Winterfest 2005

“Dust off your skis and snowshoes, start stocking up on the Hot Damn, we be partying!

Rodney just stopped by work and we decided to make Winterfest a for sure thing. I will get back with dates and start a post on the trips page tonight.




Gotta get back to work.......”

“Woooohooooo”

“Coool..or should I say COOOLD!!! lol
I'll keep my eye on this one..
Already put in for the time off..
Hope the dates coinside with yours mtnsteve.”

“I wannnnnaaaa go!!!!!”

“Great news, (my car's fixed so hopefully no repeat of last year's false start for me!)

Hey Steve, how you likin' your new job? Tell us a little...”

“(Waves arms) someone send me an airline ticket!!!”

“Wow, I'd love to make it up there for at least part of this one, as long as someone can guarantee there won't be bad weather 'n' stuff.... :-)”

“I'll bring homemade cookies if someone gives me an airline ticket :)”

“Yeah, I've been waiting for this.”

“OK, the dates I can come up with for sure are the 31st, 1st and the 2nd. New Years Eve through that following Sunday. I will be going up on the evening of the 30th, after work, so we can get the Tipi and stove set up for New Years. I will post this either tonight or tomorrow on the trips page.

It will be in the same general area as last year....Rodney and I will figure the exact spot in early December....we wont be hard to find though.

I can't guarantee good weather, last year was a fluke (We hope) with the 70+ mph winds and Sierra Cement snow on the way out. Usually the weather is rather mild. Ya just cant tell.

Wanderer...the new job is going well. I'm starting to learn enough to feel like I'm being productive at least..LOL. I'm handling the rope end of the business and I'm working into the new tactical stuff, along with learning to be Johns back up on rescue and technical harness questions and applications. The climbing stuff was easy, John's been giving me his gear to test for almost 20 years, so I have that end wired. I do miss having three weeks off on a row though......


Will someone get Spirit Coyote a ticket, I want cookies.”

“This was a FUN trip. But I have to be back at work :-(”

“i want to go, but it's too soon to tell if I can”

“I would like to make this trip....have to wait and see.”

“Been waiting for this one to come around on the guitar. Last year was quite an adventure, we missed the Big Blow but made it for the Deep Freeze. Looking forward to getting to spend time with some of the people we missed last year. Bought a new (bigger) sled, hoping to have it ready.”

“Last year's made for some great reading material. Phaeddy gonna disappear again?”

“If my knee is good, I'm there for at least part of the time.

I asked Mermaid if she might like to go this year, and she gave me the are-you-friggin-insane-or-just-stupid look.”

“One thought for me is to let BowlderGal and BowlderSon stay in a B&B in the town nearby, we all ski together during the day, but only I camp out. BowlderSon could camp, too, but I don't think TT trips are really appropriate for kids.... :-)”

“Next year Steve. I'm heading out East this new year's with the Catskill Boyz. Last year was a blast though. (A blast of snow, wind and the flu!)

Be careful up there, and for gawd's sake, make sure Rockman carries a compass this time! lol!”

“Is it okay if I bring a space heater for the Igloo this time?”

“http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=2020&item=5132272692&rd=1

Great tent in excellent condition by clicking the link above or pasting it in your browser. Will sell this weekend so hurry”

“That's what the Korbel brandy is for.”

“Ohhh yeah!

Silly Phaedrus.”

“Snow in the mountains or sand in the desert - what will it be for New Years?”

“I wish I could start in the mountains, then finish in the desert. Not likely, but a nice daydream.”

“Winterfest 2005

Let the games begin........”

“I won't be able to make this one, I just can't see spending New Years without my Lady.


This sucks!
No it don't!
Yes it does!
No it don't!”

“Sounds like her coming along isn't an option........ Or is she just an excuse 'cause your feet would get too cold in your Tevas.
last edited: 10/28/04 12:51:15 AM”

“Bring her along.....we accept all types ;-)”

“I told her she could come, and I got THAT look.
She can't understand backpacking in the summer. Let alone, when the ground is covered with that cold white stuff. In her defense, she has offered to drive me to the mental hospital.

I really want to go. Not only for the camping, and meeting new people, but I figured Mtnsteve and Rodney could teach me a few things about winter camping. I love learning new things. All that or News Years with HER.
Her / camping...
Camping / her...
Her / camping...
Camping / her...

She edged you guys out, sorry. 8^D”

“:-(

we'll take pictures.


The things you could have learned....

How to get down from a 25', rotten snag after climbing it with your ice tools..

How to push your sled for 2 miles, downhill..

How much Hot Damn it takes before you embarrass yourself (clue, not much)..

Who shaves....never mind, forget I mentioned that..

How much incredible personal stuff, you can reveal, after mixing 5 different types of alcoholic beverages..

SnowNymphs trick with Hot Coco pkg's..

Who's gay and who isn't..”

“Oh man! Why are you teasing me like this?”

“Because of the eclipse last night, there are two New Years this year. Didn't you read that in the paper? So you can do both.”

“OK OK OK... I'm in!! Maybe Navi can talk himself out of this.. But, not me! I LOVE being entertained (well.. we'll hope I'm NOT the one doing the entertaining.. that reminds me.. I need more Hot Damn!)”

“I just may have a little stashed away..........”

“OK, I'll fess up.
I'm afraid of the Hot Damn.”

“I still havnt recieved my ticket,
people, get with it!”

“Does anyone have a line on some toasty cabins nearby? I would love to play with y'all during the day but I want to be warm and dry at night (thinking of you freezing your a$$es off).”

“aw pepper dog, dont be such a wuss :D
I would give my left arm to be ther efreezing my ass off.”

“Actually.... last year we had someone that was going to stay in Shingletown and come up during the day...Ladyhiker????

It really isn't as bad as it would seem pepperDog. I bet if you get a place in Shingletown (about a 15 min drive away) and see how comfortable it can be at camp, you wouldn't go back , but stay in camp instead. You may have a spot in the Tipi if you wish.”

“Nothing listed in the AAA book for Shingletown.
Steve, tell me more, maybe I could talk my wife into spending New Years in a cabin.”

“Let me check with a buddy that lives in Shingletown and see what he says.

I do know that there is a B&B...

Weston House B&B
P.O. Box 276
Red Rock Road
530/474-3738

It looks kinda expensive...and she may not want to leave.”

“Thanks, I'll check it out.”

“Could be interesting - We could take over a vacation rental in town for those among us who don't think trying to sleep when cold and damp isn't their idea of fun!”

“PepperDog writ:

"those among us who don't think trying to sleep when cold and damp isn't their idea of fun!"

You miss the point Pepper, the objective is to sleep warm and dry. It's really not that hard to accomplish. Recall that last year at Woods Lake, Hikerchic and I spent a comfortable (if not peaceful) night under a tarp tent with air temp at -15, winds gusting to 25-30 mph and snow falling. It's all about the right equipment and techniques.I find it VERY entertaining and rewarding. Some people view that as a sickness. 8v) I would be only too happy to assist anyone who is interested in trying it.”

“Look at some of the photos , do any of those folks look uncomfortable? TrailBum and I both have spent many years introducing others to our addiction of winter camping. None of us would be doing this if we were cold, wet and miserable all the time.

I remember a New Years many years ago, on Mt Shasta....I was thinking that I had been colder at home because I was to stubborn to put on a sweater and my wife to practical to turn up the heater.

The most memorable times I have had in the mountains usually revolve around winter trips. The sparkles in the snow under a full moon, the beautiful formations in the trees after a fresh snowfall, the feeling of solitude, the animal tracks and amazing silence of the woods are more then worth the price of a cold nose or occasional cold feet. My partner Susan said it best last year, she said she felt empowered.

Become empowered....join us!

Trip Page”

“When the sun shines through the trees turning the ice crystals into a thousand sparkeling jewels.




Just another reason to go.”

“Mtnsteve's right. I was never cold last time, but keeping warm was often an inconvenience... That said, do we do any of this stuff out of a love for convenience?”

“Perhaps it shows some basic weakness on my part but I also don't like to have to go to bed at 6pm, especially when you can't get up until 7am. Maybe with the tipi it would be different but when we did the Dingleberry Lake trip 2 years ago water started freezing at 6 so I spent several hours in my tent reading before being even close to going to sleep. Phaedrus' comment about love for convenience is a good point but the other inconveniences (messing with camp stove for dinner, digging a hole for ..., not taking a shower for days) come with the payoff of being in the wilderness, seeing few people, whatever else it is we backpack for. Having to spend over 12 hours a day in a tent is, for me, too much of an inconvenience for whatever extra payoff is brought on by winter camping.

Boy! don't I sound like a poopie-pants? Have a great trip and maybe I will join you for the day, or maybe even challenge myself and stay for the night. Perhaps some hot damn will convert me to the ways of winter camping...”

“Don't get me wrong, I'm still undecided on whether I'm going. I have to work on new years eve and don't know how the knee is going to feel, but I might make it up there for a day trip or an overnighter.”

“During past years, with the stove fired up and cooking, we seem to get to bed around 10 or 11...on New Years we're up till at least Midnight.

Everyone sits around the stove, cooking, eating, drinking and telling tall tales. On occasion, some will leave for a ski/shoe around camp in the dark (really cool) then drop back to the Tipi for a shot of Hot Damn.

Give some thought to stopping by for a few hours.

”