Snow Camping in a Quinzhee

One of the activities I really enjoy is volunteering as a Boy Scouts of America Assistant Scoutmaster (ASM) ... I will avoid ALL negative comments about the scouting program, because having been involved for over 10 years, and seeing how many outstanding young scouts became real men before even turning 18, and achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, I know like any other program the outcome is a direct result of the inputs.

I'm fortunate to have a son who is an Eagle Scout, and being involved with him made me aware how much the program provided him a fundamental base no one can ever take from him ... he's an absolutely wonderful human being, honest, kind, sincere, and resourceful; the kind of person you want your children to have as a friend, if not your own child.

So, part of being an ASM is on-going training in all sorts of areas including scout safety, emergency preparedness, troop management, and some fun stuff like wilderness training ;)

This past weekend, our Scoutmaster and I attended High Altitude Training (HAT) with the Bay Area Council at Meiss Meadow, right next to Kirkwood Ski Resort off Cailfornia Highway 88. The weather was perfect for the occassion with highs of 23F and an overnight low of 3F (one of those "never got above freezing" kind of days !

Fun stuff ... and the exact reason the Boy Scouts motto is "Be Prepared!"

We decided to opt out of setting up a tent (brrr!!!) because it wasn't going to provide enough heat retention, and decided instead to build a quinzhee, which is a cross between an igloo and a snow cave. It is designed to keep temperatures inside the quinzhee at 30-40F which is a LOT better than sleeping in a tent with an inside temperature of 3F.

I'll detail in another post how to build a quinzhee, because everyone deserves an opportunity to shovel snow non-stop for 4-5 hours ;)

In the meantime, here's a picture of Mr. Mailhot & I on top of our patrol parters quinzhee, with a distinctly igloo look to it ... as you can see, they're quite strong supporting the weight of two men standing on the roof. Given good conditions, a quinzhee can last nearly a month, so in a survival situation, you could build a quinzhee to stay in for a month, then simply spend another day and build another one that would last you another month ... cheaper than your mortgage too I bet !!!

We spent the day with our new scouting friends Arron & Mike S. from a troop out of Oakley, CA ... they were great company, and I really look forward to seeing them again at a future scout event !

After finishing our shelter it was immediately time for supper, so i whipped up a chicken & kielbasa risotto served over rice ... it was excellent, and provided great enjoyment warming up everyone after a long days work.

Have a closer look at my "kitchen" ... any man's dream !!!

We moved into the quinzhee pretty much right after dinner, because temperatures were already dropping into the teens, and it was getting windy which was making it feel a lot colder :

We put our water bottles inside, along with snow shovels (in case of a collapse!), and my handy candle lantern ... I love the way the candle lantern provides a soft glow throughout the whole quinzhee, it's amazing to look at, and guaranteed to make me sleepy every time :

We awoke to a fresh day, and quickly got to breaking down our shelter (we don't leave them up, in case someone comes along later and it collapses on them). Have a look through the roof, from the front, and down into the quinzhee :

After getting most of the top collapsed, it was time to take one last glamour photo, so back in I went with a handy pine cone and snow shovel used for props:

Maybe it was just the way the lake looked, snow covered and iced over, but I was left with a sense of leaving something special behind as we turned and headed home

There was one guy on the lake snow fishing (in s.t.y.l.e. I might add, look at that beauty of a ice fishing hut, I bet he has internet in there ;)

So, if you ever want your son to experience wonderful training in leadership, values, and all sorts of useful skills, I highly recommend the Boy Scouts program. The key, just like any other youth activity, is to thoroughly evaluate the program before joining, and continuing to monitor your child's activities like a responsible adult should always do. And if your son does achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, then you too will feel humbled (not so much proud, you'll see what I mean if it ever happens!) in your son's accomplishments ... strike that, in HIS accomplishments !!!

Hope you enjoyed the trip, and I sincerely ask all people to support the Boy Scouts of America program ... it is one of the most successful programs for turning out the next generation of America's leaders, in that there is something we can all benefit from.

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