Show tl J I t I i j l J x f Bit 0 Stuff i By Sara and Craig Staff Writers f We went camping in the great outdoors with our dogs a few weekends weekends week week- i ends ago We loaded up our backpacks backpacks backpacks back back- packs put the cross-country cross skis in inthe inthe inthe the back of the truck and headed fo for forthe r the canyon The excursion got off toI to toa a late start and it was dusk when w we e It I arrived at the parking lot of the trail trail- head It was beginning to get very dark by the time we were all suited suite d E up and ready to ski up the hill It was then that we started keeping track of the valuable lessons we would learn about winter camping as a couple Valuable Lesson 1 It doesn't matter if theres there's bright white snow on the ground if there is no moon out youre you're going to be skiing in the dark We put on our packs and headed for the track There hadn't been any new snow for ages so we didn't know the condition of the trail Lesson 2 No new snow for a week combined with warm daytime weather and freezing nighttime temperatures temperatures tem tern make a groomed trail pure ice We packed hot chocolate mix and water two cans of soup and some crackers for dinner and yogurt and cookies for breakfast We remembered to pack the tiny camp stove and candle lantern as well as the sleeping bags foam mats and extra clothes managed to pack the matches and flashlight Lesson 3 If you take food in a acan acan acan can ie i.e. soup it will be heavy Lesson 4 If either of you are not used to carrying a weighty backpack while on skis carry plenty of Advil We skied for over an hour When we arrived at the igloo Craig had built with his brother it was nearly seven We set up camp inside the casa de naive as quickly quick quick- ly as possible spreading out our sleeping bags atop a tarp and an insulated foam mat Lesson 5 Be sure to take two sleeping bags that will zip together That's the only way to fit two adults and two big dogs comfortably We cooked the soup on our little operated gas-operated stove inside the igloo and hung our eating air-eating candle from froma a twig embedded in the wall We started to worry about getting enough oxygen Lesson 6 A hole in the wall provides provides provides pro- pro vides ventilation Two holes produce produce produce pro pro- duce a brisk cross Three holes create a frigid wretched climate resembling that of an ice After wed we'd eaten it was time Ume to snuggle up and go to sleep After wed we'd laid there for an eternity getting getting getting get get- ting colder and colder we checked the time Nine Only ten hours until sunrise Eleven hours to go before we would be back at our cozy heated truck Lesson 7 Take something to do door door door or read between the time you arrive at your campsite and bedtime Going to bed at 8 pm p.m. makes for a really long night and sex in that frosty environment is only for the very hearty and courageous Lesson 8 Absolutely positively do not go winter camping if you have any medical condition which forces you to get up several times in inthe inthe inthe the wee hours of the morning and i run outside to pee in the snow At am a.m. after a total of two oC-two two I hours sleep the sum of all estimated minutes spent unconscious by the two of us we got up and prepared hot chocolate and ate the cookies Re-packing Re our gear was harder than the unpacking and our fingers were red and sore when we finally finished As we were performing a alast alast alast last inspection of our campsite we lamented to each other how no one was ever going to believe our adventure Lesson 9 Always take a camera With film in it As we skied down the bright sparkling slope toward the parking lot and ultimately home we were proud to have survived the ordeal We smiled at each other with crackling crackling crackling crack crack- ling lips and learned one last thing Final Lesson |