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Darrell and I build an igloo somewhere in the Colorado backcountry every year. We choose spectacularly scenic locations. We pack gourmet foods. We pack champagne. We leave the tents at home. We camp in the middle of the frigid backcountry in a shelter of ice and snow. Are we crazy? Many people will say "yes," as I talk about my igloo camping plans. Sleeping in a pile of snow doesn't appeal to most people. Visions of Inuits huddling under blocks of ice usually come to mind. Still, the experience has become an annual camping tradition for the two of us. After hiking out of the backcountry after a failed igloo attempt in 2002 (inexperience and no back-up shelter), we've successfully completed, and camped in, igloos in each of the last two winters. It's a tradition that will likely carry on for many, many years — as we've found that the thrill of the igloo experience is hard to beat.
My fascination with igloo camping (and winter camping in general) began after a chance meeting in 2001 with the inventor of an igloo-making tool called the IceBox. Ed Heusers, co-owner of Grand Shelters (the company who produces the IceBox), talked me into hiking into the backcountry of Rocky Mountain National Park with him to build, and sleep in, an igloo. I wasn't too sure about the idea at the time. Sleeping in a cold pile of ice and snow sounded about as fun as walking into a blizzard naked. But Ed assured me that the igloo experience would be warmer, dryer and more enjoyable than any other winter camping method I'd tried in the past. As it turned out, he was right. I was immediately hooked, and began an effort to recruit friends for future igloo adventures.
Camping in an igloo has its pros and cons. The warmth, dryness and quiet sleeping conditions simply cannot be matched by other winter camping methods. No matter what the temperature is outside the igloo, you can usually expect a balmy, dry 40 degrees inside (with a stove running). The thick walls of solidified ice will prevent you from knowing if there's a blizzard with 60 mile per hour winds raging outside. You can safely cook inside your shelter. You will have plenty of room to spread out yourself and your gear. You can come back the next weekend, and use the same shelter. On the other hand, the relatively large amount of work and time required to complete an igloo makes them impractical shelter for frequent winter outings. For this reason, I still rely on my trusty 4-season tent for most winter excursions. Still, the igloo experience is quite addictive — and the process is quite rewarding. You will shovel and pack snow for 4 to 6 hours straight, enjoy some extremely luxurious winter camping and be rewarded with a solid shelter that can last for weeks (depending on weather conditions).
Darrell tells me about the Heart Lake trail as we drive into the Indian Peaks Wilderness west of Rollinsville — a small town located west of Boulder on Co 119. I love hiking in the Indian Peaks, an area that offers the kind of rugged beauty that can be found in nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. I have enjoyed many summer adventures in this beautiful, and very popular, wilderness area. Yet, I have never hiked along the Heart Lake trail, which originates at the eastern portal of the Moffat Tunnel — a train tunnel that penetrates the mountains of the Continental Divide. The excitement of hiking a new trail is tempered somewhat by the baffling lack of snow along the Rollins Pass Road on this day in late-February. We see plenty of snow up high though, and hope for better snow conditions later in the day. We say as much as we pull into the large parking lot near the Moffat Tunnel. We both quickly shoulder our heavy packs in the biting winds and start briskly walking towards the trailhead. We have no destination in mind. We are going to stop either when we get too tired, or when we find a spectacular campsite. We say little as we enter the dark forest that surrounds South Boulder Creek.
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All photos copyright Jesse Speer
Map courtesy of National Geographic Topo!
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