MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Winter Spring 2020

72 MOUNTAIN HOME words :: Carmen Kuntz One of the best parts of living a mountain life is sleeping out in the snow. A Coast Mountain night spent in tents and bivy sacks offers a (chilly) entry level experience, snow caves are the (warmer) standard, igloos are next level (but rare) and the quinzhee… well it works in a pinch. Generally associated with Eastern Canada (the word “quinzhee” (pronounced kwžnzi) comes from the Athabascan First Nations language) a quinzhee is not an igloo, which is a semi-permanent snow shelter historically used as a seasonal dwelling. Instead, a quinzhee is meant to be a temporary, simple-to-build shelter that does not require specific snow quality. It is an instrument of survival, constructed by piling snow in a dome shape and letting it settle before hollowing out a sleeping area inside. Building quinzhees as after-school snow forts is part of growing up Canadian, but who knew all those wet-gloved afternoons in the front yard were also teaching us the survival skills needed to snow-engineer a safe emergency shelter for anyone who plays outdoors in winter. For anyone who grew up in warmer climates, here are a few tips to create a qunizhee of your own. LOCATION. Find a flat area six to eight feet wide with ample snow and away from trees or large rocks. It is not necessary for the snow to be fresh, just abundant. And air temperature should be colder than minus four degrees Celcius. SNOW. Survival situations may require creativity, but when camping, a shovel is key. The insulation properties and structure strength of a quinzhee comes from air pockets in the snow. This loft insulates just like a puffy down sleeping bag. More loft, more insulation. Use shovels to break up and mix snow chunks prior to heaping them onto the pile. Don’t pack it down, just toss it on lightly. For two or three people the dome’s base should be about ten to 12 feet in diameter and about six to ten feet high. SETUP. Before hollowing it out, allow at least two to three hours for the mound to set. Overnight is ideal. This waiting time is key for the structure to harden or “sinter,” a process where snow crystals bond with each other as the temperature and moisture homogenize. Tip: Gather small, ruler-length sticks and push them into the walls to use as thickness guides when digging out. Hit a stick with your shovel, stop digging. Ensure the walls are thicker at the base, about two feet. DIG. Make the entrance carefully, positioning it away from the prevailing wind. A smaller door means less heat escape, but it should be big enough to crawl through without damaging the edges. Excavation is the most time- consuming part of quinzhee construction. Tip: wear a hood, water-repellent snowpants and a headlamp. Smooth the ceiling and leave a raised area for sleeping so cold air from the door stays lower than sleeping bodies. Poke some small air holes for circulation. SLEEP. Loosely block the entrance using a few backpacks but be sure to allow lots of space for air flow. Quinzhee walls do not breathe. The temperature inside depends on exterior weather, size of quinzhee and number of people, but it’s possible for the temperature to reach 20°C inside. CAUTION. Quinzhees can be dangerous if they cave in. Build prototypes before overnighting in one and only sleep in it within a few days of construction. Collapses usually happen during the excavation process or after rain or warm weather. My childhood winters were spent tobogganing, skiing, snowshoeing and generally tramping through the snow. Safety and survival never crossed our minds, but my parents appreciated knowing we could build an emergency shelter if we ever got lost or stuck in a storm. Making a quinzhee can prepare kids—and adults—for basic winter survival. SNOWPILE SAVIOUR How to build a quinzhee, for kicks and survival