Making a Backcountry (Smoke) Shack

snowmosexual

snowmosexual

Active member
So my crew was talking about how we need a place to meet up when we skied in the backcountry woods of our resort. Since we are the only ones who ski there and we haven't mapped it out yet there are no good meeting spots. We were talking about building a small shack or tepee hut. Has anyone on NS had experience with this?
 
Build it before the snow falls and make it bigger than you think since it will shrink in size once the snow comes. I also agree with don't cut any trees but instead try and find a spot with fallen trees.
 
I made a pretty epic one bsck in 06/08 at gore ny. You could stand up in it, was woven tight enough to hold a bake, strong enough to survive freezing rain storms, had 7 or 8 people in it before. Also was just in the woods from tbe big jump on the park. You couldnt see it from the trail and j kept it pretty secret. Good times. Also didnt cut doen any trees to build it
 
My friends and I built one during the summer of 2013 and it was there all winter. Only thing is, now there are like 3 or 4 back there which isn't necessarily a bad thing but I have noticed a lot of random ass people who like that would be getting lost at some of them.

So make sure it's far enough off the beating path, and you know exactly where it is. Also don't talk about it and tell people.
 
13160222:Al.Capone said:
Build it before the snow falls and make it bigger than you think since it will shrink in size once the snow comes. I also agree with don't cut any trees but instead try and find a spot with fallen trees.
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Or just ude a shovel. Honestly id rather hsve one be modtly burried in snow do its warmer and harder to find
 
13161179:theabortionator said:
Or just ude a shovel. Honestly id rather hsve one be modtly burried in snow do its warmer and harder to find
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build the entrance higher up and then you can walk in and it will be semi submerged which would be pretty cool
 
13160438:theabortionator said:
I made a pretty epic one bsck in 06/08 at gore ny. You could stand up in it, was woven tight enough to hold a bake, strong enough to survive freezing rain storms, had 7 or 8 people in it before. Also was just in the woods from tbe big jump on the park. You couldnt see it from the trail and j kept it pretty secret. Good times. Also didnt cut doen any trees to build it
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How many guys did it take? How long did it take to make? And what tools/materials did you use?

I'm kinda new to this whole thing cause my mountain has no shacks
 
Just me no tools just branches and sticks woven together around small logs i had set between trees. Originally was just making a wall but i tend to keep going and overdo things. A couple days worth of work but kind of polished it over a month till it was ballin.
 
what mountain are you at? It takes a lot of work if you want to make a legit shack...but its so much more worth it. And nobody will complain or tear down your hut if its awesome or a work of art.

Haul in wood for serious walls or benches. Use tarps sparingly, but they will waterproof stuff if you need. Buy plexiglass at home depo and make windows. Use lag bolts to connect serious supports to each other and trees. And make sure you build that thing solidly, you don't want it to collapse on people in a big storm.

Just know that the more work you put into it, the better it will be. Our shack was a long endeavor, but totally worth it. Also, be prepared for lots of people to say they will help, but in actuality few will pull their weight. Its going to mostly be your project.

And make sure you know what the spot is like in the winter. I did not anticipate 10+ feet of snow at our cabin (lots of digging out), and this was one of the worst snow years ever recorded. But the spot is really bomb. Easy to get to, but well hidden from many.
 
[video]https://www.newschoolers.com/watch/714257.0/Outtakes-from-the-2014-Nevada-Ski-Season[/video]

4:56 if you want to see the easiest way to smuggle up supplies (although only done once)
 
13162352:Wobby said:
[video]https://www.newschoolers.com/watch/714257.0/Outtakes-from-the-2014-Nevada-Ski-Season[/video]

4:56 if you want to see the easiest way to smuggle up supplies (although only done once)
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Doesn't seem very productive, Does anyone have pictures or a good layout plan?
 
13164725:MothaHucker said:
lol
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Its not. But we needed a bench and it worked in a pinch.

Teepees are good and easy if you have a massive tarp. Four huge tree trunks in a pyramid shape and you have a square based teepee which can hold a good amount of folks. And its steep sided so it sheds snow.

Treehouses are really cool too...but difficult to build.

Or you can just go with the classic tarp/painters plastic, sandwiched between limbs and trunks in some random blobular shape/semi-cabin shape, with some sort of sketchy door and whatnot.

Shitty but effective

some of Colorados finest (most now gone):

/http://solarburrito.com/blog/raphaels-smoke-shack-in-breckenridge-co/
 
13171184:Wobby said:
got any pics? how'd it go?
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The shack isn't done yet, but we decided to just use materials we could find.

View from far away:

732227.jpeg

Up close:

732226.jpeg

It's big enough that you could have around 6 people standing in it comfortably, maybe 10+ sitting.
 
Built one last winter and when I came back this summer, a bear must've found it since every single empty beer can was sliced open with claw marks
 
As stated above, do not cut anything down thats alive, and dont leave stumps. Most places that are dense enough to justify a covert badass shack with badass skiing will probably have tons of deadfall that lends itself to double tib/fib-ing yourself and the shack is a great way to clear even just a little of that shit out. Put a chimney in it and some seating so you can get warm while you blaze up. Enjoy! (Ps...if its at any vail resort, make god damn sure no one who wears a yellow jacket knows where it is or it'll be gonezo.)
 
At gore 11-12 years ago we were smoking in the woods a bunch near our first big jump. I wanted to hide away a little bit since I was working there. I decided to build a wall, yeah that trump fucked stole my idea.

Anyways just started with a bunch of decent stocks/small logs between trees and started weaving in pine branches. Decided why stop at one wall. Then started building one on the other side on the off chance anyone could kind of see you from the lift.

Then, why not a roof? Some slow midweek days made it easy to throw in sometime. Ended up with an igloo shape ish hut with a from and back doorway that extended out so you couldn't see inside even from right next to it. Fit 6-8 people comfortably. Ended up surviving several freezing rain storms and I think it was still there a few years later even with no screws/nails, or any upkeep and maintenance after we all went to other mountains.

If I ever built another I'd probably go similar.
 
I think finding huts is the coolest shit ever. If lived close enough to a big mountain I would definitely build one.
 
13160438:theabortionator said:
I made a pretty epic one bsck in 06/08 at gore ny. You could stand up in it, was woven tight enough to hold a bake, strong enough to survive freezing rain storms, had 7 or 8 people in it before. Also was just in the woods from tbe big jump on the park. You couldnt see it from the trail and j kept it pretty secret. Good times. Also didnt cut doen any trees to build it
Click to expand...

13948697:theabortionator said:
At gore 11-12 years ago we were smoking in the woods a bunch near our first big jump. I wanted to hide away a little bit since I was working there. I decided to build a wall, yeah that trump fucked stole my idea.

Anyways just started with a bunch of decent stocks/small logs between trees and started weaving in pine branches. Decided why stop at one wall. Then started building one on the other side on the off chance anyone could kind of see you from the lift.

Then, why not a roof? Some slow midweek days made it easy to throw in sometime. Ended up with an igloo shape ish hut with a from and back doorway that extended out so you couldn't see inside even from right next to it. Fit 6-8 people comfortably. Ended up surviving several freezing rain storms and I think it was still there a few years later even with no screws/nails, or any upkeep and maintenance after we all went to other mountains.

If I ever built another I'd probably go similar.
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story checks out
 
I know it’s top secret but if “the cave” or any other shack a Jhole exists can you PLEASE share the coordinates in a private message?
 
at my home mountain we set up a ¨camp¨ kinda were at the bottom of our mountain we found a cave next to a stream. We set up chairs and alittle rack to put your skis on. We also built a fire pit for whenever we were there and it was cold. Its just a spot that we only know of
 
13948598:trevorschu said:
Built one last winter and when I came back this summer, a bear must've found it since every single empty beer can was sliced open with claw marks
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You ski Stratton right, is that where you built it?
 
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