Cross Country Ski/Snowshoe Hunting - Experience & Thoughts?

[KFhunter]

I've been in a 20+ foot tree well 

Upside down, Canadians yelling down at me "you ok?" while they were toking up a joint. 


I was younger and flexible, got turned around and the rim was way up there above my head!


It was then I realized those trees weren't young reprod, but mature tree tops 


Snowmobile in a bowl, snow blew off the opposite mountain sides, over the top, and settled in the bowl I was in

[KFhunter]

I generally don't find predators in avalanche zones 

Unless I were after lynx

[Rob]

Just thought I would mention it.

I read about folks suffocating in tree wells just about every year.  And one never knows if they may pass thru an avy risk area on the way to predators.  Cascades are more prone to slides from what I understand.

Not reasons to stay off the skis, or out of the woods, just thoughts for consideration.

[Okanagan]

Some good stuff being posted. 

Small tree wells 3-4 feet deep make excellent places for a predator caller to sit.  Just your head from eyes up shows over the rim and you can see under limbs in some places. 

Most people probably know this but snow takes a “set’  after being disturbed.  It is not freezing in any normal melted sense anyway, but even dry powder snow in -40 firms up.  If you stir and toss snow, maybe shovel into a pile, within 20 minutes or so it will set up into a firm state that you can cut blocks from.  Avalanche snow “sets” so if buried, as quickly as possible press it back before it hardens, to make a breathing space and as much arm/leg space as possible.

Knowing that disturbed snow sets up has uses from making snow block shelters/windbreaks, to finding firm snow to travel with skis or snowshoes.  Some drifts will harden up after being stirred and moved by wind.  Animal tracks will often set up into a harder line of snow that holds up snowshoes much better than undisturbed snow.  On my last lynx I was too heavy with daypack and rifle for my snowshoes to hold me up about one step in four.  I found a line of old moose tracks that had hardened up and though it was a bit lumpy it kept me on top as long as it was headed my way.

[Rob]

I like the msr snow shoes with the removeable tails.  Having short tails make plung stepping down slopes so much easier.  adding the tails while traversing or ascending makes a big difference with float.

Some of the most exhausting and difficult travel I have done was while on snowshoes!

[Rob]

100% on snow setting like cement especially in an Avalanche.   Veering way off topic, but this is an outstanding anaysis of the tunnel.creek avy at Stevens pass.  Takes some time to go thru.  (Pains me to endorse anything produced by the NYT but this really is good)

https://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/index.html#/?part=tunnel-creek

[Okanagan]

Yep, tangent but FWIW:  another useful tracking aid of snow hardening after being disturbed is to age tracks in snow.  Others do this I'm sure, but I have learned to touch and feel of tracks in snow to help determine how long ago they were made.  For comparison I feel my own tracks with bare fingers.  Fresh tracks tend to be soft and then begin to harden, as described in posts above.

 If you hang around or come back past the same spot later, feel of the tracks again to compare and get a sense of how fast and how much they harden.  It is useful to know a track is about 15 minutes old, or hours old, or as fresh as mine...!  (In that case, look around.  He is probably watching you!)

[Fidelk]

Also, be aware, if knocked out (skiing) you can drown in a couple of inches of snow.

[doubletall]

Look up HOK skis.  I rented a pair in Winthrop last year and tried them on the hill behind my place in Twisp.  In deep snow you don't have to pick up your feet as much as with a snow shoes and I'd much rather skin up a hill than plod along on snow shoes.  Skiing down the hill was not nearly as fun as with my AT setup but that's not what they're really about.  The bindings will accept pretty much any kind of boot.  They're worth a look anyways.

[mcrawfordaf]

Man this has been a great thread with a ton of useful information! Thanks guys. You got me thinking about things I hadn't previously ever considered. No clue what a "tree well" was before this topic.

Any input on pulk sleds? Necessary? Useful?

[KFhunter]

Man this has been a great thread with a ton of useful information! Thanks guys. You got me thinking about things I hadn't previously ever considered. No clue what a "tree well" was before this topic.

Any input on pulk sleds? Necessary? Useful?

Polks would be hella loud, but super nice for hauling out the mt lion, wolf whatever.

I use my exo 1500 pack, without water bladder,  it holds a foxpro XWAVE perfectly, and my tripod, and all my calling gear, plus the rifle

I do have the lid on it.

That leaves me hands free for ski poles

[KFhunter]

I get something down I'm going to walk out and leave the critter, maybe pack, and get my snowmobile,  or polk


My odds haven't been so great as to carry in a polk each stand...lotta dragging an empty polk around 

[boneaddict]

Apparently you can bring out big bulls on snowshoes.   That’s a pretty cool photo

[KFhunter]

anyone know what pic Boneaddict is referring too?

[JimmyHoffa]

anyone know what pic Boneaddict is referring too?

Stud bull? Elk section.