We discussed the sorts of things we'd need for the trip to be successful. I picked up a new mattress to stave off the cold. I also borrowed a second sleeping bag and a down blanket to ensure I could sleep comfortably. All the sleeping stuff was rolled into a tarp burrito and lashed together with twine. The campsite was only a mile into the woods, so carrying light weight wasn't exactly a huge priority.
Our setup at the lean-to was fairly quick even though dark came early only a few days before the solstice. The addition of battery-operated string lights was very helpful in the lean-to for getting food and gear together, and also helpful in protecting the tent lines.
The first night was great. The fire was high and we were pretty warm despite the wind.
John made us some steaks on the grill. He also had a sweet stove setup in his tent.
Sunny and I slept well that night and we awoke to beautiful snow the next morning.
Sunny and Korra had a fun morning wrestling in the snow.
Sunny was also very festive in his vest. Sunny was quite vocal this weekend. He doesn't often bark at home, but he had terrible FOMO and separation anxiety every time I would wander away or if Jay took Korra elsewhere.
I got pretty cold this day. Thanks to Shaine's extra gear, I was able to bundle up a bit and get back up to temperature.
What we think happened was, I'd added extra layers to stave off the wind, but what I'd done was put cotton socks between my synthetic and wool socks and put a cotton hoodie on between my synthetic base layer and coat. These cotton layers had gotten wet in the snow and had frozen solid, though I didn't realize it. As such, adding more layers like blankets did nothing. The only thing that could warm me up were John's baked goods and the campfire.
I'll be replacing all these layers with either synthetic down or wool in the future. Moreover, I didn't notice my waterproof boots were damaged until the day of the trip so I had to wear my 3-seasons. These were okay around camp with the correct socks, but not good enough for hiking.
Sunny also got a bit cold this day and had to be wrapped to bring up his core temp. Korra, on the other hand, was in her element!
We stoked up the fire which warmed us up and John got the Ribeye stew going. The stew was delicious and the treats afterward were quite a treat. John's pressure cooker and stove are so cool.
Throughout the night our tents had taken a few strikes from heavy snow falling from the trees. The only real casualty was the pipe to the stove which the guys got resolved quickly when it happened. I also had a headache and had to wander out to get the Tylenol. In the future, I'll probably keep my medicine bag at hand in the tent instead of with my other gear.
Other than that, Sunny and I were pretty comfortable in our tent. I was glad I'd borrowed a sleeping bag because it helped me realize I definitely want something bigger for my own solution since I move around a lot in my sleep. The guys suggested a product that's kind of a wrapped down quilt rather than a traditional sleeping bag. I'll look into this for the future.
The next morning we awoke to even more snow. The wind had died completely and the morning was absolutely glorious.
The serenity of Saturday morning alone made the trip worth it.
While John whipped up some biscuits & gravy, I put out a chartuterie board.
The biscuits & gravy really hit the spot. Between this great meal, the high fire, helping with firewood, and the fact that I had stripped my cotton middle layers, I kept very warm all day long. It's odd to think I was warmer with fewer layers, but that's just how the materials work.
Sunny and Korra knew who the sucker was...
Everyone was in incredible spirits on Saturday.
With negligible wind, a shining sun, great food, and inappropriate jokes, it was hard to not feel like a million bucks on top of our little hill.
Sunny "helped" getting wood...
I caught this one while getting water from the end of the dock. My new pickaxe actually came in handy on this trip.
John's ramen was life-changing. I'll be stealing this meal for game night some night.
I enjoyed this trip quite a bit, however I know that I'll need to spend a bit more money in order to be more comfortable during the day. The serenity of the winter in the woods and the comeraderie are worth the hardship if you are prepared, so I'll certainly be picking up a new pair of winter boots, a new top layer, and lot of new wool mid-layers, as well as a bunch of miscellaneous bibs & bobs, but I'll have to spread out those expenses for sure.
Thanks so much to the guys for helping me through this experience. I'm looking forward to more adventures in the future. I'll probably hold off on camping until the late spring or summer in lieu of better gear. I'd like to take Sunny and Quinn snowshoeing in Moreau, but I'll probably take them separately because both of them can be quite a handful! I'd also like to try Colden or another moderate to easy High Peak.
Jay's video describing our trip: