The first year's lessons were well learned and last year we made some improvements to the cave that we repeated this year to much success.
First, we made arrangements to arrive early in the day so that we'd have plenty of time to be digging during day light. It takes us about 5 hours to complete a cave.
Second, and this takes some experience, we dig the sleeping loft elevated above the height of the entrance to help hold in the heat. But not too high to allow for a ceiling high enough to be able to sit up.
Third, to prevent the tarp from slipping and sliding on the icy cave floor we put down a canvas floor cover. It gets very wet and has to be peeled off the floor when we leave, but it gives the tarp traction and keeps the floor stable.
The weather while we were digging was miserable. Cold, windy, snowy. But the snow was great for digging out. It was just wet enough to stick together so you can pull out big chunks. It was also wet enough to soak us through our outer layers. We got wet but stayed warm the whole time. When we finished we went inside the lodge to warm up and dry off by the fire.
Saturday morning looked beautiful, however. Clear sky and a terrific view.
Sweet! I can't believe I've never done it at my parents yet. A few people in my family has. One of these days I'm gonna.
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