DEEP snow

Yup, more snow and skiing!  Now that we got it we are taking advantage of it.  Yesterday afternoon the kids and I drove up to the pass to go skiing and sledding.

I knew the road would be a mess and almost stopped at the golf course, but then we decided to just go for it.  And for a while there we seriously regretted it.  We got to the switchbacks and there were 2 cars off of the road and a gaggle of cars all backed up (see photo below).  We thought about backing up and going back to the golf course.  But Nora looked over the guard rail to the road below and saw that there was already a car off the road below and behind us too, and that the snow plow was stopped behind it.  So no backing up!

Finally all the cars had been pulled from the ditch and our line of cars moved ahead.  There was only one rut to follow and I was terrified about meeting cars coming the other way.  Sort of like a game of 'chicken' - where the loser would have to leave the nice, safe rut for the insecurity of the deep powder.  We made it to the pass and I told the kids that there was no going back until the snow plow arrived.

Elias and Stuey went sledding while Nora and I skinned up the mountain.  We followed a snow machine trail and got to the top pretty quickly.  We could see that where snow machines left the trail they cut in 2-3 foot ruts in the new snow.  Up on top it was all windblown and drifted and, at first, going down on top of the wind pack not a problem.  But then we got to the deep snow and it was too deep to move - even going down the hill!  We needed a steeper slope.  I ended up putting my climbing skins back on and breaking a trail for Nora to ski down in!  Nora would hold back while I broke the trail and then catch up ripping down the broken-in trail.  

We had fun and got down to find Stuey and Elias still sledding.  I gave Stuey a tow on his sled behind me on skis.  Most importantly the road had been plowed!  I looked up the mountain at the other lines and slopes on the mountain where it was steep and the snow not so deep.  Alternative options where Nora and I could have skied instead.  That's where we will ski next time!
Patrick

Gaggle of cars