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Thread: Tree wells

  1. #1
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    Tree wells

    Greetings everyone.

    Leave it to 2020 to give those of us in Washington state a high snow year (134%) and a slow melt (cool spring/summer temps). It is starting to warm up, but there is still A LOT of snow in the Glacier Peak Wilderness, where I plan to hike. I am postponing it, which I think will help, but here's my question.

    How do you navigate around tree wells?

    Two parts to this: First, tree wells are where heat conducted through the tree melts snow around it. People have died by falling into them head first. This usually happens when they are snowboarding or skiing, and lose control and happen to fall in the wrong place. I know tying a hammock should give more control, but...still. (I will be hiking solo).

    Second, assuming one finds a tree well shallow enough to step in and out of, how would you hang the suspension high enough if you are already starting below "ground" level?

    I know I could choose a different area with less snow, but I've been looking forward to finishing the state portion of the PCT, and this would do it.

    Waiting until mid-August should make a huge difference, from trail reports I am reading, but for general safety, perhaps someone has helpful ideas.

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    Tevye - bring a portable (camping) snow shovel.
    Don’t dive into a tree well head first.
    When approaching a tree, be ready for the snow to be soft around the base.

    You can’t make the connection to the tree higher but you can make the ground lower.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  3. #3
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    I was thinking the same thing: snow shovel designed for packing/camping. I knew about the danger of tree wells, but I never thought about how that might relate to hanging a hammock.

  4. #4
    OlTrailDog's Avatar
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    The deaths around tree wells/skis/snowshoes usually, if not always, involve ending up head first in the hole and not being able to release your gear. An exception would be if you were knocked out at the impact. If you are hiking the chances of this happening are minimal, unless you wear a really large shoe size.

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