Snow-camping at Chickadee Ridge (Washoe County, Nevada)

With snowfall in the Sierra Nevada at the highest levels in the last 5 or so years, I decided to take advantage of a Snow-camping 101 class offered by the Tahoe Rim Trail Association. The class was originally scheduled for last weekend, but with 80-100 mile wind gusts over the ridges, the guides decided to postpone until this weekend. Luckily, the weather this weekend was forecast to be fairly warm, while winds and precipitation aren't expected until later in the day on Sunday, by which time we should be well on our way home.

Saturday morning started at about 8:30 AM at the Aspen Grove Community Complex in Incline Village, where our guides Gerry, Jordan and John were joined by Wayne, who has lead many of the expeditions in the past, but is unable to camp out tonight. The well-versed guides covered a number of important topics from the layering of clothing to using the snow to build comfortable (and warm) living quarters. 

We departed for Tahoe Meadows about 1:00 PM and donned our packs and snowshoes for a short hike into the woods, finally arriving just below Chickadee Ridge. In total, there were eleven of us sharing the woods overnight. We immediately started picking sites to plant our tents. The trees made a nice windbreak, but on this ridge, we knew that would not be sufficient. We started by flattening out a spot to pitch our respective tents and using the shoveled snow to construct something of a snow wall in on the side of the prevailing winds. Jordan had warned us that another VERY necessary step was to spend a significant amount of time packing the snow down below our living area. This would allow us to walk around the small area without the need for our snowshoes.

As the snow here is about six feet deep with the occasional drift reaching upwards of fourteen feet deep, the stamping to pack the snow turned out to be sage advice. When putting my tent up, I decided to remove my snowshoes to prevent poking any holes in the fabric, but having not packed the snow enough, I 'post-holed' a couple of times while I did my work. In the end, it wasn't any great disaster, but lesson learned.

With most of the tents up, we next set ourselves to carving out a sort of camp kitchen, which would allow us to have a shelf and seat while we prepared dinner. The great thing about snow is that it is malleable and can be shaped to server our purposes. The kitchen was a team effort and it turned out great. Before dinner though, we decided to take a short snowshoe hike up to Chickadee Ridge just above our campsites.

The ridge is named for the small snow birds that live in the trees and foliage. Unfortunately over the years hikers, have taken to feeding these small dive-bombers and now the birds will often land on hikers hands in search of hand outs. I've hiked and snowshoed up here many times before and experienced this first hand. The views of Lake Tahoe from up here are especially breathtaking this time of year with a beautiful snowfield between the ridge and the giant blue lake a few miles below.

Returning to camp, we made dinner and discussed all kinds of things from past backpacking trips to artificial intelligence. We really had a great crew of individuals on the trip, and it made for an entertaining evening. With dinner in bellies and the cold night air starting to blow in, we decided to turn in. The guides had advised us to dig a cold sink just outside of our tent hatches, which served amazing for removing snowshoes, gaiters, and boots. 

The night was cold, but not truly frigid. I think the thermometers dipped down to around freezing, but I was warm in my sleeping bag and the snow walls I fashioned on the south and west sides of my tent did a fantastic job of keeping the wind off me. As always, I tossed a turned a bit, but sleeping on the snow is actually more comfortable than on granite or earth, as it gives a little bit under the weight of the body.

I awoke finally at about 6:00 AM, but the cold morning air kept me in my sleeping bag for another thirty or so minutes. Eventually, I decided to crawl out and start breaking camp. We ate breakfast and then helped each other break down the snow walls at each site and the kitchen, as we wouldn't want any cross-country skiers to run into them. Finally packed and ready to go, we headed back to the cars at about 10:00 AM. It was a great experience and while the night was not bitterly cold, I think I've learned some tips and tricks that would help me survive such a night, should I be out in one in the future.