Backpacking in winter with kids... Where to go

[4x4Photoguy]

My kids heard me taking about how much I enjoyed my last winter back packing trip. They would like to try one. What I would like to do is drive to a spot in the mountains somewhere and park, hike a small distance from the 4x4, about one mile or less. We all have snow shoes. I plan on using my big sled to hall some of the gear they can't carry. They are 6 and 8 years old. I live on the north side of Denver Colorado. A Hour or two drive would be ok.

Do you have any good ideas on where to go?

Steve

[shawnbebout]

Well, most of the campgrounds have the gates closed off, so I don't know if you could hike to one and camp there. Kinda park by the gates at Lake Brainard, (up by ward) and hike into there and camp. Get in touch with the forest service offices and get a Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) and it shows you where you can do dispersed camping.
Another spot would be near Nederland, Caribou Creek. I know the gates for the 4x4 trail are closed, but you could park at the trail head and hike into there and camp. That is probably where I would try. Park at the Caribou historical site and camp down the trail a ways.
I live up I-25 from you in Longmont.

[Eaglebait Ranch]

My wife and I are winter backpackers. If I didn't have a dentist appointment yesterday, we would have been packing in yesterday, and packing out tomorrow. It doesn't matter what our goal is, for where to camp/settle. We use our quad maps to locate hills for telemark skiing, and protected areas to put up our tent. Unlike warm weather backpacking, there are no "trails" to fallow, so we can go off into any direction and "find" fun.

I would think, with kids your age, it wouldn't matter either where you went, as long as there was snow, because if you walk in a mile, are going to dig out a place to put your tent (we dig down at least 2 feet into the snow) while building a berm as we dig out the snow, then pack the "floor" down by walking on it w/skies or shoes), wait an hour then put up your tent (meanwhile, they can burn off what energy they have left building a fort, snowman, or create their own winter games), then set up camp - you might be coming to the end of the first day.

If interested, we dig out an area about 8' wide and at least 12' long to walk and live in. Build a berm on the windward side, perpendicular to the wind, then, about 3' from the berm, erect your tent w/the opening/door next to the dug out place. That way, the tent is actually 2' higher off the ground and you can actually "role" into the tent instead of getting down on the snow and crawling in.

If you can, build a berm on the windward side to make into a kitchen. If you build it high enough, and pack it down, you can then dig out a section to put your stove, which, like your tent, is 2' off the ground. The berm then becomes a wind break, protecting the stove, and you can stand and cook because your stove isn't on the ground.

Hope some of this helps.............. If you already are aware of this stuff, maybe someone else will read it and pick up a suggestion or two. Enjoy your trek with your boys.

[shawnbebout]

I would try Lake Brainard, Caribou Creek or contact the Boulder Ranger District for more information. Also pick up a MVUM map. It shows where dispersed camping is allowed. I live in Longmont.