| One crazy winter day, my wife and I decided that | | | | setting up our camp. However, there was one |
| we wanted to experiment with cold weather | | | | notable difference, it was starting to get dark |
| camping. It was January, we had cabin fever, and the | | | | already! It was merely 4:30 and the light was starting |
| sun had been out briefly, so we thought we would | | | | to change. This we had not counted on. We hurried |
| go. We packed all of our gear, put our two dogs in | | | | our activities and by the time we sat down with our |
| the SUV, and drove an hour to Shenandoah National | | | | camp stove for dinner, it was really dark. Worse than |
| Park. On the way, however, the skies filled with | | | | that, it was also getting colder quickly. |
| clouds and a slight rain started to fall. The | | | | This is the real lesson about winter camping. You |
| temperature was right at 32 and we started to | | | | tend to forget that the light is on a completely |
| worry about our adventure. When we got to the | | | | different schedule. By about 7:30pm, we were cold |
| gates of the park, the ranger informed us that the | | | | and ready to be in our tent. But we weren't tired. |
| road was only open for about a half mile because as | | | | We talked for a while in the darkness and eventually |
| the elevation increased, the temperature dropped. | | | | went to sleep. We got a ton of sleep that night, but |
| This meant that the rain on the road had turned to | | | | not good sleep. Our four-season gear did not prove |
| ice. He showed us one trail that we could still access | | | | to be as strong as advertised. The cold seemed to |
| from the part of the road that was open and said | | | | leak into my sleeping bag from every tiny seam. My |
| there was parking. But he also looked at us a little | | | | suggestion for those who are seeking the winter |
| funny and said "you know that it's January and | | | | camping adventure is DO IT. However, bring three of |
| raining, right? You aren't going to freeze on me up | | | | just about everything. If it's your first time, perhaps |
| there are you?" We assured him that we had four | | | | consider car camping so that you don't have to |
| season camping gear and that we would be fine. We | | | | agonize about the weight of all the extra stuff. It |
| also had two large dogs. Off we went. | | | | was truly exhilaratingly to wake and find an igloo of |
| The first part of the hike was simply amazing. Sure | | | | ice on the tent fly. That first cup of coffee was |
| enough, about 100 years up the trail and the rain had | | | | perhaps the best tasting morning drink of my life. As |
| turned to big snow flakes. It was quiet and beautiful. | | | | the morning sun started to melt the ice on the trees, |
| We walked and enjoyed the surroundings. The dogs | | | | it made for a surreal winter scene that I will not soon |
| played in the forest, which was all ours of course. | | | | forget. However, be smart and bring tons of gear. |
| Nobody else was crazy enough to be on the | | | | Start small and make sure you don't get into real |
| mountain in these conditions. When we approached | | | | trouble by stretching your camping equipment farther |
| the first suitable camping site, I suggested we take it. | | | | than it can really go. |
| We unpacked and started the familiar rituals for | | | | |