Hunkering down? When, Where and How?

[dave.m]

The recent deaths and, just as importantly, the escapes from the Whites this year raise a question for me. I'm sorry to start a seperate thread on this but this question has been skirted in other threads or dealt with only a bit. So, I would like to focus the discussion a bit.

[Please note: I would like to keep this away from second guessing anybody's decisions, especially those of the recent victim.]

1) At what point do you do you hunker down when in bad weather above treeline? As quoted in the Herald (see http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=2889&format= ), a USFS Ranger noted that the women who got pinned down on Washington made the right call. "Instead of fighting the conditions, they hunkered down, as they should have.'' Others have noted that it is better to stop to bivy while still strong enough to bivy well. So, what should be considered when making a decision to hunker down as opposed to fleeing?

2) Where is the best place to bivy? In particular, how much benifit is there to getting down below treeline and are those benifits enough to risk pressing into bad conditions to achieve? Are the places where it is just impossible to bivy? What do you look for above treeline in the Whites for a survivable bivy location?

3) How can you bivy above treeline? The women who survived Washington built a snow trench but my experiences on Adams, Madison, Lafayette, Garfield and other winter peaks suggests to me that finding enough snow for this is not entirely common. Do bivy sacks provide any real protection? Is a sleeping bag or sleeping pad a must have?

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

My Integral Designs bivy is waterproof/wind-proof, so yes, it would definately help... though I'm sure it'd be drafty in gales. In high winds, I'd have to make sure I bivy in a flat/secure area or tie-down... or else the nylon bottom will assure a very quick descent of the mountain.

 

[Silverback]

Tough questions with many variables.

I agree that getting below the treeline is preferable, if it is an attainable goal. First the protection against wind (consequently frostbite and/or hypothermia) is exponentially better. Secondly, less altitude = closer to rescue. Third less likelyhood of whiteout conditions. Fourthly, perhaps most importantly, more materials/opportunity for possible shelter.

One thing I would definitely try to do is to stay close to the trail that I designated on my itinerary that I left with someone.

However, if visability has become such that you can't see ten feet in front of you, it probably isn't wise to travel far. I would look for a place out of the direct wind if possible (a boulder, for example, or a natural "bowl"). I would definitely consider a snow trench or shelter, as a properly constructed one goes a long way toward protection. In the case where there is not enough snow, I would guess that you can discern enough of the topographical features of the mountain to find better shelter opportunities.

I don't think a bivy alone would be that much help in an exposed stormy situation, but a waterproof cover coupled with a winter bag and pad (for insulation from the ground), might get you through.

In any case, if I was heading out into a situation where there was even a possibilty of having to hunker down, I would go out fully armed, bag, pad, emergency blanket/bag cover, dry clothes, small shovel, rope, emergency beacon, high calorie food (body fuel), matches, candle lantern (amazing how it can heat a small enclosed area, plus it provides enough heat to melt snow for water), metal cup/pot and all the other stuff one would take on a long dayhike that has a possibilty of turning into an over night.

Then I would load my pack, strap it on, realize that it's too heavy to climb with, so I change my mind and hike some nice level, safe trail.

Problem solved

 

[Frosty]

My Integral Designs bivy is waterproof/wind-proof, so yes, it would definately help... though I'm sure it'd be drafty in gales. In high winds, I'd have to make sure I bivy in a flat/secure area or tie-down... or else the nylon bottom will assure a very quick descent of the mountain.

Would being waterproof cause a problem? Not saying it would, but I am curious. It seems to me that a vapor barrier would be much warmer than a breathable bivy, but I am struck by one of Russell's comments that their clothing had become wet, and then froze when they tried to move on Monday, forcing their return to find shelter.

I tend to carry a lot of cothing. If I wore long poly/wool thermal underwear and windpants on the bottom, and long sleeve poly thermal and a short-sleeve wicking shirt on top under a parka shell, with a long sleeve wicking shirt and a mid-weight fleece shirt in my pack, how much more would a bivy help?

I carry one of those orange and foil reflecting tarps, and have chemical warmers. I recently lost my ZRest pad but will replace it.

I don't carry a bivy, tent, sleeping bag or stove. I'm not sure that I need those things.

I want to be prepared, but I don't want to be carrying a lot of stuff unnecessarily "just in case." I want to survive being out overnight, not maintain a comfort level.

I guess what I'm wrestling with is, what is enough? What is more than I need to make it through the night?

On one hand, I think I might need less because I tend to abandon hikes early on in bad weather. On the other hand, it is getting hurt and being immobilized that bothers me most.

I will have a lot to think about between now and next winter season.

Frosty

 

[MichaelJ]

I am struck by one of Russell's comments that their clothing had become wet, and then froze

A good point ... one of the problems the Cox's faced was the bizarre weather: subfreezing temperatures but 100% relative humidity. Just what *can* you do in that situation, clothing or activity-wise, to protect yourself?

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

I forgot to mention two things:

1) My waterproof-BREATHABLE bivy... a non breathable bag would result in condensation

2) my waterproof-breathable bivy with winter sleeping bag... a bag alone probably wouldn't suffice

A bivy adds 5-10 degrees to a sleeping bag, plus it'd block a good portion of the wind... much more than a parka alone.

Of course you may be able to survive certain conditions without a bivy or without a sleeping bag, but each piece adds another degree of safety... especially when soloing.

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

a bag alone probably wouldn't suffice

Boy, I've been an idiot lately... I meant "a BIVY alone probably wouldn't suffice". Gonna get my cup of coffee now...

 

[dave.m]

I'm not impressed with the breathability of GoreTex or similar bivies. IME, they get frosted over pretty fast. Still, their windproofness is so superior that I can see their merits.

I would love, love, love to hear from folks who have bivied above treeline in the whites. What sort of features do you look for? What is the best method for doing it?

I think tarps of any type would be pointless - just kites with no strings attached. Is a shovel needed to dig out snow trenches? Is there really ever enough snow above treeline to consider caves? (Not that I've seen).

 

[Survival Boy]

Tarps are hardly pointless, a bivy sack is basically a sewn tarp with an entrance and will fly away just as well as a tarp would when unweighted. Tarps are not used in the same way as they are below treeline, above treeline in a storm, they are used in the same way as a spaceblanket, you wrap yourself up in it and wait for conditions to improve. In large groups going above treeline, I always bring a tarp, it's like a bivy that more than one person can use, conserving bodyheat. Below treeline, a big enough tarp can be used as a stretcher when combined with two strong branches, something that cannot be done with a bivy sack.

For digging out a snow shelter, a shovel makes life a whole lot more bearable, but is never necessary. Use your hands, feet, ice tools, a helmet, cooking pots, or anything else that can be put to use without a lot of unpacking. Good locations for these are anywhere that has enough snow, is preferably sheltered, and is out of avalanche paths.

The amount of snow available is dependent on location, weather patterns, and wind direction - all things that change daily above treeline. That said, snow often piles up against wind obstructions like big rocks or in hard packed ridges called sastrugi (formed and packed down by wind), so look for mounds of snow and dig in.

For bivying, sleeping bags and pads are great to have, but can be done without when in a pinch. A great sleeping pad and bivy extension is your backpack, it's padded, you can put more padding inside, it holds your gear, and you can even put yourself part way inside for some extra protection from the elements.

I usually only bring a sleeping bag with me while hiking in groups. Hiking by myself or when climbing in a place like Huntington Ravine, I have a belay parka and belay pants which I can put on over all my layers and basically use as a mobile sleeping bag. It's not as warm as my winter sleeping bag, but it will get the job done and allow me to walk, an added bonus.

The bottom line is that you should at least bring a space blanket, a good compass (that you know how to use), basic first aid supplies, heat packs, a lightsource with xtra batteries, and a knife (all of which should be carried on every trip). Use your head, and train it well - read up and practice necessary skills, take classes, talk to knowledgeable people, and use your judgment. We are only responsible for our own actions.