New Yurt Eve

Koren Shadmi

It was supposed to be an 8-mile trek up a gentle slope. We left around 11 a.m., figuring that would give us plenty of time before dark.

The snowshoe-sled combination turned out to be not very efficient. The going was slow, and we couldn't find the yurt. I set out on my own to look for it.

I dashed ahead but somehow missed it. After ditching their packs, the others found it first. I had to ski back a couple of miles to bring up their gear.

That big New Year's Eve Party we'd planned never happened. nobody made it to midnight.

By Tom Böttger
Illustrations by Koren Shadmi
March 13, 2014

Wanting to ring in the New Year in Montana's Tobacco Root Mountains, we rented a backcountry yurt in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest with some friends. The rental place said it would be easy to find, so our friends brought their 2-year-old daughter and we brought our 7-month-old daughter. We should have gotten better directions.

Ask The Expert 

Howie Wolkie runs wilderness treks for Big Wild Adventures from his home just outside Yellowstone. 

"Relying on directions was irresponsible: These folks needed a topo map. Snowshoers can't expect to exceed a mile per hour, especially when hauling gear uphill, so starting at 11 at a time of year when it's dark by 5 gave them little chance of making it by dark anyway. Finally, ditching their packs was a poor choice, as their supplies might have saved their lives if they'd had to spend a night out in the snow."

 

Tom Böttger
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