If
you’ve lived in Rochester for any
length of time, you’ve probably muttered nasty words under your breath about
the weather. And during the five months we call “winter,” one of those words was
probably “arctic.”
You
could go on complaining about this. Or you could embrace the opportunity that
comes with being part of the Great White North for more than a quarter of the
year. There’s perhaps no better way to embrace the Arctic in upstate New York than the
region’s signature piece of architecture: the igloo.
Technically,
says Rick French, the word “igloo” is Inuit for shelter, so you would be within
your rights to apply it to just about anything, but here we mean the igloo of
stereotype: a cozy little dome constructed of snow with a short tunnel for an
entry. French, a co-creator of Pack, Paddle and Ski, a Rochester area outdoor
adventure company, says he’s made “tons” of the structures over the past few
decades as a guide. Building the perfect igloo takes some practice, but French
agreed to give us the streamlined version for beginners.
For
starters, he says, you need to find some good snow. If you’re not in the Arctic, that means
stomping the snow down until you’ve turned it into what French describes as a
“quarry” for compact snow blocks.
Once
you’re satisfied with your quarry, use a saw to cut consistent-sized blocks out
of it. If you don’t have a snow saw (although really, who doesn’t?) a
carpenter’s saw will do.
After
you’ve finished cutting your blocks, says French, stack them one high in a
perfect circle. The larger the circle, the longer it will take and the tougher
it will be to build. For beginners, French recommends a circle about five feet
in diameter.
Next
— and this is the tricky part — saw through the blocks that form the
circle, beginning at ground level and finishing one block high. The result will
be a slowly ascending circular ramp of snow.
Now
the hard part’s over. Construct the rest of your igloo by stacking the
remaining blocks on top of the ramp, building upwards and inwards in a spiral.
The
two main mistakes beginners make, says French, is accepting bad blocks and not
giving the structure enough inward lean. That’s what gives the structure its
stability, he says.
Once
you’ve mastered the basics you can experiment by adding fancy touches. Try
installing a window made of ice or making a few igloos and connecting them with
tunnels, French suggests.
Fancy
or not, the structure you’ve just built could serve as a more than adequate
shelter during the winter months.
“I spent a whole winter sleeping in one” in YellowstoneNational
Park, says French, who calls igloos
“toasty.” Of course, he admits, “toasty” is a relative term; since igloos are
made of snow they never really get above freezing. But if it’s 20 degrees below
zero outside, suddenly 25 above looks nice and warm.
Igloos
also get “extremely quiet,” says French, recounting a time where he and his
fellow tentmates dug out their camping companions in the middle of a blizzard.
His companions, camping inside an igloo, had no idea the storm was going on:
“In the igloo it was dead quiet,” he says.
Even
if you don’t plan on living in one for a winter, an igloo can still be a fun
addition to the backyard.
For
a more detailed set of instructions check out the latest outdoor newsletter
from Footprint Press, publishers of Rich and Sue Freeman’s popular local
outdoor guides at www.footprintpress.com/Newsletters/newsletter62.htm.
Want
hands-on instruction? You can attend a Pack, Paddle and Ski class on Saturday,
January 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Harriet
Spencer Park in Honeoye. The cost is $69 per adult and $49 per child and
includes tools and lunch. 585-346-5597 www.packpaddleski.com.
This article appears in Jan 11-17, 2006.
