Letters to the Editor

I've been getting letters from readers that there are too many ego shots of the editor and not a good photo of Erika. So for the sake of fairness I'm posting this photo of us together in this shot where she looks great and me........ well not so great.  And the other photo of the rainbow over the home valley.......check out the song by Jack Johnson... "Rainbow". Or if you come to my house I'll sing it for you.

Nor's Abused and Neglected Dog and Boat Rescue Center

I rescued Bella from a neighboring boat in Newport that was destined to shipwreck on the rocks in Northern California a few months later by a careless and foolhardy skipper. I brought her home to the mountains where she has lived in peace among in the forest where a wolf belongs. Zorro, my other dog was also rescued from misery and certain death. So when I found this poor little abused Ranger 20 full of water and leaves with rotted rigging and moldy sails in Washington a couple weeks ago my soft heart didn't have much choice. I brought her home to a dry shop. All she needs is a little love: some hull paint, running rigging, wiring, a little carpentry, some cleaning, maybe a new mainsail and a dodger and she'll be the perfect boat for summer days and nights on Waldo, Odell and the lake at home. Like Erika told me, you sure are ambitious! I think that's another way of saying I'm a sucker for rescuing those that need it. But in the process I find what I need too.  

Spring?!?

About 30" of new snow in the last four days in the pass. I tried to avoid thinking about how great the skiing must be up there. I tried to focus on work. Then Saturday rolled around and I just knew I had to take a day of rest in the mountain temple. I had just unloaded the chair from the top of Peak 2 when a Ski Northwest photographer stuck his television camera in my face, asked me to say and spell my name, then gave me specific instructions to drop into Northern Exposure's almost untracked powder.  "Six million people are going to see this so ski slowly and conservatively and make it look like you're having fun" he said. Well, I got the last part right. With this much powder, part of having fun is making it cover your face, and that requires speed. Another photographer asked me to join him for another photo shoot, but I had already made plans to head into the backcountry with Dan and Fish. So we did. We took our own videos, which you can see in the YouTube link. Spring is just around the corner, or maybe around that next snow plastered tree at the bottom of this steep glade.  

  

Backcountry on a Pow Day

"Your ski's are not fat enough!" Was the advice we got from our friends as we used the lift at the pass to access the trail to Maiden Cabin. "You should just make some runs in the area instead of heading into the backcountry". But our minds were already made up before we left the house, and besides Erika had never been to the cabin. A late, afternoon start kept us from talking very much to our gravity giddy pals as they continued on their laps of the almost too deep fresh pow. A foot and a half the night before, the same predicted for this coming night again, and about an inch an hour was falling as we headed into deep untracked snow. A lot of the diamonds were covered and I occasionally had to vary our route due to drifted snow. We only spent about an hour at the cabin before heading back to make smooth velvety turns through three inches of new over groomed corduroy on the abandoned runs. Back at the car by seven and in the hot tub less than an hour later. Who said there's no friends on a powder day?  

Back to Work

Progress on my home conversion to a vacation rental is coming along slowly. My time is spread thin between working on other building projects in order to earn the money to buy materials and free up my time to work on my own job. This particular project doesn't pay very well and the guy I'm working for is a ruthless slave driver that never lets me get away from the job. I couldn't sleep last night and so got up at 2 in the morning to finish some framing and electrical on the new kitchen. After working until daylight I made a trip to Eugene to pick up sheetrock and more materials, drive back home, stock 40 sheets into the house, meet the plumber, help him finish the new tub installation, hang the sheetrock in the kitchen, finish the wiring and move my temp sink, dishwasher and fridge into the new location. Worked until 1, non stop for a 23 hour work day. But almost every morning, as I'm eating breakfast, (cooking on the woodstove since I still haven't pulled the wire for the new range location) I look out across the lake at the eagle sitting in his morning tree and find the inspiration to keep moving forward. 

Just another ski day

Just like brain freeze but it hits your whole body-  that's how cold it was this morning. A water bottle left in the car was froze solid. I was on the trail to do the Killburn Loop by 9.  A couple of sidetracks across the frozen pond into the sun to thaw out my hands enough to handle the camera and to follow some fox tracks got me warmed up. The trail was bumpy, brushy, mostly shady and sometimes followed creek beds. I soon learned to not ski too fast around blind corners, after I launched over some big rocks and exposed creek holes. The loop was about six miles, and with my sidetracks to explore snow covered beaver ponds and turnable powder tree glades I think I did about 8. Back in Keene now to get some job scheduling and budgeting done, then to a contra dance with local folks and new friends tonight.  

I've loved checking in on my friends blogs, to share in their lives and adventures. So here I am too, passing along some of the joy and surprise of this great mystery we call our life. As I write this I'm in Keene, New Hampshire, visiting Erika. This is the second time this winter I've flown out here simultaneously with a storm, both the snow and I coming across the continent from the Pacific Northwest. Day before yesterday it started dumping here, big fat powder flakes. Two inches in an hour and a half as we ski'd the Putney School nordic trails. The old rotten and ice crusted snow was soon blanketed by silky easy turning pow. The prediction was for 8-14 inches of new at the ski areas in Vermont so we drove to Londonderry yesterday and had a magic day at Magic Mountain. I only brought my backcountry gear so felt like I was travelling back in time ten years as I rode the lifts with light boots and patterned skis. A powder day like that is precious even in Oregon but in New England is more like a miracle. In the late afternoon we were still whooping with ecstasy as we sliced through untracked smoky powder. I'll be here for a few more days then back home next week to continue working on my house and other jobs. Wildflowers are already poking up through the ground and spring is just around the corner back home. But E is coming out next week and she's bringing her skis. With a ten foot base in Willamette Pass, we'll be skiing spring corn late into the summer. I'll be in Redding California next week to visit my mom and dad,  to play a gospel music concert with my dad and celebrate thier 61'st anniversary. It's getting harder and harder to find time to work.