Bee, I saw you asked in the other thread, unanswered,
"I am wondering if it would have been of some help to dig out the bottom so that the walls would be higher to begin with?"
Excellent question, often asked.
No.
You wouldn't want to do it during construction, because you wouldn't be able to reach the top.
However, the better answer is, that the lowest area is the coldest, so you actually want the sleeping area to be as high as possible. This is often arranged by digging a tunnel entrance that goes both down, as well as out. Practically, you dig out a hole in the wall, then dig a trench at that spot, then cover up the hole with snow blocks. This creates a "cold sink" where cold goes, down, and heat goes up. It can be relatively comfortably warm inside. The snow walls are VERY insulating.
Freedom of the Hills has some nice illustrations on this.
I'll bet there are some GREAT igloo making conditions at the Portal, now!
