DogPaddle Posted December 2, 2003 Posted December 2, 2003 So we finally have snow on the ground and it just keeps coming. :D The boys love it, although Zaphod wants to go in and out around 40 times a day. They tear around the whole yard kicking up snow - I wonder why snow has that effect on them? Anyway I can't wait to go out to the ponds and build a quincy and (once the ponds are frozen) go for a walk on the ponds, the boys will love it! Quote
kendalyn Posted December 2, 2003 Posted December 2, 2003 We had a lovely amount of snow here but it got warm today and it is starting to melt!! :cry: Buck loves the snow, I don't know why they get so excited... What is a quicy? Quote
DogPaddle Posted December 2, 2003 Author Posted December 2, 2003 A quincy is a snow hut, not an igloo though. You use a shovel and make a huge pile of snow, then you wait two hours so the outside while harden - it does this naturally as the snow under the top layer of snow is warmer and it is softer/wetter, when exposed to air it hardens - no need to pack it. During your two hours you hike or whatever then you come back and dig out the inside of the quincy leaving the walls at least 15 cm or 8inches or so thick - the thicker the better. You pile the excess snow in a semicircle a couple feet from the door to form a wind break. You need lots of snow and the inside can be a bit cramped, the more people you want to put in the larger the pile must be but the most people I've succesfully put in a quincy was 4 sitting or laying down. You can carve nooks for your stuff and for tea lights or candles (it is best to use bee's wax with cotton wicks without a zinc core as there is not tons of ventilation) you need to have thicker walls to do this and ensure that the angle of the wall over the nook is not so great that you're candle melts it. You can also block up the door with a pack and line the bottom of the quincy with stuff - traditionally spruce boughs but as that is a wee bit un-environmental you can use plastic, sleeping pads etc. Inside it gets up to 5 degrees C and then you break out the hot choclate and chicken soup and relax. Because the inside of the quincy is just above freezing and then add up to four people breathing plus hot coca and soup and there is a lot of vapour inside the quincy, sometimes we've had fog. :lol: You can use a quincy for winter camping if you so desire . . . I haven't braved it yet. Quote
kendalyn Posted December 2, 2003 Posted December 2, 2003 that is awesome! I've never heard of doing that but I'm definately going to try it as soon as we get enough snow :-) Thanks for informing me. I am so psyched to try it out :lol: Quote
bk_blue Posted December 2, 2003 Posted December 2, 2003 That sounds great DP. I wish we could do that here. :( Quote
DogPaddle Posted December 3, 2003 Author Posted December 3, 2003 Kendalyn - My personal suggestions are to bring a crazy carpet type sled that the person digging can be slid in and out on, also spare gloves and sweatshirt for the digger as you will in part be digging snow out from above you which then falls on you and melts as you are working fairly hard. You would also need a large spade for hollowing out and as many shovels as people for the piling up. If you are not sure if you are making the walls the right thickness break a couple sticks to the right thickness and jam them in the pile, when you're hollowing out, if you find the end of a stick stop. We usually find a quincy is great if you want to hike the same area over a few days or the season as you always have a semi-warm place to go. One concern some people have is that, during thaw or warmer weather, some kids could find it and be playing in it and collapse it on themselves and not be able to get out. I find this highly unlikely but when we are done using our quincy for the season we have a big final visit and to end things off we just stand up quickly in the quincy, plowing through the roof and effectively destroying it. (Go shoulders, not head first, if you try this.) Have fun! BK - It is loads of fun. Sorry you can't do it there but on the other hand at least you don't have slush. I hate slush! Quote
dogsgalore Posted December 3, 2003 Posted December 3, 2003 My brothers make one every year. They are working on one right now and it just gets bigger and bigger! :D Quote
Guest Anonymous Posted December 3, 2003 Posted December 3, 2003 haha we had snow about 2 weeks ago and Cody and ZOey wanted to be out in the snow all day they had such a blast tearing through the snow in the backyard! i hope it snows again soon. we are also goign to take them to the mt, Rainier. it has about 4 feet of snow right now... Quote
DogPaddle Posted December 3, 2003 Author Posted December 3, 2003 Dogsgalore - How many people does is your brother genrally able to fit in his finished quincy? As I said we usually can only make one for four, after that structually the quincy seems weak. Maybe he has some tips for me? Quote
DogPaddle Posted December 3, 2003 Author Posted December 3, 2003 Naomi - Dogs do seem to adore snow, don't they. I wonder if all dogs go bonkers for it? Quote
sheltielover Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 DP, I know that Honey and Licky LOVE the snow.....Honey will go out and LAY in it! I hope we get some snow here soon...... :) Quote
dogsgalore Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 My brothers make a few different rooms in the whole thing. They make a tunnel then a room at the end with another tunnel going off of it to another room and so on. The more snow we get the bigger they'll build it! :D I don't think the rooms can fit more than four people in each one, if that. Three of my brothers are working on it and they are all in it at the same time. Quote
Rowie-the-Pooh Posted December 4, 2003 Posted December 4, 2003 Hey! Rowie may never see the snow, it's not fair! :cry: Living in Bahrain, "winter" is rain and a couple of clouds....that's it! Actually, winter here would probably be Spring or Summer in European or North American countries! :o Maybe one day we'll be able to go on a looong vacation with Rowie and she'll get to see the snow....one can only hope! :D Quote
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