Snow Caves, Snow Balls, Snowshoes and Snow Storms

It feels like Spring here in the valley, but last week the Grade 8 class headed to the mountains for one last Winter fix….and got what they bargained for! Treated to sunny skies on Tuesday and Thursday for their hikes to and from Banner Ridge and Elkhorn Yurts, Wednesday was full of snow! Snow caves, snow balls, snowshoes, and snow storms!

From their base at nearly 6,500 ft, students spent time measuring layers within the snowpack, calculating how much water was in the snowpack (the Snow Water Equivalent is ~26cm if you’re curious) and measuring and identifying tracks in the snow. Some ambitious students also built and then slept in snow caves! Everyone was surprised to learn that, when built correctly, snow caves are capable of supporting up to 12 students on top! Other activities included story-time (Jack London’s classic To Build a Fire) and winter risk assessment.

With this trip under their belts, Grade 8 students are primed for their first point-to-point trip this spring when they tackle 25 miles in Hell’s Canyon!