12-22-06, The Waterfall, Snoqualmie Pass
12/22/06
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3396
7
Day 15
12-22-06
The Waterfall, Snoqualmie Pass
8 new at 3,100, 74 90 base, temps in the 20s
And on The 8th day, There STILL Was No Power.
The Great Windstorm of 2006 took all of North Bend off the grid for 5 days, my neighborhood for 6, but our house, well, we still dont have power. My neighbor, whose tree fell on my lines, he has power. Everyone on my street, they have power. Everyone at work has had power for days. We still live in the 1860s reading by candlelight in front of the fireplace that heats the family room where we sleep. Luckily the gas water heater still works so we can have hot showers. How rustic. How romantic. How bloody long 'til we get power?
No power but we DO have snow.
At 5 am I pass the I-90 sign at my exit, and it warns for Traction Tires and No Oversize Vehicles music to my eyes. A light snow shower on the drive, otherwise, the roads are fine. At 5:30 Tony rolls up next to me and were soon blazing trail in the untracked pow.
This is the second dawn patrol of the workweek as the snow has been very good, and when the fish are biting, fishermen go fishing. The waves of cold air coming in off the Pacific have allowed cold snow to follow warming, strengthening temperatures making for easy travel and guaranteed powder lines. More of the same predicted for the week ahead. Base approaching 100 at the Pass and Christmas break on the way - ah, I soon forget about my Electric Hypoxia.
The new 8 10 of fresh from last night just about buried the track from earlier in the week, but was not buried enough to slow uphill travel. Both Tony and I suffered from The Crud, but we still made the 2,100 VF highpoint (5,200) by 7:30 am. It was still pre-dawn, but the skies were light enough and the trees spaced enough for a fine unhindered descent. We changed out into downhill mode and made off in the powder.
As we descended, we bumped into a group of the Usual Suspects, and we were glad to see others out enjoying the bounty. We wished them well and scooted off into the trees.
Magic, untracked lines. Known topography. Good ski buddy tagging each line. Bliss upon bliss upon bliss. I took a powder turn for Wayne in the dregs of a terrible December in Vermont. I took a turn for Greg who hurt himself biking and would be out of commission for a few weeks. I took a turn for Ron who was playing wet nurse at home with a sick kid. I took a turn for 2004-2005 when not a slice of Snoqualmie Pass BC did I ski. I took a turn for the power crews working to restore lights for Christmas Eve. I took a turn and then another.
And lower down I dropped The Waterfall cliff band.
Bliss upon bliss upon bliss.
12-22-06
The Waterfall, Snoqualmie Pass
8 new at 3,100, 74 90 base, temps in the 20s
And on The 8th day, There STILL Was No Power.
The Great Windstorm of 2006 took all of North Bend off the grid for 5 days, my neighborhood for 6, but our house, well, we still dont have power. My neighbor, whose tree fell on my lines, he has power. Everyone on my street, they have power. Everyone at work has had power for days. We still live in the 1860s reading by candlelight in front of the fireplace that heats the family room where we sleep. Luckily the gas water heater still works so we can have hot showers. How rustic. How romantic. How bloody long 'til we get power?
No power but we DO have snow.
At 5 am I pass the I-90 sign at my exit, and it warns for Traction Tires and No Oversize Vehicles music to my eyes. A light snow shower on the drive, otherwise, the roads are fine. At 5:30 Tony rolls up next to me and were soon blazing trail in the untracked pow.
This is the second dawn patrol of the workweek as the snow has been very good, and when the fish are biting, fishermen go fishing. The waves of cold air coming in off the Pacific have allowed cold snow to follow warming, strengthening temperatures making for easy travel and guaranteed powder lines. More of the same predicted for the week ahead. Base approaching 100 at the Pass and Christmas break on the way - ah, I soon forget about my Electric Hypoxia.
The new 8 10 of fresh from last night just about buried the track from earlier in the week, but was not buried enough to slow uphill travel. Both Tony and I suffered from The Crud, but we still made the 2,100 VF highpoint (5,200) by 7:30 am. It was still pre-dawn, but the skies were light enough and the trees spaced enough for a fine unhindered descent. We changed out into downhill mode and made off in the powder.
As we descended, we bumped into a group of the Usual Suspects, and we were glad to see others out enjoying the bounty. We wished them well and scooted off into the trees.
Magic, untracked lines. Known topography. Good ski buddy tagging each line. Bliss upon bliss upon bliss. I took a powder turn for Wayne in the dregs of a terrible December in Vermont. I took a turn for Greg who hurt himself biking and would be out of commission for a few weeks. I took a turn for Ron who was playing wet nurse at home with a sick kid. I took a turn for 2004-2005 when not a slice of Snoqualmie Pass BC did I ski. I took a turn for the power crews working to restore lights for Christmas Eve. I took a turn and then another.
And lower down I dropped The Waterfall cliff band.
Bliss upon bliss upon bliss.
Thanks, man. We got our power back, but I'd still rather have 2 working legs!
Snow was really nice off the summit, too!
You tracked my landing, hoser. Ha ha. Just kidding, I found an acceptable alternate flight plan.
What happened to your leg, Greg?
You tracked my landing, hoser. Ha ha. Just kidding, I found an acceptable alternate flight plan.
What happened to your leg, Greg?
Another biker cut me off on the Burke-Gilman and I went down pretty hard - 8 screws and a plate holding the left fibula together. Inopportune, to say the least.
BUMMER! Hope you heal well and quickly.
Sorry to hear about your leg GregL. I hope to see you up in the mtns again soon.
Thanks for the turns Mike, and don't call me a wet nurse!
Congrats Tony!
I hope you all saved me some for the weekend.
Thanks for the turns Mike, and don't call me a wet nurse!
Congrats Tony!
I hope you all saved me some for the weekend.
So, Tony B, were you with the "Usual Suspects" or did you come by later and snap that photo?
Thanks Ron. Now that we are hitched I may have some wet nurse work in the future also.
Headed back to the "Middle Kingdom" (MI) today for the holidays, so take some turns for me and write tr's!
Thanks Ron. Now that we are hitched I may have some wet nurse work in the future also.
Headed back to the "Middle Kingdom" (MI) today for the holidays, so take some turns for me and write tr's!
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