February Breakation

A good ski with Alison out near Abraham - Jack wanted to head onto the AT.

Me and the Dogs with the 'Loaf behind -- had never seen this view -- sweet.

Rapid Stream above and below - check out the snow bridge the 'biles, skiers and hikers use to cross.  This is the little nugget we crossed late in November - not as cold as it would have been on this winter day, but it was cold enough then.

The after ski cider - this is the Private Reserve Woodchuck cider that was aged in small batches in genuine white oak Kentucky bourbon barrels.  Hells yeah.  And at 6.9%, Al and I are fans.

I had plans to snowshoe up Puzzle with EmJay on this BEAUTIFUL Friday, but her little girl caught croup and then she came down with strep throat -- poor girls!!  What a mean vacation mess.  So instead of walking up one mountain, I tromped all over the Maple orchards of the Thurston Compound and tapped trees.  It was Jim, Cliff and I, and we got her done.  Got upper, middle and lower orchards done and a big chunk behind Cliff's.  Let the sap RUN!  Man was it pretty out there.  I love to work outside, more than I love to work anywhere else.  Can you see Jimmy out there thinking away?

After lunch we headed back out.  Brothers being brothers and Jim being Jim, he TRIED to hit Cliffy.  There's Cliff, innocently tapping a tree, and there's Jim trying to land one upside his head.  When he missed, Cliff said, without looking at Jim, continuing to tap the spile into the tree, "And that's why you never made it past Little League."

Mount Zircon and the upper field on the other side of Dickvale - from Cliff's house.

Jimbob and Dix, calling it a day.

Being the dad he is, once Cliff got the kids from the babysitter at 4pm, he loaded little D (isn't she SWEET?) up in the baby pack, strapped snowshoes on S and headed on out onto the trails.  Their mom was at a conference for days, and he was rocking it solo.  He's a good dad.

Little Man getting some elevation.  He wanted to snowboard down this, but without a helmet Cliffy put the kibosh on that.

After tapping trees all day Friday, this is what the dogs looked like.  And I guess the cats were spent too.  I unloaded a big trailer full of wood - throwing it into the bulkhead and then stacking it in the cellar.  With good Saturday morning/early afternoon NPR programming and then excellent tunes of my choosing following that, it didn't even seem like work, especially the outside part.

After the trailer full of wood, I took the dogs to Industry for a short, 40 minute ski.  We skied to the top of Pico.  This is the view of Clearwater from up there.  Pretty.  Then it snowed!!

Sunday morning walk with the dogs on my regular trail.  Pretty sweet.

Met Al in Strong and then risked our lives by heading to Weld.  142 had not been plowed at all.  It was deep on the road.  Thankfully, we made it without issue and I was able to share my excellent 2.5 hour loop with her.  It was dumping the whole time, and we were psyched.

Near the end of the loop -- me and the dogs.  This is the trail that has no snowmobiles.  Love it.  

Now we are back to work and there is another storm on the doorstep.  Booyah!  Super stoked on that one.  Let it snow and snow and snow -- birthday in a few days, and this is the perfect gift -- three solid days of unsettled weather.  Bring it.