NOLS WOE Tetons Ski Mountaineering Expedition: Day 14 – Climbing to High Camp

After it provided us refuge from the biggest snowstorm of the season, today it was finally time to leave our Bailey Meadows camp and climb higher. Notes:

• Packed up camp early this morning. We’ve been eating lots of food and naturally assumed that our packs and sleds would be lighter. However, due to both Jake leaving behind his portion of gear, food, and fuel, and Emily’s team picking up a food and fuel cache a few days earlier, we were actually hauling a lot more.
• It’s a good thing, though. Up here at high camp, the temperature is a bit colder, and the wind whips down from the looming peaks faster and harder. All we can do to stay warm is layer up and keep eating emergy dense foods.
• Because Jake left the group, we’ve reorganized ourselves into three groups of four. Now, I’m in a new cook group, which is a good opportunity to fine tune “expedition behavior” with a new group of people. Also, my group is “vegetarian” so I’ll get some experience cooking a new menu.
• The skin up to high camp was hard, but relatively straightforward – we had already broke trail to high camp the day before while we were touring.
• Once in camp, we got to work setting up our snow caves. This time around much larger and more elaborate.
• The snow here is about 180cm deep, and I got a good workout shoveling it all out.
• Quick dinner tonight and bed. Looking forward to spectacular weather and high country ski touring tomorrow.