Scott's Winter NOLS Course

My instructors told me that winter camping in snow is all about "Digging And Dealing"... and after completing the course... I concur. Unlike summer camping where you can relax once camp is made and basic chores are done, winter camping involves constant work. Constant rotation of clothing (drying wet, stinky socks and gloves on your skin), constant rotation and packing of gear, constant manipulation of layers of clothing, and a constant quest to create and keep water in a liquid state.

Here is basic trip info:

GROUP DYNAMICS: 9 students (3 M, 6 F), 3 instructors (2 M, 1 F); Oldest member was 43, youngest was probably early 20s. Careers included outdoor educators, a priest, school principal, a student, consultant.
TRAINING: 5 days of telemark ski lessons and avalanche training in Driggs, ID
LONG-COLD-ASS-TRIP: 20 days of schlogging through depthless powder in WY
HIGHLIGHTS: We had a ton of food... too much food. We would fry bacon with butter, wake up in the middle of the night and eat snickers... The basic axiom was: "The more you eat the warmer you'll be/sleep". On travel days we would sleep in an excavated pit w/ a pyramid tarp above us and on stationary days, we would create digloos (right picture). Traveling included a rotation of trail breaking and route finding while pulling a heavy sled with a 50 pound backpack. We climbed a pretty high peak one day (left picture), but I wiped out pretty hard on the way down and sprained my ankle. This was really really sad :( cuz we were 18 miles from the trailhead and I had a long way to hobble at the end of our trip. This also meant that Rachel and I had to postpone our winter adventures in Yellowstone.