Moondog55's 2014 snow trip

[icefest]

The sound is loud, but if they are set up the right way in the wind they don't move to much.

[sim1oz]

The kaitum 2gt has 22 stake points. I pegged the four corners and 6 guy lines. Even with those the tent was solid. Moondog was sitting by the fire and said the poles weren't moving at all and the fabric was only flapping a bit.

I went with such a big tent because my hubby is 6'2 and enjoys having space. In good weather we are not in a tent much, but in the snow shelter is more important. Also, we split the gear between us and he would rather carry a larger tent. Who am I to argue if it makes him happy?

If we had a double mattress I think you could sleep 3 at a pinch because it is so big, eg. Two adults plus child. But with single mattresses they would overlap.

[Moondog55]

I think it was and is an excellent choice of tent. The worst part about the Plateau is the small vestibules even if it is a very strong tent in the wind. I have started drooling over the big Saitaris dome
http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/ ... itaris.php

and dreaming about a couple of the Atlas with additions for a basecamp

http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/ ... hp#details

[andrewbish]

I think it was and is an excellent choice of tent. The worst part about the Plateau is the small vestibules even if it is a very strong tent in the wind. I have started drooling over the big Saitaris dome
http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/ ... itaris.php
and dreaming about a couple of the Atlas with additions for a basecamp
http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/ ... hp#details

I could def see the Atlas forming part of a future Camp Moondog. Spacious, looks good and would handle wind a tad better than what you are currently using! I think there's a few of us who would support something like this.. Ah, we can but dream, eh MD?

[sim1oz]

I'm liking the Atlas. Have you seen the catalog with multiple Atlas connected together as base camp in the snow... one for dining room, one for storage, one for sleeping. Will try to scan it to encourage further dreaming. Tech question.... how would you add the heating stove?

[sim1oz]

Atlas page from Hilleberg catalog - dreamy snow base camp!

[sim1oz]

Personally, I think something like that is worth dreaming about

[andrewbish]

Personally, I think something like that is worth dreaming about
carpe diem

Fornix etiam!

[Moondog55]

Couple of thing happened that I should share.
Primo
I came home cold wet and tired one afternoon [ lift serviced skiing followed by the 3klick CC ski will do that to me] and needed a "Pick-me-Up" one of the things I use is the kids apple puree in the plastic squeeze tubes; I grabbed the tube that was on top, twisted off the lid and sucked deep 3 times. I almost choked, what I thought was apple puree was the small flask of OP Bourbon whiskey I had thrown in at the last minute for late nite sharing in the coffee.

[Moondog55]

Secundus
On Pp4 Cecile told you how I got lost when my headlamp batteries started to give up in a semi-whiteout with blustery wind.
Well following my snowshoe tracks back to the hut was relatively easy as I took only a few seconds to make the decision to turn back. If I had dithered i think I would have been in serious trouble as snowfall and drifting would have filled the track fast. I was severely dehydrated by the time I got the fire going ( Emergency firelighter in my kit was needed as the hut had no stuff left except large wood) and I needed to melt snow.
memo to self and others, put a cook pot in the day pack always, I managed to melt plenty of snow for drinking water but it took all night as I had to use an empty corned beef tin on top of the potbelly and the tin only held 300 mls Luckily for me I had left an empty juice bottle in the hut the day before so I had something to put the melted snow into as all I had was a 300ml apple juice bottle as my drink container. Reason being I had plans initially to buy more at the supermarket but balked at spending $5.50
Another memo to self and others; make sure there is at least 1000Calories in the day pack "SPARE" 1 school fundraiser size chocky frog wasn't quite enough.
Here I was cold, hungry and thirsty; only 400 meters from camp but I really thought it was foolhardy to venture out until the wind died and I could see where to walk. Third memo always carry spare fresh batteries too even if they do weigh 100 grams.
I was wearing long underwear bottoms and ski pants plus my goretex overpants, on top I had a silk weight top, my Polartec 100 top a cheap pile vest and my HD Goretex parka my Patagonia balaclave and a woolly hat. ski boots with thermo liners and my gloves I was warm enough even without the fire going I even managed to get an hour of sleep I think.
Now all I need to do is find my sled when the snow melts and paint the damned thing dayglo orange for next year [ or the year after that ]

[sim1oz]

Now I've read that story, MD, I understand why you insisted we take 1000 cals each when we went up Rocky Knobs. With our bothy bag for emergency shelter, PLB, bottle of water, and 2000cals each (hah ha) I was probably being overcautious for such a blue-sky day. Glad you reached the hut where you could be safe and warm. Maybe next time (post your USA trip) we should create a little emergency cache for our bushwalk.com forum friends next to the hut with a key hidden inside - pot, food, spare wood, lighter, firestarter.

I tried to convince hubby that we could squeeze in one more snow trip before I head to Switzerland for work (in two weeks) but I lost that battle so the gear is all cleaned up and ready for next year

I'm really falling in love with the Atlas tents idea for base camp... Need to wrangle another trip to the USA. I think I saw a post that someone sells Hilleberg for a reasonable price here in Australia. Anyone know who because I can't find the post? I think the Atlas with all its poles would be more robust than the Sibley in snow and wind.

[sim1oz]

Also, when do the roads open? It would be fun if a few of us went up for a weekend to help you pack up your gear and hang out together. My girls love the idea of being driven to the camp site They are quite funny as they have no qualms about camping in the snow again, but they would like a snowmobile (aka snow taxi) to drop them off at camp. Most people I know would rather stay in a nice warm apartment and spend the days skiiing or snowshoeing, which is the exact opposite.

For the record, I don't think I would say they had a tantrum whilst snowshoeing so much as moments of recalcitrance and intransigence. They definitely put on better behaviour for you, for which we were grateful.

[Moondog55]

Well as far as I know the ski season officially ends on the 28th of September and usually the road is open the very next day. An emergency cache is something I usually do at the start of each season but unfortunately the Parks people often remove stuff because it is often considered rubbish. As they remove books etc

[icefest]

I'm really falling in love with the Atlas tents idea for base camp... Need to wrangle another trip to the USA. I think I saw a post that someone sells Hilleberg for a reasonable price here in Australia. Anyone know who because I can't find the post? I think the Atlas with all its poles would be more robust than the Sibley in snow and wind.

I think theres a German guy in Tassie on gumtree that sells them.

[gmac]

I think the following link might help regarding Hilleberg Tents in Australia

http://mountainadventurecentre.com.au/s ... rers_id=62

Pretty certain it is the one in a previous post. Found them very good to deal with

[Giddy_up]

I think the following link might help regarding Hilleberg Tents in Australia

http://mountainadventurecentre.com.au/s ... rers_id=62

Pretty certain it is the one in a previous post. Found them very good to deal with

Spot on here gmac,

I was in there the other day and he set up a Soulo for me to look at and try for size. Ask for John Weir, he is very helpful and uses the gear first hand in real situations, which is rare in sale people today.

[Moondog55]

Anybody want a lift up to Falls Creek leaving Wednesday AM 04 Sept??
I need to run up and do a consolidation and tidy up of the camp. Now that the snow has started to melt apparently somebody has complained to Parks that there are abandoned tents at the camp.
Fair enough as I did leave in a hurry and it may appear untidy to some
I need to come back quickly as GD has a school concert on the 10th, then I will go back to retrieve the gear from the 23rd until the roads open ? { The boss has a Birthday and I want to be here for it}

EDIT
Actually Thursday 04 September is the date I'm leaving Geelong,

[Lophophaps]

MD, Wednesday is 3 September.

[Moondog55]

MD, Wednesday is 3 September.

Whooops I'll edit

[Moondog55]

Cheap [ relatively speaking LOL] alternative for a car based camp may be this one from Cabelas

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas- ... T.tsrc=AFF

[Lophophaps]

Moondog55, you have shown the reason that I invariably use date and weekday: I get one wrong now and again. Having day and date backstops me. Have a safe trip.

[Moondog55]

I am more than a little angry
I drove up and skied out to my camp because of the Rangers phone call telling me me I had "Outstayed my welcome" and they had had complaints. I got there to find my tent fallen down and gear strewn around my campsite. On closer inspection I found that some-one had cut my guy ropes. My tent had been opened and the door left open. Some items from the inside of my tent were scattered outside near the firepit and who-ever had looked inside my tent had drunk the 2 bottles of beer I'd left by the cot and thrown the empty bottles outside on the ground.
I'm at a loss as to why some-one would do this.
I re-erected the tent and fly and did a very neat tidy up and then had a really nice evening around the fire with 3 teachers from the Mt Buller side having a look around at the PV area.

[sim1oz]

Really disappointed to hear about the poor behaviour of some people MD. Cutting tent guy ropes is really low, and drinking your beer - unbelievable.

I just arrived in the Swiss Alps. Saas-Fee to be exact. The train/bus ride up here was pretty as a postcard. The mountain tops are still covered with white stuff even though it is the end of summer. Looking forward to heading back up to PV for pack-up weekend.

[Moondog55]

Be nice if we could get a dozen or so to finish off the firewood and burn some snags on the BBQ and I do have tomato sauce left
I still haven't found my car keys either

[Travis22]

When's 'packup' weekend?

Travis.

[Moondog55]

As soon as the road opens which looks like it will be second W/E in October now

[Cecile]

As soon as the road opens which looks like it will be second W/E in October now

I feel left out now!

[Moondog55]

Last run for the season coming up
I'm leaving Geelong now 10:00 Wednesday 24 September 2014; and I'll stay up until the road opens and I can retrieve my gear, be nice to have some of you drop in and help me drink all the left overs while we sit around the fire in the rain.
While we'll probably be in America next ski season I see no reason not to start planning for 2016.
Better tent and a proper or improved stove

[tsangpo]

My parents were up that way last weekend and it seems like the camp may have been trashed again; they certainly weren't impressed by what they saw at least.

While the main fault definitely lies with the people who do that it isn't a good look for any of us that love the outdoors having rubbish and gear strewn around a National Park. Perhaps for future years consider some big army surplus boxes or similar that can be locked up into which the majority of stuff can be packed.

[Cecile]

My parents were up that way last weekend and it seems like the camp may have been trashed again; they certainly weren't impressed by what they saw at least.

While the main fault definitely lies with the people who do that it isn't a good look for any of us that love the outdoors having rubbish and gear strewn around a National Park. Perhaps for future years consider some big army surplus boxes or similar that can be locked up into which the majority of stuff can be packed.

I find this post very offensive, especially in the spirit of the friendship and good nature in this thread. There's no rubbish strewn anywhere, not in Moondog's camp, ever. He is the last one to leave rubbish, in fact he always picks up stuff left behind by others who are happy to use the national park and leave their detritus behind.

Before you criticise, it might be beneficial for you to understand the situation. And considering you haven't actually been up there, nor do you know anything about Moondog, his camp or the equipment, or his hospitality for any and all who pass by, you have no actual right to comment. National Parks are for any and all who take the time to visit and care for them. When you have been visiting, and caring for our National Parks for over 40 years as he has, perhaps then you can pass judgment.