Yesterday, Andrew and I hosted our first Ask Us Anything event of 2024. The topic was winter backpacking and our special guest was Montana-based guide, Richard Forbes.
Richard has guided more than 220 days across a wide range of mountain sports including rock climbing, mountain biking, mountaineering, whitewater, backpacking, backcountry skiing, map and compass, and photography. Over the last few years, Richard has:
- skied or mountaineered across the Isolation, Ptarmigan, Bailey, Chiwaukum and Enchantments traverses in Washington
- climbed and/or skied the five volcanoes of Washington
- rowed a raft down the Grand Canyon as part of a 27-day winter noncommercial trip, and
- visited 20 out of 26 wilderness glaciers of Glacier National Park as part of a multi-year storytelling project.
Topics covered include:
- Defining winter backpacking & the importance of understanding your region
- How to choose a location, especially as a beginner
- The biggest mistake Andrew and Richard have made winter backpacking
- How to obtain drinking water and stay hydrated
- The best stove and fuel to use in cold environments
- Food planning and ideal foods for winter travel
- Gear considerations
- Best use of snowshoes versus skis
- How to sleep warm and dry
- Vapor barrier liners: how they work and application
- Considerations for choosing a winter shelter
- Choosing and preparing a campsite and pitching your shelter
- How to deal with frozen boots overnight
- The importance of avalanche training if you’re recreating in that terrain
Suggestions for gear, skills for crossing late season snow patches. Should one carry spikes, an axe?