Three-Day Ski Backpacking Trip Around Crater Lake in a Blizzard

Planning and Preparation

• 🎒 The trip involves three days of ski backpacking around Crater Lake, a challenging endeavor due to its length and potential for extreme weather.
• 🗺️ The team decided to travel clockwise around the lake, prioritizing the west side on their first day to maximize chances of good views before potential weather deterioration.
• 🏕️ Essential gear included snow stakes for tent setup in deep snow, touring skis for one member, and standard cold-weather camping equipment.
• 🍲 Food preparation involved homemade favorites like wasabi cashews and peanut butter pasta, with one store-bought meal included to save effort.

Day 1: Initial Exploration and Camp Setup

• 🌲 Upon arrival, the group obtained a backpacking permit and headed towards the trail, noting the significant snow depth on the closed Rim Road.
• 🥶 Temperatures were around 20°F (-7°C), requiring warm clothing and layers packed in their backpacks.
• 🎿 The group started on skis, with one member using wider backcountry skis while the others used narrower cross-country skis.
• ⛺ Setting up the tent proved challenging due to deep snow, requiring skis to be kept on during setup to avoid post-holing, and the tent collapsed twice.
• 🍝 Dinner consisted of peanut butter pasta, enjoyed after a day of skiing approximately four miles, followed by a special dessert.

Day 2: Long Mileage and Melting Snow

• ❄️ The goal for the second day was to cover at least 15 miles, aiming to complete a significant portion of the west side of the lake.
• 💧 Water was scarce, necessitating the melting of snow for drinking water, a process that required significant time and effort.
• 🏔️ Skiing conditions on the road were described as relatively easy, despite the road being covered by 20-30 feet of snow.
• ⚠️ The group navigated an avalanche caution zone carefully, traversing one at a time for safety.
• 🏞️ Lunch offered a break with a view of the crater, Wizard Island, and a reminder of the Pacific Crest Trail below.

Day 3: Blizzard Conditions and Return

• 💨 The final day began with a forecast of snow, which arrived earlier than expected, creating challenging conditions.
• 🥶 The team melted snow for water before leaving camp, a process that took 2.5 hours including waking up and coffee.
• 🌬️ Conditions quickly deteriorated into a white-out blizzard with hurricane-force winds, making visibility extremely low and the experience intense and scary.
• 📈 The route involved steep climbs, including an avalanche bypass, which was physically demanding.
• ✅ Despite the harsh conditions, the group successfully completed the full loop around Crater Lake, returning to their starting point, though the experience was more challenging than anticipated.