I.
Inspirations
II.
Map
III.
Daily Logistics
I.
Overview of Bogus Basin
II.
Snow Pack and the Water Cycle
III.
Mountain Ecology
IV.
Leave No Trace Principles
SnowSchool Contacts:
Kerry McClay, Bogus Basin SnowSchool: 585-4184, snowschool@bogusbasin.org
Edna Vizgirdas, Boise National Forest: evizgirdas@fs.fed.us
Lana Weber, Winter Wildlands: 344-8692, lweber@winterwildlands.org
Peg Havlovick, Bogus Basin Nordic Lodge: 332-5390, peg@bogusbasin.org

Since the dawn of human civilization artists, philosophers and politicians alike have looked to the natural landscape for inspiration and insight into life. Everyone involved in SnowSchool helps carry on this tradition. Here’s what a few famous folks have said about this;
“The highest goodness, water-like,
Does good to everything and goes
Unmurmuring to places men despise;
But so, is close in nature to the Way.”
-Lao Tzû, taken from Tao Te Ching or “The Way of Life,” 1100 BC
“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”
-Rachel Carson
“To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves.”
-Mohandas K. Gandhi
“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.”
-John Muir
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.”
-Anne Frank
“It is a great spiritual experience. I never knew a person who took a bedroll into an Idaho mountainside and slept there under a star-studded summer sky who felt self-important that next morning. Unless we preserve some opportunity for future generations to have the same experience, we shall have dishonored our trust.”
-Idaho Senator Frank Church
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8:45 AM- Depart for mountain. Contact Kerry ahead of time for carpool info;
( snowschool@bogusbasin.org
, 208-585-4184)
9:30-9:45 Leaders and Volunteers Arrive at Frontier Point Nordic Lodge
10:00 AM Classes arrive at the Frontier Point Nordic Lodge
10:05 Student Orientation and Introductions
10:30 Split students into small groups and volunteers lead morning hike
12:00 Lunch in Frontier Point Nordic Lodge
12:30 PM Volunteers lead afternoon hike
1:45 Return from hike
2:00 Students on Bus
2:10 Debrief
The SnowSchool volunteer schedule is posted on the website: http://snowschool.squarespace.com
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
Boise is located in SE Idaho in the northwest section of the Snake River Plain

Boise is surrounded by the Owyhee Mountains on the south, by the Boise Mountains on the northeast and by the Blue Mountains on the west.
 Boise’s elevation is 2800’ (3,390 ft lower than Bogus Basin)
 The elevation of the Frontier Point Lodge is 6190’ and Mores Mtn is at 7582’

Bogus experiences the orographic effect , which is when wind blows into the mountains causing it to rise and cool and then lose its moisture. This results in a colder and wetter
(more rain and snow) climate compared to the sheltered and moderate climate of the valley.

Winter Air Inversions- the frequent air inversions that we experience in the Treasure
Valley happen when the normal conditions of cold air above and warm air below are
“inverted”. This air stagnation is caused by high-pressure weather systems that trap cold, dense air in the valley along with pollutants produced by vehicle and industry emissions.

There is typically snow at Bogus Basin from November through March

The Boise Mountains are made up of granite rock of the Idaho Batholith , which was created when magma below the surface cooled slowly roughly 80 million years ago and was later uplifted and eroded .

The Boise Mountains have been extensively eroded by glaciers within the last 15,000 years.

A series of south-dipping normal faults , or zones of weakness in the rocks along which movement has occurred, separate Bogus Basin from the valley below.

The movement along these faults resulted in the uplift of the Boise Front Range beginning as early as 23 million years ago.

The volcanic rocks of the Snake River Plain are a result of tectonic plate movement over a fixed hot spot , which is now active in the Yellowstone National Park area.

The community of plants and animals around Bogus Basin are specifically adapted to the high elevation environment and are collectively referred to as an alpine ecosystem .

The plants and animals that are found in the Bogus alpine ecosystem have special adaptations that allow them to survive and thrive in the harsh winters and short summers.

Resident species of the Bogus alpine ecosystem include elk, black bear, mountain lion, coyote, ermine, red squirrel, snowshoe hare, stellar jay, black-capped chickadee,
Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine, chokecherry, and bitter cherry.
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
Alpine ecosystems are relatively sensitive to disturbances and are worthy of conservation efforts
An outline of general concepts that will be covered on SnowSchool tours:

Gas, Liquid, & Solid Phases
 Water freezes at 32º F and 0º C

2 Hydrogen Molecules and 1 Oxygen Molecule = H
2

Frozen water (ice) is less dense than Liquid water
O
o Water cycles through the Earth’s landscape in an endless process and goes through many changes along its way from the ocean to the mountain and back again. o The sun heats the liquid water in oceans and lakes causing the liquid to evaporate, or turn into a gas. The water molecules then rise on warm air currents into the atmosphere where they begin to cool which causes condensation . Condensation of water molecules from a gas to a liquid usually occurs around a dust particle.
When enough molecules condense clouds begin to form. o If the condensation process occurs at temperatures below 32 degrees F then ice crystals begin to grow from the water and form snow crystals or flakes.
Snowflakes are often a conglomeration of many individual snow crystals that have combined as they collided while falling or riding the air currents. o Once enough water molecules condense either as a liquid (rain) or as a solid
(snow) and join together, they get heavy enough to fall back to the earth. This is called precipitation. o Snow is an important component of the water cycle because it is stored on the mountain in the snow pack and when it melts it provides liquid runoff water for plants, animals and fish in streams and rivers, as well as for human needs such as irrigation and drinking water. Because the snow pack melts off over a long period of time, it provides cool water well into the hot summer in many places.
We will use laminated snow crystal pictures to explain snow crystal forms and their properties. After an intro to the crystal forms we will have the students catch snowflakes on black card stock paper and observe them with magnifying glasses. They can share what they observe with the group orally or take notes for later use.
o When cloud temperature is at freezing or below and the clouds are moisture filled, snow crystals form. The ice crystals form on dust particles as the water vapor condenses and partially melted crystals cling together to form snowflakes.
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o It is said that no two snowflakes are the same, but they can be classified into types of crystals. All snow crystals have six sides. The six-sided shape of the ice crystal is because of the shape and bonding of the water molecules. o There are five main snow crystal forms (for the purposes of this lesson):

Prisms & Columns

Plates

Dendrites

Needles

Irregular (including rimed, triangular, bullet, and 12 sided ) o The type of crystals depends on the amount of humidity and temperature present when they are forming. That's why when it's very cold and snowing, the flakes are small, and when it's closer to 32 F. the flakes are larger. o Snowflakes are not frozen raindrops. Sometimes raindrops do freeze as they fall, but this is called sleet. Sleet particles don't have any of the elaborate and symmetrical patterning found in snow crystals. o Snow crystals form when water vapor condenses directly into ice, which happens in the clouds. The patterns emerge as the crystals grow. o
Yes it can! As snowflakes melt they begin to evaporate which causes evaporative cooling which slows the melting of the snowflakes. Snow can still reach the ground when the ground temperature is above freezing if the conditions are just right. In this case, snowflakes will begin to melt as they reach this warmer temperature layer; the melting creates evaporative cooling which cools the air immediately around the snow flake. The cooling retards melting.
As a general rule, though, snow will not form if the ground temperature is 5 degrees Celsius
(41 degrees Fahrenheit).
The physical properties of snow can change due to heating, cooling, and physical forces such as pressure and friction
Background Information:
Snowflakes begin as delicate crystals but are soon transformed into the granular crystals and lumps of ice that are found within and at the bottom of layers of snow. The process by which snow crystals change in composition or structure is known as snow metamorphism . Pressure and temperature are the two most influential agents of change.

Pressure : Snow crystals change due to the physical compaction of snow under its own weight as well as under the weight of human or animal traffic on top of the snow. During such pressure metamorphism, snow crystals get pressed together and interlock more closely resulting in decreased snow pack thickness and increased snow pack density and strength.

Temperature : Obviously, melting and re- freezing cause changes in snow crystals, but snow changes even when temperatures are relatively constant. Water
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from the ice crystals evaporates and gets re-condensed onto flat parts of the crystal causing a change in crystal shape.

Temperature Gradient : Often there is a difference in temperature between the snow at the bottom and top layers of the snow pack. In winter, when air is very cold, the snow at the surface of the snow pack is colder than the snow near the ground. This is because snow is a very good insulator, insulating the ground from the colder air temperatures. When the ground is warmer than the snow above it, water vapor is produced. This vapor then rises and re-condenses, creating large crystals known as depth hoar . In the spring, the temperature gradient may be reversed, with temperatures warmest at the top of the snow pack and colder at the bottom. Warmer conditions may also cause the temperatures to be consistent throughout the snow pack.

Snow Layers : As snow accumulates and changes over time, it develops layers of snow marked by their physical differences and reflecting the “life history” of the snow pack. These layers are often broadly classified as new snow, firn and depth
hoar (but careful observers often distinguish other layers within these categories).
In general the new snow layer consists of new sharp crystals lying loosely on the top of the snow and slowly being compacted by additional falling snow. Just below the new snow is a layer called firn . The firn consists of crystals that have lost their sharp edges due to evaporation, freezing and compaction. They are now rounded into more sphere-like shapes, in time becoming particles of ice. This snow is dense and the grains are more closely bonded together, which increases the mechanical strength of the firn layer. At the bottom of the snow pack is the
depth hoar layer consisting of snow crystals that have metamorphosed into lumps of ice through evaporation, condensation and compaction. This layer is more weakly bonded than either the firn or new snow layers. The depth hoar layer is loose and grainy. The crystals sift through your fingers and it is often nicknamed
“sugar snow.”

Snow Density : Through most of the winter, snow density will usually increase deeper into the snowpack, until reaching layers where depth hoar has formed.
Since the depth hoar layer is loose and grainy, these layers have lower densities.
When warmer temperatures occur, the strength and density of the entire snow pack increases due to compaction.

Affects on Animals : Small mammals such as mice, voles and lemmings depend upon the insulating value of snow. Although at least 3 feet of snow assures adequate warmth, as little as 6 inches provides some advantage. Small mammals can easily tunnel through loosely packed depth hoar crystals formed at the base of the snow pack and thereby take advantage of warm temperatures in the snow / ground interface. This subnivian
(below the snow) environment reduces the effect of wind, extreme temperature variations and predation. Food such as roots, stems, buds and carrion are abundant.
The plants and animals of the alpine ecosystem around Bogus Basin have adapted over time to survive and thrive in the harsh winters and short summers. This lesson covers the three main strategies that animals use to deal with the harsh winter season as well as some of the strategies and adaptations of plants.
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

A sure way to survive the harsh winters of Bogus Basin is to LEAVE! And that is exactly what some animals do; they migrate to warmer climates to find ample food supplies, to give birth to their young, and to stay warm. Examples of animals that migrate out of this ecosystem are:
 Mule deer are “mule-like” in that they have large ears that seem to be constantly moving, and are about ¾ the length of their head.

They are grayish in winter but reddish to yellowish-brown in summer.

They browse on a wide variety of woody plants, primarily during the winter when snows cover grasses and forbs.

Mule deer migrate from high, mountainous country to lower valleys and foothills during late fall to avoid heavy snow.

Mule deer do herd during the winter in specific areas having a good combination of shelter and food. Severe winter conditions can reduce their populations drastically.

In Idaho, and throughout the northern
Rockies, herds migrate to lower elevations in winter to feed.

They grow thick coats for the winter season to stay warm and browse on woody plants and dig for grasses in the winter.
Photo from © Corel Corporation

They are the most common goose in North America and typically migrate south in the winter.

A large resident population exists in southern Idaho and during winter, northern migrants are present throughout state.

During migration and in winter they are found on coastal and freshwater marshes, lakes, rivers, and fields.
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Some animals survive the winter by going into a deep sleep for the season and wake up when the weather warms in the spring. Hibernators store up layers of fat in the fall by consuming more food that usual so they don’t have to eat until springtime. True hibernators sleep all winter long, whereas some animals go into a stupor and wake up periodically on warm days to forage for some food and stretch their legs. When an animal hibernates it saves energy by slowing down its breathing, heart rate and metabolism. Examples of hibernators are:

They are true hibernators

At higher elevations, marmots may hibernate from early
September to May; at lower elevations they emerge late
February to mid-March.

A primary mortality factor is hibernation and they are preyed on by larger predators such as golden eagles, coyotes, cougars and others.

Also called whistle pigs or wood chucks
Photo by Don Streubel, 2000

They hibernate for 5 to 7 months in their northern range, from about November until April.

Their hibernation is not as physiologically deep as some of the rodents, but they are in a deep sleep from which they only periodically arouse.

There is no excrement in their hibernation den indicating that they do not defecate while hibernating. However, females do have their young while in hibernation.

When inactive in hibernation, they occupy a den under a fallen tree, in a ground-level or aboveground tree cavity or hollow log, in an underground cave-like site, or even on the ground surface in dense cover.
Photo by Don Streubel
Animals that remain in the same general range during all the seasons are known as adapters. They have developed strategies or adaptations that help them survive the cold winter. Some grow thick fur coats to stay warm, or change colors to camouflage themselves from predators. Others store up more fat or seek shelter under the snow or ground to get through the winter. Examples of adapters are:
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
The snowshoe hare, sometimes called the varying hare, is white in winter except for black-tipped ears and gray with light flecks in summer.

The soles of its feet are heavily furred which probably provides more surface area for movement in the snow.

Early Hudson Bay fur trapping records showed an intriguingly regular correlation between snowshoe hare population cycles and lynx populations.

The molt from the gray coat to white occurs in fall and takes about 70 to 90 days. The change is triggered by photoperiod changing day length).
Photo by Don Streubel

The ermine wears two "coats", a light brown summer coat with white underneath, and an all white winter coat. The tail is black tipped. The white winter coat is the source of the common name "ermine", which is a French word for
"white winter color".

During the winter it often hunts under the snow and probably uses rodent burrows. Hunting in rodent burrows may be common.

Ermines are keen hunters and are able to kill and eat snowshoe hares

Tracks in the snow indicate that they can repeatedly leap three times their body length, even in deep snow.

time?

The lynx, hare, ptarmigan, snowy owl, and grouse get an extra layer of fur or feathers on their paws and feet during the winter. That helps even out the animal's weight so they will stay on top of the snow.

To reach branches for it to eat in the winter, the snowshoe hare stands on its hind legs! When the snow is so deep that the snowshoe hare has trouble getting around, it will make paths through the snow by hopping in the same spots a lot.

The ptarmigan & grouse make a home that looks like a den in the snow called a kieppe. It protects them from snow storms, wind, and other bad weather that winter brings.

Mice, voles, moles, and other rodents make burrows under the ground to get away from the cold.

Red squirrels usually stay on top of the snow, but when the temperatures change to -22 F they make a burrow too, and live with their cousins under the snow.

To keep warm some birds puff up their feathers and snuggle up together on the branches of trees.
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Plants don’t have the luxury of packing up and leaving town for the winter so they have developed unique characteristics that help them survive the cold season.

Douglas fir leaves are small and have a waxy coating to keep the inside of the leaf moist.

The waxy coating on evergreen plants is an adaptation that helps the plant conserve its moisture.

Water is not available to trees at this elevation because the ground is frozen so the trees have to be able to conserve enough water to get through the cold winter.

Another adaptation of evergreen trees is that because their leaves don’t fall off they are able to begin photosynthesizing and producing food as soon as the weather warms.

The shape of many evergreen trees makes them more resistant to heavy snow loads.
Because their branches slope out and downward, the weight of snow pressing down allows the snow to fall off. The Douglas fir has adapted to let snow gradually fall it's limber, drooping branches.
It is important that SnowSchool not only be inspiring and educational for the participants but it should also encourage kids to take care of the natural environment. “Leave No Trace” is a set of principles that outdoor enthusiasts can use to minimize their impact on the natural environment.
While we don't have have time to cover all these principles at SnowSchool, we can contribute to the growing awareness of this code of conduct for environmental stewards. The LNT activities presented in the previous section give the students personal and specific behaviors they can practice to help the environment. The 7 LNT principles are included below for reference:
1.
Plan Ahead and Prepare: Poorly prepared people, when presented with unexpected situations, often resort to high-impact solutions that degrade the outdoors or put themselves at risk. Poor planning can result in improperly located campsites because groups failed to plan enough time to reach their intended destination, or improper campfires or excessive trash because of failure to plan meals or bring proper equipment.
2.
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces: Damage to land occurs when surface vegetation or communities of organisms are trampled beyond repair. The resulting barren area leads to unusable trails, campsites and soil erosion.
3.
Dispose of Waste Properly: Though most trash and litter in the backcountry is not significant in terms of the long term ecological health of an area, it does rank high as a problem in the minds of many backcountry visitors. Trash and litter are primarily social impacts which can greatly detract from the naturalness of an area.[5] Thus, Leave No Trace recommends that trash and litter should be packed
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out. Further, backcountry users create body waste and waste water which requires proper disposal according to Leave No Trace.
4.
Leave What You Find: Leaving rocks, plants, archaeological artifacts and other objects as found will allow others a sense of discovery. Similarly, Leave No Trace directs people to minimize site alterations, such as digging tent trenches, hammering nails into trees, permanently clearing an area of rocks or twigs.
5.
Minimize Use and Impact of Fire: Leave No Trace encourages people to use lightweight camp stoves, instead of fires, because the naturalness of many areas has been degraded by overuse of fires and the increasing demand for firewood. If a campfire is constructed, Leave No Trace suggests using an existing fire ring in a well-placed campsite or to use a fire pan or mound fire. True Leave No Trace fires show no evidence of having ever been constructed.
6.
Respect Wildlife: If enough people approach or interfere with wildlife, it can be disruptive to animal populations.
7.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors: Following hiking etiquette and maintaining quiet allows visitors to go through the wilderness with minimal impact on other users.
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