As an avid 3-season hiker and camper, when I read that the Sierra Club was bringing back their snow camping training series I immediately applied and luckily for us, we were accepted. We love snowshoeing in the winter so the opportunity to extend our camping window was a no-brainer.
The previous year we had participated in their online snow camping clinic. Over the course of 10 one-hour sessions we learned about choosing the right gear, building shelters, reading a compass, etc. Unfortunately, practical application of all that great information had to be delayed due to the pandemic. That’s how we found ourselves a year later, up in the Sierras on two separate weekends, putting our new knowledge into practice.
Outing #1: Red Lake/Forestdale Creek
Our first trip was one night of camping along the Red Lake/Forestdale Creek Trailhead off highway 88 near Carson Pass. We spent the weeks leading up to the trip checking our gear list, visiting REI and ordering lots of stuff from Amazon. The Club provided shovels and saws – things we’ll have to buy when we eventually go out on our own. We also chose not to get snow stakes. For one night we sure had a lot! My 65-liter bag was stuffed.
We spent Friday evening in Tahoe and then drove an hour to the trailhead the next morning. Before heading out on the trail we practiced using our compasses to establish a bearing. Once everyone figured it out, we headed off. Distance-wise we were only going about a mile so even with our heavy packs and bit of elevation, we arrived in now time at the meadow where we were going to set up our shelter.
Since this was our first time snow camping, we decided to dig a trench. This would give us a solid foundation especially if we found ourselves caught in an extreme weather condition where pitching a tent would not be feasible. It took almost 3 hours of sawing and shoveling to dig out a hole in the snow deep and wide enough to accommodate the both of us. By the time we got the inside of our trench set up and put a bright blue tarp on top to seal everything off, we had missed all the fun making the snow kitchen.
Over the course of the evening we also came to appreciate how much more difficult it was to cook in the cold (or do anything in the cold, for that matter). But the fact that we successfully melted snow, made soup and our main course, and kept our Nalgene bottles filled with hot water, made us feel accomplished. It was also fun just sitting around as if we were at a dinner party, except that our seats were blocks of snow and our kitchen was lit up by Luci lights strung from trekking poles.
When it was time for bed we crawled into our trench, tried not to touch the sidewalls (otherwise you scrape off snow, which melts, and leads to moisture) and somehow managed to fall asleep. The next morning we woke to a blue glow inside our trench. We rolled open the tarp to let in the sunshine. Over breakfast, we learned that it had gotten down to single digits. Members of the group that had decided to use a tent complained of bitter cold during the night and not sleeping well. Not only were they exposed to the freezing ambient temperature, but also higher winds. Those of those that had expended a lot of energy to dig trenches felt vindicated by our decision. Sleeping soundly underground meant that the temperature of our trench never really dropped below a balmy 32°F.
After breakfast we had to fill up our hole…fortunately a few people helped us, but still not an easy task. We packed everything and headed back out. Other than weird looking piles of snow, you would never know anyone had been there.
Outing #2: Woods Lake
In February we had our second outing. This was a longer trip—3 days, 2 nights. It meant packing more food and a few more layers (just in case something got wet). We were able to keep our food weight down, but no less healthy and interesting, by buying a lot of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables to supplement our packs of oatmeal and assorted Mountain House meals. My starting pack weight was 36.7 pounds.
The roughly 2-mile hike started from Meiss Meadow SNO-Park. We crossed the highway and then followed the trail which parallels the road for a little over a mile before turning south towards Woods Lake. It was a beautiful hike with gentle grades. When we arrived at the campground, we spread out to look for our sites. This time we decided to go with a tent for the comfort factor. Set up was faster but still a bit back breaking. We cut blocks of snow to build a 1.5-foot wall around our tent. The idea was that this would help block any wind and keep it warmer inside the tent. Since we got done setting up our shelter a lot faster this time, we were able to help out with building the camp kitchen. It’s amazing what you can do with the snow, in terms of constructing things.
While others took a short hike, we hung out around the camp and climbed to the top of the small hill right next to our tent. We spent the rest of the afternoon optimizing our shelter and getting our stuff organized for dinner. After a multi-course meal, we grabbed our pads and sat up on a small hill near the camp kitchen to learn about the constellations. It was a clear, night sky.
The next day after breakfast we hiked to Lake Winnemucca. Gorgeous hike, especially with everything covered in snow. We rested by the lake, soaking in the views and watching other hikers/climbers go past us. By the time we got back to camp, it was time for a short siesta before making preparations for dinner.
We definitely enjoyed sleeping in the tent. While the trench was warmer, the extra room made a difference and with the two of us the inside temperature wasn’t too bad. Breaking down our shelter the next morning was also much quicker.
Retracing our steps back to the car seemed to take a lot less time, probably because I later learned that my pack was about 11 pounds lighter. As we said our goodbyes in the parking lot, I was already looking forward to the next snow camping trip.
Coda
It seems like such a crazy thing to do, but now that we’ve done it (twice!), it’s an incredible way to experience nature. Winter means fewer people and bugs. And with the right equipment, it means being able to hike and sleep with cooler, more comfortable temperatures. There’s also something so peaceful and serene about a snowy landscape, and being the first to lay down your snowshoe tracks across an untouched field of powder. Snow camping also taught us new camping/backpacking skills that we look forward to honing through more trips to come.
Additional Info
- Purchase SNO-Park permits here.
- Below are the items we ended buying (or making) specifically for snow camping:
- Cooking
- MSR WhisperLite™ Stove. This is a white gas stove that was required by the SierraClub. White gas (or liquid fuel) burns better at lower temperatures.
- GSI Glacier Stainless Base Camper (Medium). We needed bigger pots for melting snow.
- Plastic ladle. Would not have thought of this, but indispensable to transfer hot water from the pot to the Nalgene bottles.
- Fine-mesh strainer. A trick that we picked up. Great way to strain out the bits of detritus that end up in the blocks of snow we melted.
- Foil wrapped cork board. Another trick that we learned. You can’t put your stove directly on the snow, otherwise it will melt a hole right through it. The board creates a stable platform to cook on. We made it ourselves by wrapping aluminum foil around a 12×12 piece of cork board.
- Shelter
- Tarp. Only needed if you’re going to build a trench.
- Clothing
- Montbell down pants. A must-have for sitting around camp.
- Cooking