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Bowen Island, BC
Canada
610 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2005 : 4:31 PM
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As part of our holiday activities 3 families were up on Hollyburn Mountain to build an igloo yesterday (Sunday, Jan 02). The new one has an inside diameter of 10 feet.
I mentioned last year’s 11-foot inside diameterigloo in this thread http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8531. The snow for that one was much deeper. Although we built a rising entry tunnel, this year we could not go completely beneath the foundation.
If you are interested in seeing it, it is only a few minutes walking from the end of the XC/hikers ' road in Cypress Bowl.
Directions:
- Park at the end of the cross-country road on Hollyburn (drive past the XC area and the toboggan runs). This is the end of the road that people use to access the cabins and walk into the Lodge.
- Take the path at the end of the road. It meanders to a "T" intersection (about 10 minutes walking).
- Turn left (or uphill) at the "T" intersection and walk up for about 5 minutes. (This will end up at the Lodge if you walk too far -- not a bad destination for some hot chocolate after visiting the igloo.)
- You are looking for a secondary path on your right. On the uphill path, it is opposite the 2nd cabin on your left.
- This secondary path winds over a small rise and then descends to the igloo. It is a short distance from the main path to the igloo. The igloo is in a clearing beside the path on the right side.
- I believe the igloo is close to these coordinates: Lat. 49 degrees 22.432', Long. -123 degrees 11.138'.
Igloos are excellent protection from the weather, but are very prone to vandalism. Most that we built on Hollyburn/Cypress Bowl have been destroyed within a day or so. This location, among the cabins, seems more secure. I think it is because the neighbours (especially the kids) enjoy it and look out for it. As a site for an igloo it is excellent. It was once occupied by a cabin, so it is an open glade that receives more snow than we would find under the trees. Because of the many trees right beside it on the south and west, it is shaded. We are just above the snowline. Warmth and sunlight will cause the igloo to sag faster (or eventually melt). The trees provide much needed protection. Were I to build it as a shelter in the backcountry I’d prefer a higher and colder location. Unlike a tent, an igloo needs no protection from the wind.
I’d appreciate seeing some pictures (if you visit) or any reports on its condition. From the outside, the igloo looks smaller than it is because we piled snow around the base to make it easier to reach the top. The actual floor on the inside is lower than the base of the dome that you see from the outside.
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Bowen Island, BC
Canada
610 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2005 : 5:28 PM
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*Bump*
I'm bumping this up in the hopes that there will be someone in the vicinity of the igloo on the weekend who could visit it and let me know how it is.
It would be even better if you could take some digital pictures. 
Do you you have friends from out of town... anyone who believes that Canadians live in igloos? This is a nice place to take them. Its a short walk in a beautiful snowy forest; and it is only a few minutes farther to the Lodge for a snack.
When we completed the igloo it was dark and folks were waiting for us off the hill... so we left in haste.
Thanks
BTW, is bumping considered good or bad form here?  |
Edited by - howesound on 01/07/2005 5:30 PM |
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 Manitoba's misadventurin' bushwhackin', dog sloggin', dehydratin', beer drinkin' biggie - who's eager to peak bag Mt Currie in a dress
Squamish
4688 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2005 : 7:30 PM
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Bumping is good form Howesound, especially since I missed this one
I think it was very kind of you to build an igloo out there for people to use. How did your igloo making tool work out for ya?
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never judge a man til you've walked a mile in his snowshoes |
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Bowen Island, BC
Canada
610 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2005 : 09:21 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by blackfly
I think it was very kind of you to build an igloo out there for people to use. How did your igloo making tool work out for ya?
It must be fun. These folks (including me!) really enjoy spending a day, actually working fairly hard, to build something completely useless. We don't plan to spend the night... (well there is some talk of that). Eventually it will melt away and there will be nothing left.
Maybe it is the almost-grownup version of kids building snow forts. We can imagine living in it, secure from nature’s fury. There is something very satisfying about building anything from the ground up. It is beautiful to watch the walls rise as the moments pass.
And there is the business of working with snow. The gadget we use is only a tool, and it requires developing some skills. Part of making igloos is learning how to handle all of the varieties of snow. Depth hoar requires very different techniques from powder, or wet coast soft. A block in the wall, when first made, is so delicate that a careless poke will break it. But snow is constantly changing its internal structure. An hour later it can easily support the weight of the igloo above it.
I find that handling the snow this way helps me to understand it better for skiing and for awareness of avalanche conditions.
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Manitoba's misadventurin' bushwhackin', dog sloggin', dehydratin', beer drinkin' biggie - who's eager to peak bag Mt Currie in a dress
Squamish
4688 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2005 : 10:32 AM
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I love building forts.
As a kid in the Shield I had many tree forts scattered around the small town I grew up in.
A friend of mine's Dad built him a nice treefort, about a story or so high. We used to pile the snow at the bottom, and jump off the roof onto the snow. One year, we piled up the snow, and thought it would be fun to dig it out, and make a little snow hut (my first and only snow hut to this day!). When we were done, and sitting in there talking about stuff 10 year old boys talk about, another friend came looking for us...... Not finding us and deciding to wait til we showed up, he thought he'd jump off the roof of the fort once or twice to pass the time till we showed........
Quite a rude awakening for Brad and I when Grant came tumbling through our roof, right between us (luckily the snowfort was big enough!), landing hard enough to knock the wind out of himself. We had a great laugh over that one after our hearts went back into our chests! Aah, kids....
Ok, now I'm leaving and going outside!
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never judge a man til you've walked a mile in his snowshoes |
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vancouver, bc
Canada
145 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2005 : 10:14 AM
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i am going to check this igloo out sometime in the next few days and report back on condition - looking forward to it!
does anyone know if you can walk in to the igloo (and up to the lodge), or do you need snowshoes? |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
443 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2005 : 10:35 AM
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Depends greatly on recent weather.
The trail from the end of the parking lot to the lodge is heavily used (since it doesn't require purchasing a pass), so if there hasn't been snow in days, it is well trampled and walkable. You often see parents pulling kids on toboggans up to the lodge for hot chocolate.
Of course, well trampled often translates to hard-packed and icy, so your shoes/boots would need to have good traction.
The final trail off the main trail to the igloo might be a challenge depending on volume of traffic that has compacted the snow into it.
All bets are off after tomorrow when the dry period ends and we get a fresh dump on the local mountains.
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
621 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2005 : 12:44 PM
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| i'm taking a group of cubs winter camping at a cabin up at hollyburn this weekend, so i will check out your igloo. it sounds very cool! |
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Bowen Island, BC
Canada
610 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2005 : 7:48 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by tobogan
i am going to check this igloo out sometime in the next few days and report back on condition - looking forward to it!
does anyone know if you can walk in to the igloo (and up to the lodge), or do you need snowshoes?
Some friends visited the igloo last Sunday, and it was in good shape then. Someone had put a hole through the wall, but that was easily repaired. No more news this week. I will be very interested in any reports.
The path in can be very icy. On some of the hills there are ropes!
The side path into the igloo is very short, and until there is more snow, I'm sure it is packed too.
I've learned that the more people who know it is there, and don't want to break it, the safer it is. So I'm delighted by any CTers interest. Besides, I'd love it if someday the local backcountry hills were dotted with igloos so carrying a tent for overnight backcountry skiing was not necessary. {Sigh} A dream.
New Igloo Planned
I have a request from a school with which I am connected to build another igloo. I'd be interested in suitable construction sites. We'd do it in early February (I'm away all of this coming week).
Criteria for new igloo:
- Snow
- Safe from vandals (either protected by someone nearby or completely hidden)
- Easy access from road (the young people building it are not all wilderness-aware)
- Flat spot (igloo needs to be level)
- Open enough to have collected some fresh (not trampled) snow
- Better to have it at the top of a rise so it is easy to clear the entrance
- High enough to have freezing conditions until the end of March
It might be smaller, say an 8-foot igloo.
Let me know if you cans suggest a suitable location |
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vancouver, bc
Canada
145 Posts |
Posted - 01/16/2005 : 9:25 PM
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i was up there earlier this evening and the igloo is in great shape - looks like it has had some use, signs of visitors, but everything in great shape - nice job! very roomy and nice long entry tunnel. it was very mild and (light) rainy up there, so everything is a bit soft, but still holding together - the depth of the roof is now about 20 inches (we measured with a stick through the top).
another nice spot would be a little further up on a side path again to the right, there is a nice flat area down a slope...
thanks for the fun - i showed it to a couple of my 8 year old pals and they were thrilled (i told them to keep it a secret!)
ADD: oh, and it is sagging a bit on the inner sides, but still holding strong - it looks like you could actually dig down a bit further inside for more headroom, or just in the centre to make sleeping platforms... hope it lasts a while longer - i would love to help out on a future one if there is an opportunity, or i may strike out (!) on my own.... |
Edited by - tobogan on 01/16/2005 9:31 PM |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
621 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2005 : 09:59 AM
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nice job, howesound! it snowed up at hollyburn about 6-8 inches saturday night, and this is what your igloo looked like at around 11:30 sunday morning.
 
it looked like some people had visited and played there sometime earlier in the morning, and i hope yesterday's rain didn't damage it too much. very cool to have an igloo on hollyburn! |
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Bowen Island, BC
Canada
610 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 08:36 AM
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Many thanks for the reports, and the pictures! I had forgotten about the little tree in the entrance hall. I see that there is lots of new snow.
I also had a telephone report about a Dad and 2 kids who spent a night in the igloo.
This is a short note -- I am working in New York today. I couldn't resist taking a peek at ClubTread. Very cold and sunny here! I'll be in the east all week.
Best wishes. |
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 Grouse Grinding, GPS carrying, lawn chair packing, bike riding North Shore tech addict who stares at Crown Mountain from his office window all day
North Vancouver
Canada
1854 Posts |
Posted - 01/18/2005 : 08:55 AM
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If it holds up through these rains it will be bulletproof when it gets cold again!
I had the co-ordinates for the Igloo in my GPS for a trip up Brothers Creek on Saturday but we didn't get up quite that high, but I look forward to checking it out.
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New Igloo on Hollyburn Ridge
