snow shelters
Brent and others--
This is what works for me and many others for solo one-night stays, assuming at least a foot of snow. If you have deep snow (3 ft) just dig your trench as narrow as you will fit in at the top, comfortably wide at the bottom and 4 to 6 ft long, tramping down snow in the bottom and tunneling the additional length needed for your feet and lower legs when you lie down. If your snow is less deep, just heap it up in a rectangular box configuration 4 ft high, 3 to 4 ft wide, 9 ft long and excavate the sleeping cavity after the snow has set. Roof the trench using skis, pole, branches, whatnot for supports and a ground sheet for roof. Silnylon does not work very well for the roof-- too slick and saggy. The reinforced bright colored "space blankets" (about 52"x 84") work better. Now pile snow on your roof to insulate it.
A trench of this sort assuming good snow and a shovel takes one hour to construct and is fairly dry work, longer if you have to heap up the snow. The inside temperature with you in it should be no lower than 20 d F.
Walt