Building Snow Caves in the Mt. Baker Wilderness

Gathering at Samish Woods Montessori we boys climbed aboard our rental van and headed out into the Mount Baker wilderness for a day full of exploration and adventure. As we winded up 542 East the mentors told the group to be on the lookout for Bald Eagles, as a healthy population of these magnificent birds spend their winter roosting and fishing in the tall Cedars and Fir that over-hang the North fork of the Nooksack. Using our tracking skills the boys were able to spot over thirty Eagles on the ride up!

Pulling into upper parking lot of the Mount Baker Ski area we were met with cool temperatures, stable avalanche conditions, and moderate visibility. Gearing up we double-checked our packs and circled up at the backcountry gate. We worked on orienting to the landscape by trying to identify the environmental hazards. When traveling in the mountains it is very important to stay together as a group, carefully track the weather, temperature, and stability of the surface your walking on. The mentors told the group to be on the watch for another risk, tree-wells. Together we learned how to identify them, and since it had been a low snow year, the wells were the perfect size for the boys to utilize for games of Hide!

Once we were oriented we headed out following one of the many boot packs that crisscrossed through the snow like the tracks of a heard of Roosevelt Elk. Coming over the first rise the boys spotted a snow shelter and quickly ran over to it for further investigation. As the Explorers climbed on and around the shelter the mentors stressed the importance of not climbing on the shelter while another Explorer was inside. This shelter proved to be a prime example of what not to do; the structures entrance was much too large and the walls were quite thin leaving little insulative qualities.

After a little more travel we stopped for a lunch. It’s important in cold weather landscapes to drink abundant amounts of water and keep well fueled. We explained to the group that fuel is what keeps us warm and water is what helps to distribute heat throughout our bodies. As we ate, some of the boys got involved in a snowball fight and a game of King of the Mountain. Their well-intentioned game soon escalated into some roughness and it ended in some tears. This was a great time for our group to circle up and talk about what had happened. Debriefing the event we focused on what escalation was, and how we could call it out to defuse these situations from escalating further. In the end the group made a commitment to respect each other’s requests and space.

Shifting our focus to something a little more structured Peter drew a giant circle in the snow and we played a few rounds of a game called Otter Steals a Fish. Feeling that the characters in the game were a little out of place with our current landscape Peter changed the natural history background to coyotes steal a deer leg from a cougar. The snow provided the perfect cushion for the boys to dive and roll, trying to steal the prize from the hungry cougar. By the time we had finished most of us had a good amount of snow inside our gear and clothing. Looking around it was clear that we needed to move and build our heat back up. As we collected our gear the mentors encouraged the group to be present for games and exploration, but to also to continually track the weather and landscape.

Taking some observations the boys noticed that visibility had dropped considerably and the snow and wind had picked up. One of the mentors asked the boys what the land was telling us. They identified that we needed to find a place out of the wind with good visual landmarks and a spot to dig our snow cave. We pushed onwards in the abyss of white and grey, regaining our warmth and happening upon a deep snowdrift that was sheltered by a grove of Mountain Hemlock, Sub Alpine and Pacific Sliver fir. We set up a base camp and some of the boys got to work digging their first attempt at a snow cave.

Gary, our snow cave expert and guest mentor for the day, explained that the process of digging a cave begins with excavating a large amount of snow in the area just before the entrance of the cave. Failing to do this results in the diggers eventually trapping themselves inside the cave while trying to excavate the interior.  He went on to say that the next important step is having a stair-like feature just within the entrance of the cave. This traps the heat inside the cave, which is then insulated by the snow. Once the cave is completely excavated the diggers can smooth the insides of the cave walls, which prevents water from dripping down onto the dwellers. Using snow saws and shovels the boys put in a valiant effort clearing enough room for four Explorers to sleep comfortably.

Our basecamp proved to be the perfect location for our group. While some boys dug caves others glissaded, jumped, and rolled down the steep slopes to our west, exploring all the way down to the Bagley Creek drainage. At the bottom of the drainage all sounds of the ski area faded away and the boys re-oriented to sounds of the wilderness in the winter. Silently we hiked together, attuning our senses to the calm and stillness, the trickle of half frozen Bagley Creek meandering through the snow, the low drone of the wind whistling through the wind swept mountains, and the increasing shadows of the fading light behind Herman and Table Mountain.

Heading back up the drainage we practiced our climbing skills, choosing difficult routes to scramble and climb up, and we even came across a set of Lynx tracks! It was so wonderful to see the Explorers roaming and playing. Although many of them were from different groups they really bonded and rejoiced in spirit of exploration.  Circling up we held a closing meeting and gave thanks for the day. The Explorers gave thanks for the recent snowfall and perfect conditions for our exploration, for all the lessons thatthis land and its inhabitants had to offer about winter survival, for warmth and shelter, food and friends, snow caves and snowballs, and for the chance to be together in such a special place.

The mentors would like to thank the Explorers for Stretching their Edges and meeting the challenges that winter exploration brings. We would also like to thank Gary Keller for his skill, inspiration, support and care for the boys. Finally, we would like to thank parents for your trust and support, without this we would not be able guide the Explorers as they grow and mature into the stellar individuals they are becoming.

For more pictures from outing please visit our winter photo gallery.