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Camp – Hoosier Pass Snowshoe Camp

An awesome overnight experience in a location that emphasizes the special beauty that winter in the mountains provides. Yes, this was a required component of WCS, but it gives more than enough incentive to enroll in the school, just to have the opportunity to learn how to have an experience like this.

Wayne Howell Wayne Howell
March 22, 2023
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • Snowshoes were a must, even if we had followed the trail to our campsite. But what fun is there in following a trail, especially when you have Gyorgy in the lead. Our off-trail route in 2-5 ft of untouched snow only added to the fun and adventure. I think those of us with sleds were a bit advantaged in the deep snow compared with those that had all their winter camping gear in backpacks, but we all stuck together.  

This overnight was part of CMC’s Winter Camping School but, more importantly, it allowed our group to enjoy the winter in a spectacular location high in the mountains with a set of leaders/instructors who ensured our safety and created a very special experience. It left me wanting to do this again (and again), which I guess is an objective of Winter Camping School. Our campsite was about a mile and 100 ft elevation gain (but whose counting at over 11,000 ft) from the Hoosier Pass parking lot, but it felt isolated and a world away from shelters that don’t fit into your backpack. We got there in time to have several hours of sunlight affording us spectacular views of the surrounding snow-covered peaks and giving us a pleasant distraction as we executed the chores necessary to set up camp for the night. Our camp was at the edge of the forest giving our group a bit of shelter from any wind, yet an unobstructed view. Our amazing leaders, Gyorgy, Kim, and Louise, hit it out of the park with this location. More importantly, they helped us learn to feel comfortable in this amazing environment and create memories that only a small minority of people have. We built our communal kitchen creating a location for our group to come together and share, share not only food, but our knowledge, life experiences, and fun. We also worked together on some snow structures with one member of our team finding the “courage” to call the snow trench home for the night. We took a short hike after dinner to warm up and get ready to welcome our high altitude dreams. The night got a bit cold (~0F) with a touch of wind, but we were prepared and comfortable. We all slept late in the morning, waiting for the sun to find our camp. Once it did we made short order of breakfast together, breaking down our tents, packing up, and returning our snow structures to the natural, undisturbed environment (or as close as a reasonable group effort could deliver). We made our way back to the trailhead, concluding our adventure.  We finished up with a group lunch at North America’s highest saloon. Unreservedly an amazing experience with a great group of people.