rainier.

Snow camping requires a little more preparation.

"If you have all the right stuff, you get to enjoy things most people never get to see," said Frye, whose favorite snow-camping sites include Paradise and Reflection Lakes in the park.

From Paradise you don't have to go more than a couple of miles to find solitude and a great view of the mountain, said Dan Nelson of Puyallup. He also likes the William O. Douglas Wilderness north and east of White Pass -- an area of small lakes and gentle terrain.

"The snow totally changes the wilderness," said Nelson, communications director for the Washington Trails Association.

In the new snow it is easy to follow the tracks of animals and read the stories in those tracks. Once at sunset on Mount Rainier, Nelson watched a fox chase a snowshoe hare.

Basic requirements

You have to have a good tent that won't collapse under the weight of snow, Frye said. You need clothes that will keep you warm without making you sweat. And you also have to be willing to get up in the night to brush snow off the tent.

Nelson said the first thing he does is stomp out a level site for his tent. Then using a packable snow shovel he digs a trench that serves as a bench, and a built-up counter allows him to cook standing up.

"You can whip out a nice Lazy-Boy recliner in a few minutes with a snow shovel," he said.

He packs an extra sleeping pad for added insulation and sometimes sleeps in long johns, socks and a hat. During the day he carries warm water in an insulated bottle cozy to sip on. He doesn't like cold boots, so he keeps them in the tent at night.

Hauling gear for snow camping can be demanding, carrying a heavy pack and on snowshoes or backcountry skis.

Nelson sometimes lightens his load with a sled -- pulled with poles, not a rope. The sled can be used for fun as well once camp is set up.

Map and compass skills are vital to winter travel. Trails in snow country can be hard -- if not impossible -- to follow when trail markers are covered by several feet of snow.

Nelson and others also offer a stern warning: Stay off the ice. Lakes in the Cascades are not safe. And getting wet is the biggest danger when camping in the cold.

Really cold weather

"We try not to let the idea that it's snowing out deter us," said Judson Lang, an avid outdoor enthusiast from Olympia, who skis and camps with his family.

Winter doesn't have to limit outdoor adventures to day trips. He once skied with friends from Paradise to Ohanapecosh in Mount Rainier National Park, covering about 30 miles each way in two days and one night.

He also has done some serious winter camping.

About 10 years ago, he spent 10 days in Yellowstone National Park, skiing and camping. It was "hellishly cold," he said. But even at 20 below, it was actually easier to stay warm because the air was so dry.

The cold forces you to think ahead, and it requires some discipline.

Lang suggests those interested in winter camping start off easy -- go camping places where it's easy to retreat, somewhere you can pack up and get out quickly if things go badly. Or go with someone experienced.

It is better to stop short of your goal than to take risks. When you're in the backcountry help can be far away. You have to be aware of the dangers of avalanches and hypothermia. When your feet are cold or other problems develop, stop and fix the problem.

Winter camping can be great fun if you're prepared.

Lang has taught winter survival with the Mountaineers for almost 20 years. The group is a good source of backcountry information, he said.

N.S. Nokkentved covers the outdoors for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5445.

Places to go

- Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park.

- William O. Douglas Wilderness north and east of White Pass.

- State-operated Sno-Parks and many state parks are open for camping through the winter. For information, call 360-586-6645 or visit www.parks.wa. gov/winter.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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