[Tazz]

Dicey, Mark and I have been planning to get out together for a few months now. Dicey came up with an idea to go to Mazama ridge at Rainier for an overnight, snowshoe, ski, board trip. This was perfect cause I don’t want to spend $ on resorts this year. I have not been on my board for 3 years, so I was pretty excited for this trip. I asked Action betty if she wanted to join us. I figured this would be a great place for her first back country experience. AB invited another Nwhikers member Aussie to join us. Lucky Mark he gets to hang with 4 cool gals . So plans have been set for a month, till two weeks before the date I somehow tweaked my neck again (old injury [slipped disc] from 10 years ago). After getting an MRI last week, the doc told me I have a herniated disc and a bunch of bone spurs causing pressure on a nerve and might need surgery . He told me that going boarding was not a good idea. If I where to fall just right I could do some serious damage. BUT he didn’t tell me I couldn’t snowshoe or build a cave . There was no way I was staying home! We all met at the parking lot of Longmire and picked up the permit for camping. The road all the way from the entrance to the park was packed snow and ice. The parking lot at paradise was as dry as could be. The weather was grey flat overcast and the mountain was not out. We started out heading down the one was road from paradise. The trail was well packed down by skiers and snowshoers. Once you cross the stream at the bottom of the valley you can hang a left and cut up to the ridge from there. There was a well packed path here too.

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Dicey Mark and Aussie tooled up and I stayed back with AB. The board she was carrying was quite awkward and heavy .

I am kinda glad I didn’t have my board to huff up hehehe. Once we reached the ridge top to AB’s relief, Aussie came down and took her board up the rest of the way to camp. Dicey and mark found a great place to camp. Great views of the Tatoosh range and a good slope for digging a snow cave!

After getting their tent set up dicey, Mark, and AB took off to get some turns in. I stayed to dig out “The Cave”. Aussie stayed with me to help dig. I told her she didn’t have to help me and she could take off to do some snowshoeing. She still stuck around to help. She rocks! She was so much help. Thank-you very much for your help! I had been dreaming about this cave for a week now. I knew I was going to be stuck at camp not being able to board so I had a plan. I wanted it to be big enough for AB and I to sit up from our sleep position. I also wanted plenty of room for Dicey and Mark to come in and sit with us later in the evening when it got colder. We stared to dig and dig and dig and dig and......well you get the point. The snow was great! The first 2.5' - 3' was fresh fluff. Then a layer of 2+" ice, this would be our ceiling. Then a 2-3' layer of compact snow. Then another 2" ice layer. One would dig out and toss it to the entrance then the other would dig and toss it out of the entrance. Quite the project!

the digging begins

A few hours later AB shows up and relieves Aussie. Aussie and I were almost finished with the cave part. Aussie headed back to the TH. Aussie, thanks again, I enjoyed your help and company. I hope we can get together again. An hour or so later we finished digging the dining area. When exiting the cave you walk into the dining area with a large cooking table a bench for three and a captains chair. It took 3.5 - 4 hours to complete a great snow cave and hangout area.

to the right is space enough for two to sleep and sit up.

sitting in the throne admireing the cave

Mark and Dicey arrived just in time to set up for dinner and cheeze. We all hung out in the dining area and enjoyed the evening. Dicey took a couple of runs in the dark on AB’s board.

feeding sharky the cheeze

Later we all went inside the cave for a warming up. I blocked the entrance with large blocks of snow and ice. It got up to 45+ degrees in the cave with the stove going. (A hole at the top of the door was used for ventilation). We hung out for a while by the light of a green glow stick. AB and I had a comfy night in the cave It was 35 degrees in there when I woke up.

breakfast in the dining room

the banch

The morning was quite nice. The sun was trying hard to work its way through the clouds and the mountain was out. Things were still grey and flat though. After breakfast dicey Mark and AB headed down the ridge a bit and I headed up the ridge for some snowshoeing. It was sooo pretty up there I wished the lighting was better. I reached the high point of the ridge 6300' and waited for dicey and Mark to meet me at the top.

high point on the ridge. some great cornices here

look for St Helens.

happy camper

We all met back at the camp and started to pack up. The demolition of the cave was quite fun and some work (well built ) . Mark and Dicey jumped on the roof to get it to collapse. I didn’t get any shots of this I hope AB will post some. It was quite funny to watch them disappear into a hole in the snow . Fun times for me . I couldn’t snowboard but I was happy to get some good exercise digging and snowshoeing. Being in such a beautiful spot as Paradise area in the winter. I completely enjoyed the company of 4 great people. I couldn’t ask for anything more. Thanks all! I hope they all will add their 2 cents and pictures.

[Hiker Boy]

Very nice! Keep those snow camping location ideas coming for me!

[l]

Nice digs. That one shot looks suspiciously like a coffin. Are you sure there wasn't a sixth person along for the hike?

[silence]

Snow there over the weekend was awesome – like walking on clouds – so gentle on the feet; on previous trips it had been hard and crusty. We snowshoed up from Narada Falls early Sat - breaking trail from the saddle (where the ridge trail starts above Reflection Lake) - it was heavenly. One of the nicest snowshoe ever. Agreed ... conditions made it especially challenging for photos.

[dicey]

mmmmm cheeze! Luckily, the dark clouds that menaced us most of the weekend, never produced more than a light, short-lived flurry sunday afternoon. Good timing, and good times

[ActionBetty]

The cave ruled! I can say this trip was not near long enough...it felt unholy to leave the beautiful domain Tazz so proudly engineered, after one evening of humble aboding. One thing I learned about backcountry boarding... what you go down..you must come back up ..this limited my runs but I got one good one in ..weeeeeeee. I do have some pics and small vid clip of part of the destruction that i will post laters....as much as I wanted to jump up and down on the roof of the cave to collapse it.. I had a fear of getting snow up my jacket because I was only wearing one thin layer under that.. Awesome time..thanks again Tazz, Dicey, Mark and Aussie for a fabulous trip!! Next time I must bring along cheeze

[ActionBetty]

Right click save for destruction vid clip

[dicey]

Destruction? You call that destruction? Looks more like a feeble foible followed by an attempted live burial by so called "friends" More skiing, more skiing, more skiing! Someday, I hope my skiing ability will catch up to my enthusiasm for it!

[ree]

Sounds like a blast!!! Glad you had fun! Waaa? No night sledding for Tazz?! Poor baby!!!

[Tazz]

Psst......AB you were supposed to distroy the video so there was no eveidnce of the burial. Now what are we to do when she claims attemped burial. Now, how in the heck did she get out of it? We knocked her out good. I thought you closed that cave up good and tight Mark.... Now look, she is out ..... Ree- HA...no sledding... not this time and never again. That night sledding is comeing back and biteing me in the ass now .

[Don]

Tsk tsk tsk! You're supposed to build the sleeping area above the top of the entrance so as to trap the heat. Looks like you are going to have to go back and try again!

[ActionBetty]

[Kat]

Awesome TR - loved the snow cave photos - thanks for telling it like it is! I always thought a snow cave would be kind of claustrophobic ... maybe not, seeing these great pics! Then again, not sure I want to spend 3-4 hours pitching camp... Actually I've thought about day hiking in, building the dang thing, and then coming back the next weekend. Just my luck somebody else would be in there tho! Glad y'all had a great time.

[Newt]

Cool report Tazz. That's something I've wanted to do for some time. Looks fun. Thanks

[Spotly]

Nice report. I really enjoyed it and the pics were great.