The eve of the first day of winter eight of us headed to the hills to celebrate the advent of Christmas to share with family in from Alaska with an overnight stay at Nokhu Hut. We were certain all the bases were covered, but numerous incidents throughout the day and night proved us wrong. Seasoned backcountry schussers could easily make it in an hour, but this trek was about to take us over three. We weren't as prepared as we initially thought as the winter solstice quickly arrived. Light faded fast after leaving the trailhead at 3:45 p.m., and with a mile and half to go in four-foot of snow and darkness closing in our thoughts surged. Would we be safe? AT FIRST LIGHT take a light Kathy and I cajoled as we brought up the rear. Her skins and my tread squeaked on the snow echoing in the forest. I said to Kathy, "Listen to that, we are making music, music in the snow." Suddenly I saw an apparition of cellos and base necks appear making their way down the slope. Two black labs in coats trudged nearby and reminded me of a dog I once had. It had begun, my disorientation. But Emma and Lucy aided in changing that. As we closed in, the musical instruments became snowboards carried on the backs of Ann, Bootsie, and the other owners of Never Summer Nordic. They broke the trail for us knowing our time of arrival and extra burden. Here we saw some light. Ann harped in, "Do you have a headlamp?" Bless their hearts. I'm sure they would do the same for anyone who was silly enough to make the trip so late and with four small children. We gladly accepted the headlamp from Ann. We were blessed in more ways than one on our nighttime sojourn. Tonisa, the children's mother, worried, fretted, and wanted to turn back just as we got there. But, trooper that she is, constantly monitoring her sons, ages three, six, eight and ten she herringboned up the mountain on cross-country skis, wedging Zion in between, in the pitch of night. I challenge anyone to find a younger trailblazer than a three-year old named Zion. SECOND LIGHT pack light Ten-year old, Mason, I was told was a "late sleeper", so he slept during food prep, gear roundup, and loading. It all took awhile. We had numbers; avalanche information, owners, Never Summer Nordic, and a map, plenty of warm clothes and bags, and lots of nourishment. Unfortunately, it became necessary to bury the gear at the bridge just to get our bodies to the hut. Our return trip was in the dark of night, as well. THIRD LIGHT-stay in shape Four hundred yards from the hut the six-year old Landon took up residence in the sled, somewhat disoriented. "I am sitting up, Mom," when he was actually lying down. "Stay awake, Landon, we're almost there," Mom and Kevin pitched in at the same time. Yes, we started to worry. Having never been there personally, I wondered just how much farther we had. What a group. Kevin, Kathy's husband and grandpa to the kids, is a well-experienced survivalist in backcountry and continually surviving a major health issue. I won't go into detail, but he's phenomenal. He even built the sled he alone pulled up the mountain. Kathy and I pulled up the rear. We all really pulled together, but I had thoughts of asking Kevin to put me on the sled. According to a lift ticket still attached to my ski suit, I hadn't been on the Vail slopes since 1990. I had no backcountry, cross-country, or telemark experience, and was really out-of-shape. As dizzy and exhausted as I was I managed to get there. I wondered if my tired old body would make it at all at times. Then there was Kathy, who is still on the mend these past twenty years from a broken back. Her perpetual exercise routine paid off and this trip rewarded her efforts. She said, "I'm in better shape than I thought." She sure put me to shame. FOURTH LIGHT God provides In my condition, Kathy took over the "sherpa" mountaineer guide role on the southern side of, not the Himalayans, but the Medicine Bow Range of Northern Colorado for the rest of our trek. A major stress headache from my pack made my climb slower and more cumbersome. Kevin had the headlamp up ahead, but Kathy's wee penlight saved me from many a sinkhole, and blessed be we noted Kevin's ingenious hand-made sled contraption continued to shed bungee cords and a sleeping bag. The found items were just the thing to assist in redistribution of weight. "God provides what we need at the proper time," Kathy exclaimed. I shed my skis when I started slipping, dunked them in a drift leaving them for later, and trudged knee and waste deep the rest of the way falling in sinkholes and struggling often to free myself. When we were all safely inside the hut, with a blazing fire in the box heater, the boys snuggled up to Mom, safe and cozy, resembling Momma bear and cubs in their winter den. Grandma and grandpa, Kathy and Kevin, lay side by side in the bunk next to them and me on a top bunk, shedding more layers every three hours when the temps inside hit ninety. My body jolted awake and shed more layers. Doors and windows flew open often throughout the night. I was unable to see the nighttime temperature, but knew during the day it sat at twenty-six. FIFTH LIGHT start early That morning after a 1:00 p.m. breakfast that included fresh apples and bananas, Landon and Tait, the eight-year-old followed my tracks in the deep powder down the hill. We took a number of spills. The boys amazed me at how quickly they recovered all by themselves. The trip down was a lot easier. Greeting us was an awesome sunset as we reached the bridge. Mason commented on its beauty alerting Mom, "Mom, get a picture of that." SIXTH LIGHT unfrozen fruit? Yes, the sun was setting. We were consistent and left the hut at 3:45 p.m. The three-hour wait for Kevin and Kathy to return with the food gave us a preview of three hungering, fluffy gray jays, reminding us of how hungry we were. We experienced many blessing including the apples and bananas were not frozen. Amazing! For the remaining hours we ate, chopped wood, cleaned the hut, repacked gear, and Grandma Kathy rested. SEVENTH LIGHT make sure batteries are fresh and you are self-less I went on this trek for selfish reasonsto take pictures, get in shape, not smoke for two days, and be with kids, since mine left home. We all had cameras, a plenty, and if we could have had "hands free" the flashes could have lit our way, but that wasn't the case. Kathy's key chain penlight came in handy, though, when we needed to shed our skis for the rest of the climb. A herd of mountain sheep grazed on a northern hill to left of Nokhu Crags and I wanted Tait to see, since he is an "extreme animal lover". But, it was a first attempt for him with binoculars and it failed. I was disappointed and sad I didn't pack "AAA" batteries so I could preserve the sight to prove to him, there really were "animals" there. The unforgettable view of Nokhu Crags in the winter is indelibly etched in my brain. At least Tait got to see the jays close up. We could have fed them by hand, if we had any crumbs. What we learned is that in spite of feeling unprepared, we were successful and intrepid trekkers. Among the many signs that God was with us every step of the way was first the already blazed trail, the headlamp provision, the recovered bungee cords, the hut's heat, the visit of the gray jays, the unfrozen fruit, Kevin and Kathy's stamina, Tonisa's drive, the boy's wherewithal, and my body not giving out when I thought it might. We were provided everything we needed to have a safe and healing walk with Him in the moonless, starless night. But, I would do things a bit differently if I had it to do all over again. Ten things I recommend if you go to Nokhu hut: 1. Pack a light. 2. Pack light take; only what you wear and snow gear). a. Take extra pair of socks per person. b. Possible change of clothes, although not advised. c. Use snowshoes, or backcountry skis, not cross-country. d. Take just enough food for the time you are there. 1. Pre-made 2. Burnable containers, not plastics. (We took trail mix, peanut, butter and jelly sandwiches, burritos, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and dry milk, hot chocolate mix, boxed juices, apples and bananas, and herbal tea.) e. Take a light blanket, not bulky sleeping bag. (The heat inside the hut is extreme. I don't recommend taking bulky sleeping bags even in December.) 3. Stay in shape. 4. Retain your faith in God's provision. 5. Start early (no later than noon on foot from the trailhead). 6. Again, God provides when you least expect it. 7. Take extra "new" batteries for your camera, and don't forget your camera. If you take small children, take along a sled you can attach to your waste and have available when they tire. Kevin will send you the specs on his if you are interested (contact the writer). Nohku Hut at an elevation of 10,000 feet is a snug little hut, well constructed and tight with plenty of surrounding snow to melt and pots for just that event to keep hydration maximized. It is considered a part of the yurt system located in the Colorado State Forest State Park near Lake Agnes. To get there, take Highway 14 off Highway 287 north of Fort Collins, Colorado, up the Poudre Canyon, following the Cache la Poudre River. The trailhead with parking is two miles west of Cameron Pass. An intermediate climb awaits you for those in shape. Take caution of one avalanche chute you'll cross about a tenth of a mile from the hut on your left. Reservations are needed. Ranger station 970 723-8366
Never Summer Nordic 970 723-4070
Avalanche Information 970 482-0457
Inform someone at home of your whereabouts for emergencies. http://www.neversummernordic.com/about.htm
http://www.cotrip.org/
http://www.neversummernordic.com/trailmap.htm
http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/jeffcorwin/carnival/flyingace/grayjay.html |
