Winter Camping at Kite Lake

[Voshkm]

Asking for pointers and advice specific to winter camping at kite lake with a next day hike up Demo.
Particularly suggestions for a location protected from winds but not in a chute, but anything else that might come to mind form experience.
Also perhaps suggestions on routes. I believe that the standard route is most straight forward but is also plagued by strong miserable winds would the south slope route be much better?

[Scott P]

There aren't many places right at Kite Lake that are protected from the wind, especially in winter. You will either have to find a way to deal with the wind at the lake itself (i.e. strong tent, snow wall, etc.), or camp farther down the road.

[Trotter]

directly behind the restroom is probably the only protected spot in that area.

[sdkeil]

There is a gully that is veers off the road on the climbers right before you make the final turn to get to the trailhead proper. Up this gully a group camped last night and built a nice tent platform and a snow wall.

[RyGuy]

Bring earplugs and a strong tent. I've camped there once in winter, we were in a Hilleberg Tarra and camped about 50 yards away from the restrooms. During the night, we were hammered with wind all night long. Lots of spindrift as a result. Make sure you are comfortable with managing that.

-Ryan

[Kiefer]

That restroom has saved my ass more than once. Spent three hours sleeping in it once with a buddy from S. Africa who was whipped
after the loop. Of course, the winds didn't help.
That whole basin is a wind trap. If the terrain were steeper, it would be a SCARY place.

[youngk2844]

I'll second RyGuy on managing the spindrift. My brother and I spent a night at Kite Lake in late September. A snow flurry developed during the night and we woke up with about an inch of spindrift covering everything inside the tent. It was a 3-season tent and I had the rain fly stakes down as close to the ground as I could get it. But, it was still not adequate protection against the wind and spindrift. A solid-wall, 4-season tent would have been more appropriate.

[Voshkm]

Thank you all for the responses, not sure why some believe the forum is not functioning this days. We have a nice sturdy 4 season tent and perhaps we will keep the inner tent buttoned up to keep out spindrift. thanks for the warning. Earplugs is good idea as well. No opinions on the south slope over east ridge? I do understand that conditions very and one has to pay attention to the actual conditions not just go off of someone else's experiences. Is Demo traditionally low risk for AVY as is Sherman and Greys?

[Scott P]

No opinions on the south slope over east ridge? I do understand that conditions very and one has to pay attention to the actual conditions not just go off of someone else's experiences. Is Demo traditionally low risk for AVY as is Sherman and Greys?

Every time I have been to the Kite Lake area in January, the routes have been windswept enough that there was no avalanche danger (those peaks tend to hold more snow in Spring rather than winter). I can't say it's always like that though. The route near the the Democrat-Lincoln saddle can have some danger at times.

As far as Grays and Sherman, both of those have avalanche danger at times. On Sherman the danger can be avoided by taking an alternate route if needs be. The standard route on Grays actually crosses two big avalanche areas. Grays may be one of the easier 14ers, but don't be fooled into thinking it is always safe.

[globreal]

[quote="Voshkm"
Also perhaps suggestions on routes. I believe that the standard route is most straight forward but is also plagued by strong miserable winds would the south slope route be much better?[/quote]

The standard route up Democrat crosses some avy potential slopes. You might keep an eye on your slope angles and or dig a pit to check the stability of the snow.

Be safe out there.

[Scott P]

Much of the avalanche danger can be avoided by following the ridge-instead of the trail marked on the map. Follow the red line instead of that marked trail.

Democrate-slide-angles.jpg

The area in the circle can potentially have danger, but every time I have been there in winter, it has been windblown or bare. Of course, it might not be like that now.

[Eli Boardman]

I was up there on Sunday. There's been more snow since then, so keep that in mind.

The saddle area was much more filled in than I had remembered from seeing pictures and trip reports. I skirted the bowl by traversing loose scree far on the right edge. Caltopo shows this area as being ~45 degrees in places, but it was wind scoured while the rest looked pretty loaded for my tastes. (I do not have the experience to evaluate avy danger other than to stay away from slopes that look loaded.) A group of 3 ascended the center of the bowl later--they said that it seemed ok. I will put some pictures in a conditions report.