First Winter Storm

October 17 predicted the first snow of the season.  Temperatures in the high country were supposed to drop and we were to have snow.  It didn’t disappoint.  I was not able to head up to Boone area with friends, but Phil Hoffman of Looking Glass Outfitters called and wanted to hang out.  We decided to brave the cold and find a place to camp near the parkway.

Marmot tent from LGO

Conditions were bad enough that driving on the parkway was not going to happen, so we drove down the west side on 215 to Flat Laurel Creek Trail.  This is the best area for winter hiking and ice climbing.  The parkway is always closed and limits your access to trails.  This trail head however, will get you to Sam’s knob and the Black Balsam area.  It is a great hike and always snowy when the temperature drops.

Sage the wonder dog

We left around 6 pm and it was dark when we arrived.  We set up the tents in an area that proved to be muddy once we got more light on the subject.  Not to worry, there was a great spot just 20 feet away.  Phil was testing a Marmot one man

tent.  It was a three season tent, and definitely was going to be a stretch under the conditions.  We had snow, sleet and wind.  The wind was blowing at around 20mph and gust up to 40 mph.  I had my old alpine stand by, Tiros Pro from Sierra Designs.  This tent was 20 years old, but other than having to replace the shock cords in the poles, was still a great winter tent.  It was over built for alpine environments and very stable in the wind.  A bit heavy though.

Morning light in the storm

We sat around and ate some food and talked for awhile.  However the cold beat us down and we made for the tents.  Sage was with me and this was her first camping trip.  I brought an extra sleeping bag for her and it was a good idea.  She needed the bag to stay warm.  The wind blew all night and kept the tent cold.  I was fine in my Marmot down bag.  Toasty warm with plenty of warmth for colder nights; I’ll have to go out some more this season to fine the limits of the bag.  Sage kept trying to crawl into my bag, but just would not fit.

Staying Warm

The trick to staying warm in winter camping is ground insulation and fuel.  I always use a therma rest ¾ thick with a ¾ thick form pad that is 3 quarters length.  This gives me an R value of around 3-4 and keeps me from cooling off from conduction with the ground.  This is more important than the bag.  Phil had a 0° bag but only one pad.  I used a 15° bag with two thick pads.  Most foam pads are ½ thick and are good for summer use, but not for winter.  Same with inflatable pads most are for summer use.  I have found the best combination is an inflatable and foam pad.  Thick foam is better; it will compress less and keep you off the ground.

Snow on the Blue Ridge

Another trick is to avoid the carbs.  Before you go to bed eat some food with a high fat content.  I had a thick soup with sausage.  Cheese is great too.  Pasta will just leave you cold.  I also went for a short walk to generate heat.  Not to aggressive or you’ll start to perspire; this will cause cooling by evaporation.  Phil had a neat trick, unzip the end of the bag and let your feet breath for awhile.  Again, moister build up can be bad.  Change the socks and don’t let your feet sweat.