Denver Area
Council, BSA
Scoutmaster's Corner
Get Ready for Cold Camping
Winter weather is upon us – perfect for camping! No bugs, no dust, no crowds of people, no sweltering heat. I can hardly wait. All it takes to enjoy winter camping is to be prepared. Here are some basic ideas to help you do just that.
First, be sure to pick up equipment lists from me if you are new to winter camping. This is especially important for new Scouts.
Be sure you have appropriate boots, hats, and gloves. Don’t skimp on these things!
Make your priority to stay dry. Keeping warm will come naturally after that, but if you get wet, you are going to be cold. Drink lots of water! It works this way. When you are even a little dehydrated your blood is thicker. Thick blood flows less readily so your fingers, ears and toes get less blood. Less blood flow means less energy for the muscles in those areas and less heat transported from your body to them. More water means warmer toes.
A soft-sided water container that you can wear next to your body will keep your water warm. Hand it on a string around your neck or put it in a pocket in an inner layer. It is cold at first but you’ll be glad later on.
Wear your hat, always. Your head is your primary loss of heat. A warm hat will also keep your toes warm.
Keep up your energy. Get a good breakfast, and eat small amounts regularly through the day. Avoid sugary stuff though. Stick to nuts, jerky, whole grain crackers, cheese. No pop! It just makes you thirsty.
Beware of sunburn. At altitude with snow on the ground to reflect it, the sun is intense, even in December. Use plenty of sunscreen on your face and back of your neck. Dark glasses are a real help and a necessity if you are going above tree line. Snow blindness hurts like the dickens!
What would you do?
True tales from the annals of Troop 5 (and other Scouts).
See if your patrol would know what to do in this situation.
July is a hot month even at 10,000 ft. It was especially hot that day as we made our way up from Cataract Creek toward Surprise Lake. It’s not far from the trailhead to the lake, only about 4 miles, but it is uphill. More than 2,000 feet uphill in fact. It is also part of the Eagle’s Nest Wilderness. As we reached the lake in early afternoon the rumble of distant thunder promised some relief from the heat. At this altitude thunderstorms roll in quickly and can drop a lot of hail and very cold rain.
This is truly wild country, very steep and rugged. Because of this, the Gore Range has never been logged and the thick virgin forest still stands. There are some giant trees (at least for Colorado) and the forest floor is covered in a tangled network of fallen timber. It can take as long as 50 years for a fallen tree to decompose here. Warmth and water are needed for bacteria to break down dead wood, and at 10,000 feet there isn’t much of either. Walking through the forest is really hard – there just isn’t any open ground.
There is an easier way to Surprise although it is longer. The Gore range runs roughly north and south; our approach took us west, straight up the side of the range. To the north from the lake one can follow the Gore Range trail about 5 miles to Black Lake which can be reached by car. It is only a 1000 foot elevation climb from Black to Surprise.
They call it Surprise Lake because as you work along the trail – surprise! – there is a small spring fed lake tucked in the woods, right where you would least expect it. Today we had a different surprise. A young couple, looking very distraught, were standing at the trail junction. We greeted them but the young man just launched into his story. He and his wife were out for a walk coming up from Black Lake. The thing was, they had a 5 year old with them and he had lagged behind a little. “Had” was the important word. They had stopped for a rest a ways down the trail, and the boy was playing while the parents finished their lunch. When it was time to go on, they discovered the boy was missing. Quite frantic, they had been looking along the trail and calling out for him, but no luck.
What would you do?
Casting Animal Tracks
I once hosted a visitor - his name was Joop - from the Netherlands. He was nuts about the mountains and especially about seeing wild animals. Seeing a bull elk with a full rack of antlers was thrilling for Joop, and you'll see why on our October trip to Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park. This will be a great chance to start, or add to, a collection of track casts.
To do this, you'll need an empty tin can or plastic container, a supply of plaster of Paris, and some water. Find a good, clear track in soft ground or mud. Using the can or plastic container, mix the plaster with water and stir quickly. Use enough water to make a smooth paste. The thicker it is, the sooner it sets. But if it is too thick it won't catch a good, detailed impression. Poor the plaster carefully into the track and let it harden. This will take 15 to 30 minutes usually, and several hours to become really strong. If you need to, you can make a little dam around the track with mud or stones to hold the plaster in. Some naturalists use a paper ring for this purpose - it sure makes it neater. It's a good idea to label the cast with the species, date, location, and any other interesting information. Use a permanent marker.
Elk tracks are distinctive. They look much like mule deer, not surprising since both animals are in the Ungulate ("toe-walker") family. A grown elk leaves a track that is 4 inches or more; it is not as heart shaped as a mule, having a boxier appearance. And don't stop with elk! You can find coyote, fox, muskrat, beaver, rabbit, and deer tracks in the Denver city limits.
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