Today I headed out from Rochester and drove to Cooper's Lake Campground (205 Currie Rd., Slippery Rock, PA) to attend FrostBurn. Last year it was during President's Weekend in February but they mentioned that they planned to change it to Martin Luther King weekend this year. Ali and I realized we'd have to rearrange her mom's annual visit to accommodate the trip — but we forgot and, although I remembered again in November, it was too late. So, it was just me this year.
The trip out was not bad, except for lake-effect snow around the lake near Buffalo. I slowed down to 45 MPH or so and was getting frequently passed, but after 80 miles or so I did successfully drive out of it. I arrived around 4 p.m. or so and got settled in. The commercial campground where the event is presently held is located on a hill, and the organizers decided to split it up so there were people camped on top and at the bottom. Initially I was placed at the bottom of the hill. Since I had the rear-wheel-drive Buick Roadmaster, I figured it would be impossible to drive down. And since I also had a 180-pound base to the winter shelter I made, I really had no desire to try and make that happen either. Thankfully there were some spaces available at the top so I camped there. Also, I had access to electrical power: even though my winter shelter was pretty good, the predicted sub-zero temperatures would have been overwhelming without use of the electric heater I had at-the-ready. As it turned out, I never even got to try it out that night.
Because of the cold — it was, after all, no warmer than 5°F outside — I decided to consume and share the two bottles of homemade wine I brought rather than let them freeze. I got to meet lots of nice people and check out the whole event. Along the way, I met another Jason who ended up … umm … overdoing it, and ended up in bed early.
By the time all the drinking and debauchery was done, I was leaving the lower section and really don't remember much of what happened. Based on legend, I became "the guy who passed out in the snow," "almost died," or "got frostbite." As it turned out, this guy Tony helped me up the hill and let me stay in his heated RV overnight.
So now as you all cluck your tongues and "tsk-tsk", let me add two things. First of all, I didn't go out with any plan whatsoever to end up passing out. And second, this event isn't like day-to-day life: it's more like a village or an extended family. Rather than stepping over somebody passed out, anyone there would have stopped to help.
That said, it got down to -11°F in nearby Slippery Rock, PA and, depending on who you asked, it got as cold as -14°F or -18°F — so there was some real danger of getting injured out there. Thankfully I had on a full 4 layers on my legs and 6 on my torso along with chemical warmers on my hands and feet that were still working by morning. For the most part it was pretty comfortable.