This past weekend marked the annual “Man Camp” trip of 2011. Nestled between Keystone and A-Basin the Montezuma Bowl beckons me every year and draws me away from the river for just a short weekend. A part of me would have liked to be at the Taylor but how can you say no to tent camping when it is below zero? In my mind, it is the perfect test of my manhood and is a conversation piece for any social situation I might find myself in.
Having the proper gear while braving the elements for days at a time is crucial. Our sleeping bags had an average loft of about two feet and I wore just about every piece of clothing that I owned. Temperatures at night were nearing the -15 mark with daytime temps creeping towards freezing. With snow nearly everyday keeping dry was almost a full time job.
All of this was made worthwhile however as we had several feet of powder at our disposal whenever we wanted it. No one took our tracks, and we didn’t even have to wake up early to ensure that we would find solitude on the mountain. While skiing was awesome, I’m ready for fishing again, and fishing is right around the corner. I’m sure you are wondering how we stayed warm. We built a fire, using the same methods that the indians did…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNvfxJvYex0[/youtube]
