There’s nothing quite as inviting as a snug cabin on wintry day. (Tim Jones photo)

For the past three years, Marilyn and I have celebrated New Year’s by hiking into a remote cabin with friends.  Two winters ago, seven of us hiked into the AMC’s Cardigan High Cabin for an overnight. Last year, four of us ventured to the Black Mountain Cabin, on the White Mountain National Forest in Jackson, New Hampshire. We were scheduled for two nights but only stayed one because we couldn’t get the cabin even slightly warm.

This year our friends David and Susan joined us for an adventure which lasted three days and two nights right after Christmas. Our haven was “Nenorod,” the most remote of seven cabins (which rent for $45-$75/night) at Merck Forest (802 394-7836)  in Rupert, Vermont,  right  on the New York border. Nenorod supposedly sleeps eight—it was perfect for four people with winter gear.

We met in Manchester Center, Vermont, for a hearty breakfast at the appropriately-named “Up For Breakfast” (802-362-4204). Climbing the long, steep stairs to this eatery was a good warmup for what was coming. As we ate, we watched the cold rain pouring down. Not exactly the weather we’d hoped for.

As we drove into Rupert, the snow disappeared.  All that was left was heavily crusted patches in the woods. We’d planned on testing a Nordic Cab pulk as part of a pack and pulk combo, pulling some of our gear behind us as we hiked in on snowshoes. The lack of snow forced us to spend an hour sorting and repacking to leave the pulk behind. The good news: the rain slackened a bit as we adjusted.

The ground had been cold when the barely-above-freezing rain had started, so the trail we had to walk on was a slanted skating rink. Instead of wearing our snowshoes, we strapped them to our packs  (there was snow in the forecast) and put on traction aids. Without the creepers, we’d have had to wear the snowshoes for traction. I don’t believe we could have walked safely with backpacks without some traction assistance.

Nenorod is 2.5 miles, mostly uphill, from the Merck Forest Visitor’s Center, and it took us about two hours to hike it with heavy packs. Along the way, we passed several spots that were supposed to offer spectacular views, but all we could see was fog.  This is intensively managed forest, and we did see evidence of their sugaring operation—tubing, collection  tanks and well-cared-for sugarbush.

Just about the time the packs started feeling REALLY HEAVY, we saw the cabin looking cozy through the fog. Hallelujah!

The cabin appearing suddenly through the fog and rain as we trudged up hill with heavy packs was a welcome sight. (Tim Jones photo)

We divided up chores naturally. David carried in firewood from the supply on the porch while I split kindling with the Gerber Axe I’d packed in. Marilyn and Susan emptied packs, laid out pads and sleeping bags on bunks and organized the kitchen. A few minutes later, we had a fire blazing in the woodstove, the cabin was warming nicely, and it was time for lunch and an afternoon nap—one of the many joys of cabin camping.

Later, we watched the weather clear in time for a spectacular sunset, then we sat and drank wine and talked. Dinner was a hearty stew (no freeze-dried glop on these trips!) and pre-cooked rice eaten by the soft yellow light of a Coleman backpack lantern. From the cabin porch, the only electric light visible was a beacon on a faraway ridge.

Bed time came very early; we let the stove go out allowed the cabin to cool and reveled in the coziness of warm mummy sleeping bags through the long night.

It’s amazing how fast you can decompress and let the stresses of civilization melt away in a remote cabin—especially when you are warm, well fed and completely comfortable.  Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out and enjoy!

The Fun Continues

A few minutes of unpacking and starting the woodstove turns an empty cabin into a warm and inviting refuge. (Tim Jones photo)

The next morning we were up before the sun (which seemingly slept in with a blanket of clouds and falling snow). The woodstove quickly warmed the cabin and we lingered over a breakfast of Eggbeaters (easier to carry than eggs), scrambled with fixin’s. The wind was up, the snow was starting to fall heavily and Marilyn and Susan decided to keep the woodstove company while David and I trekked back out for more water (there wasn’t enough snow to melt) and some food we had left behind.

Taking a longer trail, we made it down to the cars in 50 minutes, grabbed what we needed. As we headed up, the snow was starting to build up just enough to clog our creeper cleats and prevent them from digging into the ice, which  made the walking even more treacherous.

We arrived at the cabin famished, just in time for a hearty lunch of leftover stew. Then we read, talked, played a spirited game of Parcheesi on a tiny game board and enjoyed another afternoon nap. A perfectly relaxing day . . . Outside the temperature continued dropping and the wind picked up as the snow fell sidewise.

After appetizers (smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers) and another spectacular dinner (sautéed chicken breasts and sweet potatoes), we sipped wine and listened to the wind trying valiantly to hurl the cabin off the ridge. Then we built up the fire for the night and headed once again for snug sleeping bags.

All Good Things Must End

The thermometer read five below zero the next morning, with a howling wind. Some of the snow drifts were waist deep.

Though packing in snowshoes in the rain had seemed silly, they made the walk out much easier. The views were indeed spectacular, but it was too cold to linger–it would have been brutal without proper clothing. We were chilled by the time we reached the cars, but had more warm clothes available if we’d needed them for safety or comfort.

On the way home the radio weather weenies were blathering about staying home in the dangerous cold. We laughed. We’ve already reserved the cabin for next year.

The AMC cabin on Cardigan Mountain in New Hampshire was the scene of the first annual New Year’s Cabin Getaway. Though the location changes each year, the Getaway has become an annual tradition. (David Shedd photo)

Three rules for having fun outdoors in winter:

1) Snow changes everything.

2) Ice changes everything.

3) Cold changes everything.

4) As a result of rules 1, 2, and 3, winter adventures require more careful planning than summer excursions of equal duration.

Personally, I think everything is more fun in the winter—which is why I’m rejoicing at  the snow in my yard (and almost everywhere else across New England and New York). Winter’s finally here for most of us.

Every New Year’s, my sweetheart Marilyn and I do a winter cabin adventure with my buddy David and his sweetheart Susan. It’s become an annual tradition. We invite other people along but they are always “too busy” around the holidays. Their loss.

Two winters ago, seven of us hiked into the AMC’s High Cabin on New Hampshire’s Mount Cardigan  on New Year’s Day. We planned the trip meticulously and had a wonderful time. The worst things that happened were we got a late start when two people showed up without having packed the night before (trying to organize a group is like trying to herd cats), and one of our coffee addicts forgot to bring creamer. Oh, and we had too much food.

The Black Mountain Cabin on the White Mountain National Forest is another option for a winter cabin getaway—just be prepared for it to be as cold inside as it is outside. (Tim Jones photo)

Last year, however, the AMC stopped providing firewood at the High Cabin, so four of us ventured to the Black Mountain Cabin, on the White Mountain National Forest  in Jackson, New Hampshire. There, our meticulous planning didn’t go quite as well. We’d assumed that firewood supply would be the major problem and we solved that handily. But we’d never imagined a woefully inadequate woodstove. We still had a wonderful time, but we decided to stay only one night instead of the two we’d planned.

This year our adventure is scheduled for the Sunday, Monday and Tuesday after Christmas, and we’re off to explore “Nenorod,” one of seven cabins ($45-$75/night) at Merck Forest (802 394-7836)  in Rupert, Vermont,  right  on the New York border.

We’ve never been there, never seen the place, which means we need to ask a lot of questions and do a lot of planning to make sure we are comfortable and safe (remember the four rules?). We have to plan on snow, ice and cold.

The website provides a brief description of the cabin and a summer-oriented checklist  but it left many questions unanswered. So we asked . . .

One of our main questions was about firewood and the wood stove. After ll the warmth of the woodstove after a long day outdoors is the main reason for renting a cabin.

The nice folks at Merck Forest were quick to answer. It turns out there’s plenty of the former and, apparently, a very adequate woodstove to burn it in. All we need to worry about is kindling, which isn’t supplied. So we’ll bring a Sven saw and a Gerber hatchet which should solve the kindling issue (neither saw nor axe is supplied at the cabin).

Can you imagine arriving at a cold cabin and not being able to start a fire for lack of kindling? We’ll have plenty of clothing and winter sleeping bags so safety isn’t an issue. But comfort is . . .

Remember, snow, ice and cold changes everything, and if you want to be comfortable and safe outdoors in the winter, you need plan ahead. Life isn’t a spectator sport. Get out and enjoy!

Making a list, Checking It Twice

Setting off for an unfamiliar destination in the winter is always a bit of a leap into the unknown. All you can do is ask as many questions as you can, learn as much as you can, and go on past experience in similar situations. If you don’t have experience to draw on, do your first adventure in a class situation such as the programs offered at the AMC New Hampshire Chapter’s Winter Workshops (www.amc-nh.org).  Either that or try camping out in your own back yard or someplace else with an easy escape route if something goes wrong.

The website told us that the cabin  is about 2.5 miles from the parking area. But by asking questions we learned that there are a couple of very steep sections of trail, so we’re better off with snowshoes than skis on this trek.

The website told us there’s no convenient,  safe water supply for this cabin in the winter—so we’ll bring a filter and plenty of containers and hike to the nearest water supply. Only people who have never done it think it’s easy to melt enough snow for a winter water supply (though icicles hanging off a cabin rood are fair game . . .)

We also asked about cabin equipment  and now know to bring our own mattresses,  sleeping bags cooking gear, camp chairs, lights, and that very critical item: toilet paper for the outhouse.

We’ve got the clothing we need to be warm in extreme weather, and the proven gear that’ll keep us safe and comfortable. We’ve got good backpacks to carry most of it in and we’ll be testing a nifty new pulk from Norway for some And we’ve got a list to make the gear, clothing and food we need gets into the backpacks and the pulk so we have it when we need it.

Think Microclimate

One of the more useful tools for planning any winter adventure is the NOAA Snow Depth Map. It’ll give you some clue about what you are likely to encounter anywhere you go out to play.

But it doesn’t tell the whole story. For example, we had a BIG snowstorm yesterday. The snow depth map for today has my house squarely in a broad band of 4- to 6 inches of snow.  Drive a few miles from my house and that’s absolutely accurate.

But my house is on top of a hill, in the wind shadow of a higher  hill, and I shoveled 13 inches of  new snow off my deck and walkways last night. Even after settling overnight, there’s still 10 inches of  snow everywhere I measured.

Just something to pay attention to—snowdepths can change rapidly over a few miles—or even a few feet and you need to be prepared to handle the worst you encounter.

The right gear will keep you comfortable even if the woodstove won't. (Tim Jones photo

Use this checklist to make sure you have everything you need to keep you warm, comfortable , and well-fed on your next winter cabin adventure. It’s set up for a two-night getaway but the basic gear is the same if you are going for one night or two weeks. If you’d like a printer-friendly copy of this list, just email me.

FOOD

Day 1:

Breakfast (before leaving trailhead)

Lunch/trail snacks:

Appetizers:

Dinner :

Day 2:

Breakfast:

Lunch/trail snacks:

Appetizers:

Dinner:

Day 3:

Breakfast:

Lunch/trail snacks

GEAR

Gear, common:

Stove/fuel (Note some cabins are equipped with a stove, some aren’t. Somedo not allow white gas stoves but do allow propane or butane canister stoves) Make sure you check for your specific cabin.

Nesting pots

Large pots (for melting snow, heating water)

Fry pan

Tea pot

Percolator or coffee press

Lanterns:

gas/fuel

battery/spares

Matches/Lighters

Paper Towels

First Aid Kit

Emergency Kit

Shovel (some cabins supply)

Hatchet (for splitting kindling–some cabins supply)

firestarters

Air Grill Blower (very handy for starting a woosdtove)

CLOTHING

Underwear (not cotton)

Long underwear (Polyester or wool not cotton )

Extra socks (wool or polyester, not cotton)

Slippers or insulated booties (so we don’t track our snowy boots into the cabin)

Insulation layers (suggest multiple layers of fleece or wool and a lightweight “puffy” jacket)

Outer shell pants and jacket [Note no matter how cold it is, you are likely to overheat while snowshoeing in, especially carrying a big pack. Layers of insulation and a shell are more versatile than an insulated parka and pants.]

Warm hat and mittens

Light gloves (for snowshoeing in and to wear in the cabin if you are cold)

Boots appropriate for snowshoeing (insulated is nice, heavy isn’t)

Gaiters (not absolutely necessary but nice if you have them!)

Neckwarmer, scarf or face mask (you’ll want it if the wind is blowing)

Bandana (use it as a potholder and towel)

PERSONAL GEAR

Backpack or Pulk or both. Make sure it’s big enough for all personal gear and clothing plus some common gear/food.

Waterproof stuff sack for extra clothing

Water, 2 quarts minimum for hike in (cold air dehydrates rapidly).

Snowshoes/skis/creepers (depending on snow conditions–remember, conditions coming out may be very different than conditions going in

Ski or trekking poles

Headlamp

Knife, fork, spoon, cup, plate, bowl

Sunglasses

Sunscreen

Toilet paper/baby wipes

Cell phone (for emergency use only . . .)

Toothbrush/floss

Book/reading glasses (some of us are getting OLD)

map and compass

Medications

SLEEPING

Sleeping bag [Note that some cabins have a woodstove which may or may not keep the place warm--be prepared for cold]

Sleeping pad (closed cell foam for insulation)

Self inflating air mattress (for comfort on hard wooden bunks)

Pillow and pillowcase, as desired

Hat, clean/dry longies and socks (to wear inside sleeping bag)

Earplugs (in case someone snores)