Winter SNow CAmping Overnight

Summary

Spend the weekend with Cascade Mountain Adventures winter camping in Mt. Rainier National Park. Learn how to winter snow camp in a safe and supportive environment while expanding your wilderness adventure calendar into all four seasons. This is also a great opportunity to train for your mountaineering dreams!

Why Join Us

This trip is designed for adventurous women looking for a unique outdoor experience.

Our objectives include learning important winter safety considerations, selecting winter overnight destinations, predicting and planning for current conditions, establishing a winter campsite, effective layer management, essential winter self-care skills, and winter specific Leave No Trace considerations.

The Cascade Mountain Adventures team has years of experience in leading safe and successful winter snow camping classes. An overnight snow camping adventure with Cascade Mountain Adventures will expand your backpacking skills in a safe and supportive environment. Join us to learn how to confidently enjoy overnight wilderness camping all year round. (and get you closer to those mountaineering dreams!) You will be in great hands with an experienced team with years of mountaineering and snow travel experience.

Itinerary

• Day One

  Our first meeting begins at 4:00 pm in the community of Ashford, WA and the gateway to Mt. Rainier National Park. This session provides you with an opportunity to review your gear and get to know your group. This will also be your opportunity to acquire any last-minute items at a local gear shop. Whittaker’s Mountaineering rents many of the items on the client-provided gear list including parkas, gloves, and traction devices.

  Your leader will review your itinerary, expected destination(s), trail conditions, and the essentials of winter wilderness preparedness. You will also receive an introduction to Mt. Rainier National Park and the mission of the National Park Service.

  Clients will need to arrange their own lodging after the gear check. We recommend staying at Whittaker’s Bunkhouse adjacent to our meeting location in Ashford, WA.

• Day Two

Your group will meet at Whittaker’s Bunkhouse bright and early with overnight backpacks packed up and ready to roll. We will also have the opportunity to grab coffee and breakfast at Whittaker’s before leaving for Mt. Rainier National Park.

Clients are required to drive themselves to our winter snow camping trailhead location in Mt. Rainier National Park. Tire chains are required for all vehicles. Be aware that winter road conditions in Mt. Rainier National Park may be challenging for some vehicles and drivers. Please evaluate your capabilities and average weather conditions before signing up for this event. We may update our event location as needed in the event of road closures.

Once at your winter camping trailhead location, your leader will review winter safety considerations, layer management, self-care considerations, risk assessment, on-snow campsite selection and setup, and winter wildlife safety. Your group will then hike to your overnight camping location, set up camp, and review additional winter wildlife safety techniques.

The portion of the afternoon is reserved for exploration. A clear day allows for views of the incredible Tahoma / Mt. Rainier as well as Klickitat / Mt. Adams, Wy’East / Mt. Hood, and points beyond before returning to your campsite for sunset and group dinner before turning in for the night.

Your leader will review essential skills for staying warm and comfortable in below-freezing on-snow conditions overnight. Trust us - it's possible! A clear night will also allow for incredible stargazing before tucking into your warm sleeping bag.  

• Day Three

Your second day will begin at sunrise to enjoy first light on Mt. Rainier. Your group will then prepare breakfast and enjoy a final morning on the mountain before breaking down your campsite.

Your adventure will end with hot coffee and a team debrief back at the trailhead. We will review the adventure, lessons learned along the way, and answer any remaining questions you might have. 

COVID-19 Updates - 2022 Winter Season

The world has been forced to make unforeseen adjustments and we are too. We continue to make the safety, comfort, and well-being of our clients and team our top priority. We have made numerous changes to our in-person events to encourage social distancing and minimize shared contact items.

• Shared Tents with Household Members Only

• Minimized Shared Gear - Participants Issued Individual Gear

• Participants Supply Personal Freeze-Dried / Instant Meals

Beginning on October 1, 2021, Cascade Mountain Adventures will also require that all participants on in-person events be fully vaccinated. We will also require confirmation that you do not currently have, been recently diagnosed with, or have been in close proximity with those diagnosed with COVID-19. An agreement to these terms will be required at event sign-up and a signed form is required 3 days prior to event participation.

We are also strongly encouraging clients to consider the purchase of travel insurance for all Cascade Mountain Adventures programs. Our Cancellation Policy remains unchanged. Travel insurance may reimburse eligible program fees in the event of a health based cancellation. We recommend Trip Assure with the inclusion of ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ coverage.

Learn more about our current COVID-19 policies here.

Registration Fee

$400 /per Participant

Questions?

See our Frequently Asked Questions or Contact Us. Please also review our Cancellation Policy before registering for an event.

We also encourage clients to consider the purchase of travel insurance for all Cascade Mountain Adventures programs. Travel insurance may reimburse eligible program fees in the event of a health-based cancellation. We recommend Trip Assure with the inclusion of ‘Cancel For Any Reason’ coverage.

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