Snow Camping in Banner Summit

Banner Summit Snow Camping Trip

Banner Summit Snow Camping Trip Bryan O., Bryan W. and I embarked on a one-night snowshoe/cross-country trip over the weekend. What a blast. We set off Saturday from the ski/park area around noon and climbed all day to get to one of the peaks in the area. Despite below-freezing (24 degrees F) temps, sunshine and little wind, it was relatively warm. I layered up before setting off and quickly found myself shedding the jacket, glove outers and hat in the first 1/8th of a mile. By 1:45 we found a campsite and began the two-hour dig/setup. One thing about snow camping -- you never run out of opportunities to stay warm.

At 3 p.m. we set off, without sleds, for a two-hour hike further into the loop. We saw magnificent birds of prey, rabbit tracks galore, and a beautiful sunset on the way back. Once back in camp it was time to melt water, prepare dinner and carry on a shouted conversation over the din of the roaring stoves. Going to be late after a hard day's work makes for some solid sleeping--I don't think anyone was up before 9 a.m.

The next morning, we packed up and headed back down the trail for our cars. It was a trip worthy of a few more nights, but we'll do that next time.