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Chilly Scenes of Winter: Three colleagues learn about camping in that bitter fourth season
AMC Outdoors, November 2000 By Jane Roy Brown, Katharine Wroth, and Madeleine Eno Winter camping: To some people, it's a blissful chance to explore the mountains without the trampling hordes, relying on one's own wits and the sparing generosity of Mother Nature to survive. To others, it's a perfect definition of purgatory. Last winter, curious about our own leanings and eager to sharpen our skills, three AMC Outdoors editors ventured into the woods of New Hampshire for an introductory AMC winter-camping workshop. Though the skies were clear when we set out from Boston, the air filled with Hollywood-style flakes as we barreled up the interstate, chatting about what lay ahead. Jane was ready for the weekend to be over; Katharine had a healthy dose of nervousness; and Madeleine felt pretty excited. By the time we got to the AMC's Crawford Notch Hostel for our Friday evening session, we faced howling winds and temperatures in the teens. We gathered in the cozy warmth of the hostel to talk with our instructor, Correen Seacord, about safety, food, gear, and Leave No Trace ethics. Along with our fellow campers — Robert, an AMC member from Massachusetts, and Michy, a UNH student — we asked questions, voiced our fears, and then retired to rest up for our adventure. The next day dawned crystal clear. Strapping on snowshoes and hefting our packs, we tramped three hilly miles in to the shore of Ethan Pond, which glittered in the sunshine, and set up camp amid a string of nearly filled sites. Our experiences over the next 24 hours varied as much as our expectations. But we all came away knowing more about eating and dressing for warmth, about respecting and protecting the winter environs, about each other — and about ourselves. Visit the links below to read three different perspectives and then the trio's accumulated wisdom.
Photo: Courtesy of AMC Outdoors |
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