Off the Beaten Path
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Bowen Island, BC, Canada.
Interest: Backcountry skiing, Hiking, coping with fitness issues associated with aging
Posts: 634
The 9-foot inside diameter igloo was built on Sunday January 5, 2020, in (what was for us) record time. There was deep fresh snow and more was falling as we worked — it made construction very easy. We were done sometime before 2 PM.
I am writing 24 hours later, and the nearby ski resort is reporting that an additional 17 cm of new snow has fallen up there.
We were pleased to find enough snow in the clearing that, after flattening the site and work hardening the snow under the walls of the igloo (to be the foundations of the dome), there was still enough snow to dig an entry-way that was below the floor and foundation of the igloo. The layers of snow at the site were interesting. Below the new soft snow was a denser layer, and below that a slab of hard crusty snow. Between the crust and the ground was faceted sugar snow.
You are welcome to visit. Because the entry is filling with new snow, bring a shovel. If you find the entrance too tight of a squeeze, don't enlarge by cutting it higher — that would weaken the foundation and walls of the igloo. A little wider is okay, and it would be okay to lengthen the trench inside the igloo. To understand the construction of this igloo, read my earlier posts in this thread. Note the fine print below.
I'd love a report on its condition.
Fine print: this igloo was made with the finest materials (Canadian snow) and excellent workmanship. Nevertheless any user enters the site at his/her own risk. Snow changes its characteristics over time and with local conditions. The igloo is very heavy, and the structure will eventually fail. It is weakest when the temperatures are close to or above the freezing point of water. Use your own judgment when approaching or entering it. It is not a kids' play structure. It is, after all, just made of snow. Please repair any damage.
Last edited by howesound; 01-06-2020 at 07:57 PM.