The Red-Tailed Hawks Build Snow Caves and Experience the Backcountry in Winter

At Wild Whatcom, we strive to make the Explorer's Club experience place based. We spend lots of time down in the wet, lush lowlands that surround the city of Bellingham so as to better connect to the land that we call home. As the boys grow in age, skill and maturity, we have opportunities to explore places that are further away from home and we can begin to put our lowland ecosystem into context with our larger bioregion. Our favorite low elevation haunts (including Lake Padden, N. Lake Whatcom and the Nooksack Delta) could not exist in the way that they do in the absence of the North Cascades. These steep, remote mountains shove incoming (eastbound) air upward causing water in the air to condense forming clouds and eventually rain. This rain rushes through creeks and rivers bringing sediments down to the base of the mountains and provide fertile soil for flood plain ecosystems. Of course, the healthy snowpack that is made possible by the sheer height of these mountains provides crucial water and fish habitat, especially during the months of August and September when we do not see much precipitation here in Bellingham.  Last week, the Red-Tailed Hawks had their third opportunity to explore in these mountainous ares together. This time, our trusty bus Merkel brought us to our furthest (and highest) point yet, to the Heather Meadows parking lot near the Mt. Baker Ski area.

Our focus for the day was three-fold. 1) We wanted an opportunity to practice building a snow cave. 2) We aimed to cover some basic snow travel fundamentals including some common hazards to be aware of in addition to covering what kind of preparation, gear and skill is needed before heading out into the backcountry in winter. 3) To hone our layering and personal preparedness skills. Digging a snow cave while it is also precipitating outside presents and interesting conundrum. How do I stay warm enough while at the same time avoid sweating, so as not to soak any under layers and cause myself get cold? As you may have expected, the answer is a goldilocks balancing act that requires careful attention to ones body temperature. In the end, the boys would have opportunities to practice all of these skills and gain experience utilizing these principles.

Our adventure started with a parking lot circle and conversation regarding what it means to have a backcountry mindset. Please ask your explorer to explain to you what a backcountry mindset is; this should be sinking in well as we have had this conversation before heading out on our last three outings now.  They should say, somehow in their own vernacular, that a backcountry mindset requires them to be more careful, attentive, responsible and aware than they would normally be in a front country setting. We reviewed that anytime you are in the backcountry, you are in a remote setting that is a great distance (and therefore, time) from definitive medical care. This understanding makes it quite obvious as to why a more responsible attitude and a focused attention to risk management and safety is so important when exploring in these kinds of places.

Just through the gate - ready to head out!

This conversation was reinforced well by a visit that we set up before hand with a Mt Baker Pro Patroller (Kaden) as we crossed through the backcountry gate on our way out of the Heather Meadows parking lot. Kaden was kind enough to spend some time talking to us about what his job at the mountain is, what kind of risk he is tasked with managing and some common hazards that we face when traveling in snow. He also shared with us some of the more common mistakes that he sees people make in the backcountry that puts themselves and others in danger.  We were grateful to form a new community connection with the Mt Baker Pro Patrol and appreciate the time, skill, experience and wisdom that Kaden was willing to share with us today.

We then headed (post-holing the whole way!) past a couple patches of trees and found our basecamp for the day. The boys did a survey and deemed the spot appropriate for our purposes; there were snow banks in which to dig caves and an ample sledding path.

Is this a good spot?

Right off the bat, the Red-Tailed Hawks demonstrated their maturity by anticipating that we would likely appreciate a quick shelter where we could store our packs and get out of the weather at times during our day. The boys quickly got to work clearing an area in the snow, erecting wind-blocking walls and utilizing a tarp that we brought as a roof to build a nice shelter that allowed us to reduce our exposure to the elements for the remainder of the day. Good call boys!

Finishing up our shelter

Can all of us Hawks fit in there?

We enjoyed a break inside of our new shelter to eat some food and hydrate in preparation for our snow cave challenge that was coming after lunch.

Looks like we all fit - time for some food!

For the snow cave challenge, the Red-Tailed Hawks were split into two groups that would work alternately in shifts on the same snow cave. This way, everyone would get to be involved in the design, and no one person would end up working more than the others.

During their "off" shifts, the boys did some snow pack and layer analysis with the mentors. They also got a chance to use a probe and learn about how that tool is utilized up in the snow (both as a measuring tool as well as part of an avalanche rescue toolkit).

We can track the weather in the layers of the snowpack

Learning about probes

At one point today, the boys reverted back to behavior that we as mentors consider to be expected of Red-Tailed Eyas, but certainly not Red-Tailed Hawks. Apparently, during the digging of the snow cave, the boys decided to bury some of the groups gear (packs, thermoses, water bottles) as a joke. Upon their discovery, the mentors immediately held a very frank circle and helped to boys understand how their juvenile behavior was actually a safety problem. How can we all stay safe if our only warm and dry layers are now wet because our backpacks were buried? How can we stay hydrated if we loose a water bottle in the snow? What if one of the packs that was buried contained the first aid kit and we needed it in a hurry? This lapse in judgment on the part of the Red-Tailed Hawks provided a perfect opportunity for us all to see how seemingly silly and innocent goofiness can have real consequences in a backcountry setting.

Are we Eyas or Hawks? Action speaks

At the end of our day, we held a focused debrief regarding our snow cave and its design, as well as how well we worked together as a team. The mentors thought the snow cave was impressive. Ask your explorer about the basics of snow cave design - the Hawks did a good job of incorporating the important fundamentals of snow cave construction into the one that they built together on this outing.

A great sleeping bench!

Of course, every day together ends with an Attitude of Gratitude circle and this day was no different. We gave thanks that the forecasted rain instead fell as snow.  We gave thanks for the fact that we have these mountains so close by to where we live. One of us gave thanks simply for getting to spend a whole day together with most of the Red-Tailed Hawks.

Okay, we were grateful for sledding too!

On the bus ride home, we warmed our cold hands and feet and looked forward to our next outing: birding at the Skagit River Wildlife Area! To see the rest of the photos from our day, click here!