this season's second 'week of skiing' is still going strong! and now has a forecast for "8-14 inches" tonight and tomorrow

this is the third time we've built an excellent base for skiing this season. unfortunately the first two completely disappeared in the record setting warm winter. thank goddess that it might be staying for a while. i'm just excited that it definitely be here for the coming storm.

because i have been outside playing everyday, i will again caution you, that my feelings and memories about the days, may or may not all that accurate, or supported by any photos. it doesn't help that wednesday, i got whatever pam has and have been blowing my nose about as often as one can without it falling off.

the days, the adventures, & the memories: 

thursday, february 19th two weeks ago soy, han, and deckard were up and on his last full day, he joined us for a hike up and over town hill, down to the marsh. it was somewhere in the 20s, cloudy, with no wind in the woods--still a week ahead of the 'big~ger' snows. while we were enjoying tea and "chocolate almond chip chunks of energy", an otter loped over the ice out about 100 yards. we saw it go across, back, across, back, and across again. soy tried for video, but you will have to settle for a picture and a zoomed in copy.

thursday, the 23rd four nights later, those 'big~ger' snows started falling and skip joined me early to go up town hill. in the 20s again, cloudy (no surprise this winter), no wind in the woods, with maybe 6" of soft & fluffy, new snow. the only problem was there was practically nothing underneath to cover the rocks. but it was fun enough to take one run out our dooryard and then head over to the shaker wildlife management area for a couple more runs. 

friday, the 24th  thurs night had cleared and the temperature had dropped into the single numbers, but the sun was shining bright! it was a early~ish start, with the temps creeping up into the teens, no wind in the woods, and a glorious 6-8+" of 'freshies'! dick drummond joined skip, simon, and me and we took two runs, one taking the original ending, the other our new alternative. they were both super spectacular, but when you are having that much fun, and skiing with dick and simon--they are fast--you don't take many action pictures. i got one of us skinning up with the quickies way up front.

we were all trying to get 'home' before 11:00a for other appointments. mine was to welcome the christensens coming for the weekend--and sledding! we got in a couple of hours 'packing' the trail down with their big tubes, going a little further each run. it was still cold~ish which might have sent us in a tad early to make pizza! on their last trip here, feb. 2020, sledding, pizza, and taking pictures, were the big draws. it was no different this time--everybody was smiling.

saturday, the 21st a clear cold night gave way to a not so clear and cold morning. just right for pancakes. it was still below zero when dave and i headed off to hike cardigan. he wanted to get above treeline and feel like he was in the mountains. in the woods it was eerily still, with a couple inches of fresh snow. the trail was packed enough to leave the snowshoes in the truck and the creepers in our packs. we did take up sledding devices though for the descent.

at the top, behind the tower base to block the 5-10mph wind, we took tea, snacks, and some pictures. we also got one of sledding on the way down.

when we got home we had peanut butter stew for lunch and went back out to sled. it got a little wild with the track speeding up, making the runs longer. charlotte took a movie tubing with her father.

sunday, the 22nd more pancakes, more cold, and more sledding before departure. the girls also did a 'that was then, this is now' picture of them on the swing. the old one was taken back in july 2016--they are indeed growing up.

since it had been snowing all morning, after the gang left, i geared up for a town hill ski. it was just right though, i did hit a few rocks under the fluff. as i was out rock hopping, sadie had ethan out making snow angels. he looked pretty happy. 

monday, the 23rd  cold~ish, a tiny bit of fresh snow, but clearing and mostly sunny. i took a quick run up town hill when i got home. it was fast and fun! the word on the street was maybe 6" of snow overnight--likely remote school on tuesday.

tuesday, the 24th  not quite 6", but plenty to ski on, even though the base in the woods was still relatively thin. not cold, actually getting warmer, no wind to speak of, and no surprise, cloudy. i went over to the swma to ski with dick and brendan. i went up ahead as they finished up a couple of bike jobs. as i was coming back from exploring at the top of the glades, 1st left, i heard a yell. that run led to another up and down 'the little sherbie', 2nd left. a last up and down the steep~er bottom half of 3rd left. dick snapped a photo at the top of 2nd left.

thursday, the 26th tobias, our wednesday overnight guest, took off early in falling snow. i was scheduled to follow him up to newbury, vt but being sick and with all that snow, i decided to stay home, shovel some and head up and over town hill. it was right around 30° and the 3-4" of new snow was sticky wet. i had to stop at one point and put wax on the bottom of my skis to stop clumping. it was a great way to end a day of feeling lousy. i stopped to take a couple of pictures at the porky trail. and again when i practiced skiing through a couple of trees.

friday, the 27th it dawned sunny and not too cold, somewhere in the 20s and getting warmer. just a dusting of snow from the night, getting blown around by an increasing wind. pam and i went out on snowshoes to stomp down her trail. yesterday's wet snow was crunchy in the shade, but soft and quiet in the sun--perfect for a loop through the woods and around the field. 

notes:

• dry, fluffy snow = fast skiing, but rocks are being hit
• wet, dense snow = slow skiing, but it's building a good base
• playing outside with the christensens made everyone smile - including this 'owl' in a hollow tree
• tea and snacks are still good
• 8-14" inches of snow in the forecast is great - on the ground, even better

go outside and play! 

three days with billy

 the days: feb 9th-11th. thursday- cool, cloudy, windy, snow, frozen rain, rain--the dreaded 'wintry mix'... friday- not quite as cool or cloudy, much much windier, no precip ... saturday- much cooler, wicked sunny, the wind blowing around the dusting of snow from the morning ...

the adventures: thursday, we went up to the south and north peaks of moose mtn. on wolfeboro road, and the AT, then down through the woods. friday, we went up cardigan via south ridge and came down on west ridge. saturday morning, skiing out in the 'back 40', and skating on mascoma lake in the afternoon.

the memories: a friend of pam's, i met billy up in the white mtns back in the 70s. we shared a love for the outdoors and have kept up through the years, often packing in multiple adventures during a visit*. living in rhode island for some years now, when he comes north we try to go outside and play as much as possible. thursday's hike up moose mountain on the AT, wet his proverbial whistle hitting both south peak and north peak.

in between, i cut a tree leaning over the trail and we used it for a lunch bench. while we were munching sandwiches and drinking tea, billy's phone rang. iona was calling from scotland! it was even better than the chocolate bar we had for dessert. 

for 'fun' and comfort we used snowshoes which were handy on the trail and mandatory when we dropped off the ridge into the woods. heading toward north peak, billy stopped me to get pictures with the ledge in the background. it was a pretty little segment.

friday, we didn't get any pictures on cardigan--i had forgotten my camera and billy's phone slipped out of his pocket when he was in the truck. trust me, it was beautiful going over south ridge. the ice flows (the picture below is from a couple years back but looks very similar) were in fine form and the ridge was totally covered in snow.

saturday morning after pancakes, billy wanted to get out on skis, "just in case this is my only chance to ski this winter..." things were pretty frozen up, but it was sunny, and is there such a thing as a bad time on skis?! 

after billy left, i went over to the bike shop to sweep--i took my skates. i parked at the bridge, thinking i could skate over to shaker village. the ice looked ok, but proved to be rather sketchy. the whole west side, which i'd have to cross to get to drummond's, was super rough and snowy, so i stayed to the east. after a breakable and wet upper layer felled me a couple of times i turned back.

notes:

• ice can be nice
• snow can blow
• sun is fun
• billy is ... not all that silly

go outside and play!

ps--*search 'goap!' for billy, tracey, and/or iona and you should find more than a few posts from the past.

hiking up cardigan in "once in a generation cold"

the day: feb 3rd. below zero °F, mostly clear and very sunny, plenty of snow with a crusty top. down low, in the woods, there wasn't too much wind. above treeline, 'the hawk was flying'. when i measured it, winds were a steady 25-30mph, with gusts over 40. 

the adventure: up and down mt. cardigan on the west ridge trail from the winter parking lot. we did take one slight detour over to the top of the ski trail so i could snap my traditional picture of the "snowmobilers turn around point..." sign for debbie.

the memories: with the endless hype over the "once in a generation cold" (they are still talking about the "...record-breaking cold snap in the northeast" on tonight's evening news) i thought i would run up our local mountain and see what all the fuss was about. of course i called linda & skip to offer them an equal opportunity to freeze to death--jk. linda opted out, but skip was game.

the lone truck in the winter parking area was don's. we met him coming down as we were going up. he looked a little frosty and warned us we'd want to be fully covered on top as it was "cold and windy!"

i got a couple of pictures--plus the one above--but skip's fingers didn't cooperate when he tried to take one with his phone as i came back to the tower after measuring wind speed. below, you can see the low clouds hugging the higher elevations in the white mtns.

notes:

• up top we had our warm jackets & hats on
• we were comfortably drinking tea when we heard the highest winds
• down lower, we 'stripped' off a layer or two
• trees make great windbreaks
• hot tea, no cookies--still good

go outside and play!

what is that shiny thing up in the sky?

the day: jan 28th. mostly sunny and in the lower 20s. plenty of snow with a firm top, not really crusty, more like stiff. no wind down in the woods.

the adventure: going generally east, head out the dooryard, up and over town hill, down to the marsh. reverse that order and repeat, going mostly west, heading home.

the memories: things looked a lot different with the snow we've had since the same trip on the 15th--then...

on the 28th...

the sun added to the beauty and peace walking back. i should say mostly, at least for me. if you were walking behind me, the glare off my head might have been uncomfortable. lucky pam has photochromic lenses.

lucky pam has photochromic lenses so she can see her tea and cookie!

notes:

• humans like tea and cookies
• porcupines like tree cambium
• deep ~ish snow is good
• sun, at least once a week, is also good

go outside and play!

a week full of skiing, and a day for sledding with ethan!

snow! what we were waiting for...even better, snow on top of snow. ok the last day it did warm and rain at the end, but the first two storms were all snow. shoveling, skiing, and sledding kept me busy--and happy tired at the end of the day. 

it turns out, even though you're out in the weather, you generalize everything. if i don't keep an accurate record in the moment, feelings dominate memory. i round snow depths in 6" increments, sometimes it's just skimpy or deep. same goes for temperatures. single numbers, teens, twenties, and thirties, become cold, cold~ish, cool, and warm. it's windy if >10mph, breezy if <10, and dead still when it's...dead still. then there's the sky, the rare bluebird day, along with somewhat or mostly sunny\cloudy ones. 

caution: my feelings and memories about the days, may or may not be supported by any photos.

the days, the adventures, & the memories: 

friday, january 20th still snowing in the morning, leaving half a foot of fresh snow on top of a thin base, cool temps, a bit breezy, and definitely cloudy. 

after thursday night's snow i was pumped to get out and couldn't wait for skip, so i skied out the dooryard, up over town hill, and back. coverage was skimpy and the snow was fast, but not too furious. i stopped to clean up the path around the truck, even dug out a door from the snow and threw it into the bed. 

skip joined me for the afternoon over on the 'secret sherbie' on moose mountain. it was the same, coverage skimpy, snow fast, but not furious. last fall i had built a stump jump on the new alternative ending. i got so excited flying over it at speed, i climbed back up and convinced skip to try it. as the picture above attests, he landed it! it's such a good trail, and now has two endings to choose from.

sat. 21st friday's fresh snow dried out overnight with cold~ish temps making skimpy slightly skimpier--but still fun--a bit breezy, and definitely cloudy. again.

before noon, went solo over to the shaker wildlife management area and on the way up the main trail i met two other skiers, hannah and kenny. they were just skinning up for a finishing run down the fields. i took them back to a stash we keep quiet about. it wasn't too bad where people had not been. plenty fast, not furious. after we skied to their car i went back up and took a run down 3rd left. stopped and got a picture of their early tracks up and mine coming down.

sun. 22nd friday's fresh snow dried out even more with cold~ish temps, coverage less skimpy in windsor, with a slight breeze, but still cloudy. again.

pam and i went down to sadie, otavio, and ethan's to celebrate o's birthday. after a yummy lunch, we went out into the back yard and pulled ethan around in his christmas sled. it was the happiest he was all day.

mon. 23rd more than a foot of fresh snow by morning, with snow still falling most of the day adding up to foot and a half by the end of the day, cold~ish, getting windy, especially out in the open, and like most of this winter, cloudy. again.

early morning, i started up cardigan following adam and friends' tracks. the deep snow had me wicked excited. sadly, before i even got to the summer parking lot, my binding broke and i had to bail. after shoveling for a couple of hours, skip came over and we went back to swma. everything was fresh and deep. we focused on skiing the steep: the bottom half of 3rd left, the 'little sherbie'--2nd left--and the far side of that stash i took hannah and kenny to. we finished down the upper and lower fields. a total of 10+ miles. 

our old~er legs were a bit tired from plowing through all that snow, but we were happy!

tues. 24th all that deep ~ish fresh snow settled some, cool, not much of a breeze, and surprise, cloudy. again.

after work, skip came over and we went up and over town hill. much better coverage except for a bare spot at the bottom of the steep pitch below the truck. neither of us took any pictures, but it was great skiing.

wed. 25th snow is still fresh and up high, still deep ~ish, cold~ish, windy~ish--but not bad in the woods--and surprise, surprise, cloudy. again.

mid morning, skip and i went back to moose mtn, skied up to south peak, took a tea break, and hit the AT. 

back on the wolfboro road, we cut off into the woods avoiding the open, wet, rocky areas and angled over to connect into the middle of the 'secret sherbie'. we had seen a lone ski track when we went by the bottom on our way up to so peak and knew the 'secret' was out. we can only hope it doesn't go viral. the stump jump was in fine shape. the deeper, slower snow made for less air, but it was still a lot of fun. 

 

thurs. 26th a half a foot of snow got rained on and reduced to 3-4 inches of mush. falling temps from above freezing to well below, froze the surface into a thick crust. getting windy--still not bad in the woods--and no surprise, cloudy. again.

after work, i went back up to the 'secret sherbie' thinking all that mush would be excellent to pack down the jumps and the 'ski hole' in the stone wall. it was great, but as it got darker, it got colder, the crust got thicker and harder. after finishing the stump jump i headed down. i got to the truck before dark dark, but it was a desperate descent--jump turns and well planned sit downs saved me. i was ok with no camera, pictures would have been really ugly!

notes:

• skimpy coverage, fluffy snow = fast skiing
• deep, dense snow = slow skiing
• too fast is furious, too slow is a slog, just right is sublime
• outdoor parents = outdoor kids
• tea and cookies are always good
• when taking pictures, make sure skip has his helmet on

go outside and play!