The Art of Snow Cave Building in the Mt. Baker Wilderness

The Alevin Explorers arrived at Cascades Montessori full of energy and excited about an extended outing in the Mt. Baker Wilderness. Loading up on the bus Steve informed the group this was his second day in a row of snow cave building and the Four Shielders had left a great example of a snow cave that could fit one to two people comfortably where we were headed. The boys were rambunctious on the bus, it was apparent that they had been cooped up all week with homework and class. Driving east we spotted Bald Eagles along the North fork of the Nooksack River and marveled at snow walls that grew ever deeper as we gained elevation up Highway 542.

Arriving at the upper parking lot at the Mt. Mount Baker Ski Area the group was met with 15 mph winds from the south that were quite brisk. Suiting up the group threw snowballs at one another. It was clear that we needed some focus before heading out past the backcountry gate.

In our opening meeting the mentors let the group know that backcountry travel was a lot different than an outing in the frontcountry, and although we would not be venturing out too far from the parking lot it doesn’t take long to be out in the deep winter wilderness.

As we talked droves of snowshoe parties walked pass us. Many of them looked very underprepared with their clothing and orientation to the landscape they were entering. The mentors informed the group that although it seems like the individual parties’ decisions would affect only themselves, search and rescue and ski patrol often has to risk their own lives to save backcountry users that make foolish decisions and are not prepared.

Together we discussed: winter backcountry travel and etiquette, avalanche prone slopes and terrain traps, defined wind loading and visibility, what we knew about the current snow pack, and how to identify tree wells. Feeling oriented we headed out in search of the ideal location to build a snow cave. Trudging along the mentors pointed of some of the prominent peaks as the cloud ceiling dropped and engulfed us in shades of gray and white.

We arrived at the location where the Four Shielders had dug their cave. The boys spent sometime checking it out. The group was fascinated by the amenities of the site. One of the greatest parts about snow is that it’s excellent building material and leads to tons of creative inspiration. We put the group up to a vote and they decided that instead of continuing to excavate the existing snow cave they would like to build their own. This decision matched their adolescent developmental progression perfectly!

Assessing how much snow the last group had moved, the Alevin decided to build their cave on a little steeper of a slope. That way they could pitch the snow off the hillside, which would alleviate the need for a long fire line of shovelers. On a steep Northwestern-facing slope we pulled out an avalanche probe and found the snow depth was roughly 240cm or 7.8 feet. Being careful not to compact the snow the group excavated a four by ten foot section down seven feet before making an entrance to their cave. The mentors cautioned the group that backcountry camping is much different than a snow play day at the ski area. Staying hydrated, taking in the proper amount of calories, and keeping your base layers dry is of the upmost importance for preventative care.

While we worked the wind would gust and the group would crouch down and take shelter from the onslaught of snow whipping by horizontally. Being the wise old mentors that we are, we had oriented the shelter out of the wind so that the more we dug our wall the more we were sheltered. Two of our mottos came up while the group was digging: Slow is Fast and Fast is Slow and Many Hands Make Light Work. The boys excavated the entrance to their snow cave and found they had dug themselves into hole. Refocusing their efforts the boys excavated a path off the hillside so they could easily shovel the snow in a fire line.

During this process we really only had half of our group’s focus. The rest of the boys spent their time sledding, wrestling around in the snow, and goofing off. This was our greatest challenge off the day. With the large task at hand we needed as much help as possible, but with only half of the group working the going was slow. This brought up another issue that Brian and I have been wrestling with within the Alevin’s group dynamic. It seems that a majority of the group is showing up and engaging, but there is another portion of the group that tends to squirrel out and pull energy and focus away from our outings.

It is not as though the Explorers need to learn to be on task every second of our outings. Explorers club is also about having fun, connecting, and decompressing on the land. But there needs to be a certain amount of participant desire to sustain growth and internally motive the participant to be present and engaged. As the Alevin’s seven journeys come to a close at the end of Spring and they are presented with the opportunity to enter into the Four Shields, the mentors would like the boys to really take a look and assess if they would like to be part of the program. The last thing we would want to do as mentors is force them to be part of something that they don’t want to be in or have grown out of. The skills, knowledge, and extended outings presented to the group in the Four Shields program will stress the need for the boys to be present and self-motivated. Brian and I will have more details relating to this as the date draws near. Feel free to send of an email if you would like further clarity or have any questions.

Looking at the time the Alevin could not believe that we had spent half the day doing the prep of getting our site ready to dig the cave. Taking a snow saw the boys cut a three-foot cube into their snow cave, creating the entrance. Three feet in the boys started to dig upwards. Keeping your sleeping platform in the snow cave higher than your entrance will trap the heat inside the cave. Steve told a story of building a snow cave and lighting an emergency candle inside which brought the temperature up to sixty-five degrees! With the southerly gusts and the falling snow the boys could already feel the insulating qualities of the shelter.

Digging the first few feet inside the cave always feels a little claustrophobic but gradually the cave grows more expansive and comfortable. Tracking the group the mentors got some feedback that everyone was feeling cold and tired. With an hour and a half left before we had to be back at the bus, we began to collapse our snow caves. The strength of the consolidated storm slab made collapsing the caves quite a task. Boys called for us to abandon the task and head to the comfort of the lodge, but this would not have been the responsible or LNT thing to do.

With our site in order we packed up and sledded back down to the bus. Once we were inside the bus blood began to return to the boy’s hands and we headed back down the 542. Arriving in Bellingham an hour early we went to Marine Park to debrief our experience. Going around the circle the boys were asked to give some thanks and share one thing that they learned and one thing that humbled them about the experience. The boys were honest and genuine in our circle and for the most part thankful for the opportunity.

Our journey to the mountains was the perfect edge stretcher and adventure for the Alevin. It was powerful to debrief that some of the boys had gotten cold because of their lack of prevention and preparedness, and how we worked together as a group. As a mentor I am humbled every time I travel in the mountains and come away with more understanding and clarity from my experience. Brain and I are thankful for our time spent with the group and to live in a place where we can venture out into an alpine winter wonderland and end our day sitting next to the seashore.

For more pictures from our outing please visit the Alevin’s photo album from the day.