Quinzhees on the NCT

This past week, Todd Williams and Jim Colten made a winter trek on the Superior Hiking Trail. As part of their experience they built a quinzhee snow shelter. Todd reports:

"the hike from Gooseberry to Split Rock and the Split Rock loop were all 'broken in' and I traveled at 2-3 mph (normal speed). The first night I slept at Blueberry Hill in a quinzhee. It was warm in the quinzhee and nice although I missed the floor of my tarptent (just spoiled). Had a beautiful sunset and sunrise there at the site."

He also recorded this video.

quinzhee and tent (photo by J Young)

Previous known quinzhees built along the NCT include this one built by Martha B. Northrup and Joan Young in the Upper Peninsula, just outside of the Rock River Canyon Wilderness in 2000. In the picture, the tent is still pitched in front of the quinzhee. Since it took us two days to build the snow shelter, we used the tent for those nights.

built by WTD staff at the NCTA Schoolhouse (photo by J Young)

Finally, this was one of the first quinzhees built in the area. It was constructed at the NCTA Schoolhouse (maybe in 1994) at one of the first Winter Trails Day celebrations.

Have you seen or built others on the NCT? Leave a comment and tell about it.

See How to Build a Quinzhee from the Mohawk Wolf Cub Pack