Nate O Taylor

Food, Fishing, and Outdoor Adventures

Man Camp 2016

March 26, 2016 by n.taylor 1 Comment

The 9th installment of Man Camp was certainly one of the best we’ve ever had. What made this year great was not what happened during Man Camp, but what happened before we ever arrived. On Tuesday morning I awoke to find that for the first time in over a month a major storm cycle had set its course to the Continental Divide as it crosses Berthoud Pass.

Tuesday

 

The clouds never broke on Tuesday and as Wednesday began to unfold it was evident that those clouds were not going to break anytime soon. Another double digit snow day at 9,100 feet was promising for where we would make camp at 11,100 feet.

Wednesday

 

The snow continued to fall throughout Wednesday morning and as we approached the parking lot that afternoon the road had obviously not been plowed. Ignoring our cumulative common sense we proceeded up the road, pushing forward with high hopes and as much inertia as we could gather. It proved however to be insufficient, and we found ourselves buried on the side of the road. We unloaded some of our supplies, hoping that a reduction in weight would help us escape our roadside prison. For over an hour and a half we concocted one failed plan after another until we were ready to admit defeat and leave the vehicle for another day. It wasn’t until our friends at Powder Addiction offered the use of their snowcat that we were pulled free from our ditch of gloom.

Snow Cat Savior

Snow Cat Savior

 

Hours behind schedule we hurriedly set up camp as darkness set in. The snow was relentless and by morning had covered up many of the items we had brought in the previous night.

Initial Setup

Initial Setup

 

Snow Accumulation

Snow Accumulation

 

Buried

Buried

Other than simply setting up camp there was serious work to be done, like convincing other people to chop down some trees.

Tree Chopping

Tree Chopping

Teamwork

Teamwork

 

With all that snow the sledding and riding were just out of control. There were areas where the snow was 4-5 feet deep and made it difficult to even keep the sleds floating on top of the snow.

Gearing Up

Gearing Up

Upper Bowl

Upper Bowl

Snow Still Falling

Snow Still Falling

Lone Arctic Cat

Lone Arctic Cat

At the end of the day we could fire up the stove, dry out our wet gear, and have a warm meal.

Dinner Time

Dinner Time

 

Until next year…

 

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Filed Under: Spring Tagged With: Arctic Oven, Man Camp, Powder, Snowmobile

Man Camp 2015

March 15, 2015 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

The snow came in, and it never stopped. Most of our time was spent looking at this beautiful scenery.

Storms Keep Coming

Storms Keep Coming

Regardless, we were able to set up base and immediately began consuming dino nuggets…I mean gather wood for a fire.

At this point a veteran winter survivalist will pick his sleeping spot for the rest of the week. Aside from the obvious spots with more room it is important to note that the person stuck in front of the stove suffers two distinct disadvantages.

  1. You are in front of the stove, and as such you are responsible for making sure the fire is stoked throughout the night.
  2. The fresh air intake is located exactly 9 inches from where your head will rest on your pillow. Even with a fire going that sub zero air makes you pretty chilled throughout the night.

To warm up in the morning we made a fire. Luckily, one of our members is an Eagle Scout, and as such he is privy to certain ancient Eagle Scout fire tricks.

Ancient Practices

Ancient Practices

 

Ancient Results

Ancient Results

 

Boondocking through trees or riding the main chutes occupied most of our days. Aside from cooking the only other way to pass the time was to enjoy a drink.

 

Après-ski

Après-ski

 


As night began to fall and we transitioned to bed, some of us were facing a longer night than others. Remember those two important lessons we learned earlier? Oh the consequences of our choices…

Ready for Bed

Ready for Bed

 

 

Filed Under: Winter Tagged With: Man Camp, Winter Camping

Man Camp 2015: Departure

March 3, 2015 by n.taylor Leave a Comment

The key to any comfortable winter camping expedition is preparedness. Exceptional preparedness. My colleague took my advice to heart and has packed accordingly.

IMG_2894

An Organized Participant

 

 

While my supplies might not have been as well organized they are every bit as critical to the mission at hand.

Food Preparedness

Food Preparedness

 

Bottom line is that while a coat may keep you warm, the dino nuggets will power you through a 5 day stint in the rocky mountain arctic tundra.

 

Dino Nuggets vs. Winter Jacket. Go

Dino Nuggets vs. Winter Jacket. Go

Filed Under: Winter Tagged With: Man Camp, Winter Camping

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