Winter Bivouac in the Elkhorns

[mtwarden]

Cabin fever started setting in, soooo... headed for the Elkhorns for a little snowshoeing and an overnight. We're only about 60% of normal for snowpack, but still plenty of snow for snowshoeing

Found a pretty nice spot about 6 miles in.

I was originally just going to bring my bivy and dig a snow trench, but the weather report showed a 50:50 chance of snow and that was going to be breezy, so threw my tarp in too.

I took a bunch of snow and sealed the very back of the trap up and a couple of feet on both sides- helped keep the tarp flapping much in the night.

Got a bunch of firewood cut and processed.

Snowshoe makes a good flat surface to boil water and prevents the canister getting stuck to the snow.

Life is good

There was a full moon out most of the night, pretty surreal looking- not a photographer would have been nice to capture it!

Up early, had a bunch of firewood/kindling/red needles ready to go, so fire was back up quickly.

No hurry, so it was a two cup morning

Little easier on the way out w/ packed trails!

Thanks for reading.

 

[Geewhiz]

I want to be like you when I get old.

(take that as a complement!) LOL

 

[Caseknife]

Definitely not much snow, fire didn't have to go too deep to hit the ground. See any critters out and about?

 

[S.Clancy]

I hit Sleeping Giant this weekend just for some day snowshoeing, it got decently deep up there. Now that I got a good packed trail maybe I can make over 1000' of vertical in an hour....

 

[IDVortex]

Waiting on a Big Agnes I ordered, trying to convince the wife to go try it out for a night lol.

 

[mtwarden]

Thanks Gents!

Definitely not much snow, fire didn't have to go too deep to hit the ground. See any critters out and about?

Probably ~ 15" on the level at that elevation, less under the trees where I camped and I shoveled out a spot for the fire, but yeah not nearly as much snow as normal!

 

[t_carlson]

Dang. I need to get out and do that. I've been getting a little cabin fever myself.

Quick question: do you put your pad inside of your sleeping bag? And if so, why?

 

[mtwarden]

Dang. I need to get out and do that. I've been getting a little cabin fever myself.

Quick question: do you put your pad inside of your sleeping bag? And if so, why?

Not inside my sleeping bag, but inside of the bivy- keeps everything together instead of slip, sliding around.

The foldup Z-Lite pad that I use to sit on, goes underneath by bivy and then in the morning when I'm dressing and putting stuff away (including the inflatable pad)- I pull it from underneath and use it to sit/kneel on.

 

[7mm-08]

Well done (as usual). Thanks for the photos and writeup.

 

[Fullfan]

Umm no thanks, I like a warm house and my bed.

 

[S.Clancy]

Dang. I need to get out and do that. I've been getting a little cabin fever myself.

Quick question: do you put your pad inside of your sleeping bag? And if so, why?

Ha, when we first started backpacking in during mid/late November hunting elk my brother put his pad inside his sleeping bag. He woke up the next morning frozen to the tent floor. I didn't realize how much moisture is passed thru your bag at night until that moment.

 

[Fishn4eyes]

Did you make the whole loop or how far did you go?

That one can be a ball-buster in the deep snow, nice effort!

 

[Geewhiz]

@mtwarden quick question. With your dialed in lightweight system, why do you choose to bring that big knife? Looks like you had a saw to cut the wood. I assume to split kindling? Evidently not enough "snappy" sticks to start a fire?

 

[Hectocotylus]

Waiting on a Big Agnes I ordered, trying to convince the wife to go try it out for a night lol.

Is that the couples big Agnes? I used to have one


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[BuckeyeRifleman]

I want to be like you when I get old.

(take that as a complement!) LOL

Came to say this!

If my retirement is half this cool, I’ll be a happy man. You’re an inspiration OP!

 

[IDVortex]

Is that the couples big Agnes? I used to have one


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Nopes, it's their Copper Spur 3P tent. It's going to be my spring bear tent, and mule deer and hopefully elk tent lol.

 

[mtwarden]

Thnaks Guys!

Did you make the whole loop or how far did you go?

That one can be a ball-buster in the deep snow, nice effort!

Was going to make a loop (Jackson Ck or Teepee Ck), gave up steam- too much postholing! Nice and easy on the way back out

@mtwarden quick question. With your dialed in lightweight system, why do you choose to bring that big knife? Looks like you had a saw to cut the wood. I assume to split kindling? Evidently not enough "snappy" sticks to start a fire?

Yeah knife to split wood; lots of halves, but also a lot of kindling to get things going. I've had several smaller axes/hatchets- big knife is lighter

 

[IDVortex]

Just talked to the wife, got a meeting to meet with a Habit for Humanity project in CDA on Saturday, but after that, we're going to try and take our shoes out and see if we can find some snow. (Need to get my 24 license and my wolf tag too)

 

[MNBob]

Nice setup. Just got done winter camping and ice fishing in the Boundary Waters canoe Area Wilderness. Only about 5 inches of snow in northern MN. Pretty crazy winter we're having.

 

[Hectocotylus]

Nopes, it's their Copper Spur 3P tent. It's going to be my spring bear tent, and mule deer and hopefully elk tent lol.

Nice! I found that Solomon sleeping bag to be… chilly.


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