One year ago I today started my week long winter camping adventure in the Finger Lakes National Forest… 🎄

I was planning on going to the Finger Lakes during mid November but an early November snow storm and work came up. I found a relatively calm winter week in December to take off and spend in a hot tent during Black Powder Season a year ago, starting tonight. There were some snow squalls when I was out there dropping a few inches but the road was plowed and I stayed around camp the bad weather days.

It definitely was a new adventure for me – a week camped out on the high point of Hector Backbone during December with nearly a foot of snow on the ground (unexpectedly). I didn’t expect so much snow but the road was plowed and things worked out.

The whole week never got above freezing except for the last day when I took down camp. Some of the nights were in the single digits like tonight. With the heater, a roaring campfire and a decent amount of winter gear it never was that cold although several nights I retired to bed fairly early as the nights are long – even with the sunset being 15-20 minutes later than Albany.

Winter camping is kind of unique and pretty. The snow gives the land a very different appearance, changes the way the woods looks. The cold is actually quite refreshing and as long as you have a way to get warm quickly – the heater in the tent – I was quite comfortable, sometimes spending the bulk of the day curled up by a book reading. I used quite a bit of propane – maybe 5 gallons for the week as I had it filled midweek but propane is cheap enough that even if it set me back $15 I had a great time. Damn food and dish soap kept freezing hard by the end of the week.

I want to do more winter camping but it can be difficult with the snow blocking off the back country roads and parking areas. But certainly that winter camping trip was memorable and quite enjoyable.