The Branch Hoppers arrived at Cascades Montessori surprisingly
energetic and alert in spite of the fact it was 8:00am on a Saturday. Hopping
aboard our bus Moose we headed out Highway 542 in search of snow. Cruising
along the North Fork of the Nooksack River the Explorers marveled at the Bald Eagles
perched in the old growth.
Arriving at the upper parking lot of the Mt. Baker Ski Area
the weather felt unusually warm and comfortable. Circling up at the backcountry
gate the mentors asked for the group to focus for a safety discussion, and
reminded everyone that venturing out into the backcountry during winter
required careful tracking of weather and a heightened awareness of hazards that
are present.
Together the group was
challenged to remember what safety terminologies and guidelines we had
discussed on our previous snow cave outings. We reviewed: backcountry travel
and etiquette, avalanche prone slopes and their degree of angle, terrain traps
and cornices, wind loading, storm slab, loose wet snow avalanches, tree well
hazards, dehydration, protecting layers and gear in a wet environment, and
sticking together as a group.
Building upon this
knowledge the mentors gave a talk on the previous two weeks weather and snowfall
in relation to: the daily temperature, amount of rain/snowfall, precipitation
in relation to snowpack stability, wind direction and speed, direction of wind
loading on slopes due to transportation of snow, NWAC’s detailed avalanche
forecast and current level of danger rating, and recent observations skiers had
made of in the backcountry.
The boys were anxious to get digging
but the mentors needed to mention one other important point. We are very clear
with the Explorers that just because they are learning information relating to
avalanche awareness and backcountry winter travel that does not give them license
to duck the ropes while at the ski area or venture out into the winter
wilderness without supervision or an experienced adult.
Leading the charge the Explorers headed
out on a path that offered a safe and efficient travel route to their
identified snow cave building location. Stepping out of the boot pack to let a
few skiers go past the boys sank up to their waists into the snow. Trudging,
post-holing, and pushing their way up slope the group looked like a pack of sled
dogs. It’s powerful to see the Explorers developing a familiarity and affinity
for this landscape.
Setting up base camp the group honed in
on a spot roughly on a twenty-degree slope with a deep wind deposited snow bank.
Walking out a perimeter around the snow cave site as to not compress the snow,
the boys used a probed and determined that the depth was roughly seven feet. Digging
out a platform the boys excavated six feet vertically, throwing the snow down
slope.
Initially the work went quickly. Outlining
the entrance of their cave the Explorers used a snow-saw to cut blocks out of
the wall until a shoulder-wide entrance to the cave went roughly three feet back.
From this point the work of digging gets tough until the cave gets big enough
to sit up in. Adding to the day’s difficulty was the mentor’s mistake in
banking on the Explorers bringing extra shovels. With only two shovels at our
disposal the work went slow and half the group played while the other worked.
Stopping for a snack the group cut out
a small kitchen space with a wind block next to the cave and Brian set up a
stove to make some peppermint tea. As our snow melted and came to a boil we sat
back and looked out at Table Mountain while we basked in the touch and go
sunshine. The mild weather came much to our surprise as NOAA’s forecast had called
for rain and temps around forty, which can be miserable without the knowledge
of how to stay warm and dry in those tough conditions.
The boys really enjoyed identifying the
previous week’s avalanches across the valley. From a distance the mentors tried
to help the group orient to the scale and size of the slides and if they looked
to be natural releases or human triggered. Being in the presence of the mountains
has the power to humble both mentor and Explorer alike as it provides a window into
forces much greater than ourselves. This shift in perspective calls us to be
present and engaged, increases our discernment, encourages forethought and
reflection, and is restorative in nature.
One take-away our mentors have had time
and time again with the Branch Hoppers is that they love being together in the
mountains. Whether it watching the tea boil and the sun travel over the peaks,
engaging in the skill of snow caving, or body sliding down the hill and
throwing snowballs at each other, they couldn’t get enough!
We ended up making a snow cave big enough
for one person and set-up a sleeping bag and pad inside to see what it would
feel like to weather a night there. Demolishing our cave was seemingly more fun
than building it! After making a sweep around our camp we made our way back to
the wilderness rope line to gather up for a circle of thanks.
The Branch Hoppers were thankful for the opportunity to be
in the mountains, for all the knowledge gained through the experience, for the
creative medium of snow, for deep spring snowpack that provides us drinking
water, for quality gear that enriches our experience, for pleasantly surprising
weather, and for being reminded of the lesson that the hardest part is getting
out the door and how that most of the time the experience is rich and
rewarding. Brain and I are thankful to spend another day in the mountains with
this fine crew of arriving adults.
For more pictures from our outing please visit the Branch
Hopper’s photo album from the day.
