January 13th - Day 7 10:48 AM

January 13th- Day 7, 11,500
I talked with Lonnie this morning at about 8:30 AM.  He had a good nights rest.  He had a relatively short (distance) day yesterday.  The winds were high but he did make it to the base of motorcycle hill at 11,500 feet.  This actually gave him an extra day at 11,500 to acclimatize and rest.  The weather was good this AM and he is on the trail up Motorcycle hill.
For those who don't know Lonnie is digging ranger trenches to sleep in at night, he is not carrying a tent. Due to the potential of very high winds and the added weight digging in at night is preferred.  Although it has taken up to 3 hours to dig in at night, the trenches provide a quieter and warmer environment.  A good reference on how to build a snow cave is :   http://www.usap.gov/travelAndDeployment/documents/FieldManual-Chapt11SnowShelters.pdf

Here is a diagram of a snow trench, the one illustrated does not have a snow block roof like the ones Lonnie is building.... UPWARD.....