Cypress Hills (Saskatchewan) Winter Camping - Fri, Feb 10 2017, Sat, Feb 11 2017, Sun, Feb 12 2017

Cypress Hills (Saskatchewan) Winter Camping (2/10/2017)

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED: Once you've reviewed the event details, and decided you'd like to join us, you MUST sign up at the bottom of this page.

You are STRONGLY encouraged to read this page in its entirety before signing up. If you'd like to attend, we ask that you abide by our rules and procedures as a time/cost saving process (with an end result of keeping membership free and lower cost events).

The Basics:

Event Type:

Hike

Event Location:

Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (Centre Block)

Date(s) & Time:

Fri, Feb 10 2017, Sat, Feb 11 2017, Sun, Feb 12 2017 9:00 AM

Registration Cut Off:

Tue, Feb 7 2017 9:00:00 AM

Event Duration:

3 days, 2 nights

Difficulty Rating:

D6: Advanced

Event Coordinator(s):

Beata
Ryan
You must be logged in to get the Event Coordinator contact information.

Member Cost:

Voluntary Donation Only (See Below)

Participant Info:

Who's Invited:

Members Only, 18 And Older Only

Maximum Group Size:

Minimum Group Size:

Number Registered So Far:

3 (To see who's signed up, log in to the Member Area)

Are Dogs Permitted:

Itinerary:

Note: originally this event was posted as a camping trip to Kananaskis. However, significant avalanche warnings throughout Kananaskis have led us to scuttle these plans. This will be a two night winter camping trip. We will be setting up camp at the Deer Hollow campsite in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park, which we will use as our home base for day snowshoeing treks in the area.

Trip Itinerary: We will spend Thursday night in Medicine Hat, so that we can ensure an early start. After arriving at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park's Centre Block region (south of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan), we will set up camp at the Deer Hollow campsite.

After we’ve set up camp, we will do some day snowshoeing in the area. Further snowshoeing treks will also occur on Saturday - there are lots of routes throughout the park to choose from.

We will break camp on Sunday morning and begin the long trek back to Edmonton.

Please note: In accordance with EOC policy, at all times we will be restricting ourselves to Class 1 (Simple) avalanche terrain during this trip, and will not be crossing any avalanche slopes. The general characteristics for Class 1 avalanche terrain are: - Exposure to low angle or primarily forested terrain
- Some forest openings may involve the runout zones of infrequent avalanches
- Many options to reduce or eliminate exposure
- No glacier travel

If you would like to attend this trip, please add your name to the waiting list. We will add people to the event once we are satisfied that they have met the conditions outlined below:

In addition to backpacking experience, all participants must be prepared for winter camping. Winter conditions impose some obvious limitations – for example, it is important that everyone has a very warm sleeping bag – but there are also other limitations that are not so obvious – for example, we have learned that propane/butane-fueled backcountry stoves may not work in cold temperatures, especially if the temperature is -20 C or lower. To ensure everyone’s safety, participants must either have previously attained winter camping experience (e.g. by participating in the EOC Miquelon Lake winter camping trip that took place on December 17-18th, and/or the Jacques Lake trip that was held on January 7-8th, or by attending the upcoming winter camping trip that will be held on January 28- 29th). Sleeping outside in the winter is not for everybody, and we would rather that everyone determines whether they can withstand the rigours of this trip beforehand. Participants must also have attended at least one of the winter stairclimbing events that Beata is regularly organizing through the EOC. If you have not attended the Miquelon Lake or Jacques Lake trips and cannot attend the Jan. 28-29 event, but do have prior winter camping experience and would like to attend this event, please contact either Beata or Ryan to discuss your prior experience.

General tips: A 4-season tent is not a requirement (a 3-season tent will suffice), but all participants should have a sleeping bag rated to at least -20 C. Our experience also has been that an extra sleeping pad (an inexpensive foam sleeping pad will suffice) is very valuable, as it will help insulate you from the cold ground.

Carpool:We are not organizing a formal carpool on Thursday. However, as the date of the trip approaches we will discuss driving and accommodation options with the group so that we can minimize the number of cars needed for the trip.

Required Items to Bring:
Snowshoes
Microspikes
Waterproof hiking boots
Gaiters
Headlamp
Winter/warm clothes
Backpack 50-70L
Food
Water

Recommended Items to Bring:
Use our Event Checklists to make sure you have everything you need.
Bear spray
Hiking or ski poles
Axe

How to Get There:

Event Directions:

We will meet at the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. We will be camping at the Deer Hollow campsite, which is located in the core portion of the park.

Notes:

- We encourage all members to follow our Etiquette Guidelines at all times while participating in EOC events.
- Please scroll through and read the entire online waiver when you sign up.
- Details of this event are subject to undergo a change at any point in time, with or without warning.

Cost Includes:

There is no fee for winter camping at Cypress Hills Park

Voluntary Donation: ( What is this?)
Suggested donation amount for this event is: $2.00/Person.

Cancellation/Partial Attendance:
Please review our Cancellation Policy carefully!