The Demise of the Drought

It’s hard to explain the anticipation that has been simmering inside me for the last few days, weeks, months…. From the first bite of frost, to the first snowflake, to the first chair, waiting to ski has been like waiting for rain in the desert. It might come, eventually, but not soon enough.

Taking that analogy a little further, when ski-dehydration sets in it causes a strange phenomenon, from irrational behaviors, excited outbursts and even hallucinations.  It gets to a point when you can hardly contain yourself, takes over your life, haunts your every thought.

Then that moment comes…

This morning, I got up at 4:30, was on the road by 5:15 and pulled into the parking lot at 6am. I was ecstatic to see several inches of fresh snow in the village, and undoubtedly more on top! I already had all my snow gear on, save for boots and skis, and was ready to go.

After capturing a few photos – the first bell of the season, first chair of the season, I tucked away the camera and made my first turns of the season.

There is no way to explain it – it’s not like it was just a cool drink of water to temper the sting of ski-dehydration, but a shower of snow and euphoria.

Zipping down the run I found myself, as I normally do, inspired by the fact that every other person on this mountain right now has something in common. They were all dying of thirst. They are all happily quenched. And now, rejuvenated, they will drink in the sublimity of this mountain all season long.

Cheers.

Drink up.

First Turn Jitters

As we literally inch closer to the beginning of the season I find myself spending more and more time daydreaming about those first turns. I sit at home and stare at my new skis propped up against the wall and think “I should probably wax them one more time, just make sure it has really soaked in.” Anything I can do that has anything related to skiing I want to do it!

I know the first few days of the season means making turns on Midway or Chair2, runs that would typically be avoided or skied on cruise control during the regular season. However at first I don’t care if there is fresh powder, or if the weather isn’t perfect. The only thing that matters is that the mountain is back open and I’m having fun with friends again doing the thing that all of us love and live for!

So When Does Winter Start?

Tuesday, October 14th

On my way to work today, I was sitting in the back of my buddy’s van, staring out the window as we went up the hill to Schweitzer.   It had rained all night in town and the question on everyone’s mind in the car…I mean, van…was “How much snow did we get?”  The cars started coming down towards us and there it was … snow.  As we climbed, the rain slowly changed to sleet, then a little snow.  The temp was right on the snow/rain edge.  We rounded switchback five and saw the snowplow heading down.

“Huh… that’s the first time I’ve seen the plow on the road this year.”

The parking lot hadn’t been plowed yet.  It’s always fun making fresh tracks…whether it’s on skis, a board, walking on the sidewalk, or driving across a slush-covered parking lot.  Our little group made our way through the village and there was CK…shoveling away on the deck outside the Mill Building.  I doubt he was as stoked to see the fresh snow as we were, but still… in the back of my mind all I could think was, “is winter really here?”

According to science and nature and all that, the start of winter is the solstice; which is December 21^st.  But I’m sure if you ask any ski bum, they would have a much different answer.

First snowfall
First snow that sticks
After Halloween
After Thanksgiving
After the first movie premier… First ski swap… First freeze…
First…

Whatever your “first” is… I doubt it’s December 21^st.

One of the things I love most about Sandpoint is we have seasons.  I love winter more than most things, but I also like the other seasons.  Spring is my time to travel, I spend my summers on my bike and riding in the fall is great too.  The temperatures are cooler, the dirt is tackier and there are less people on the trail.  Just have to watch out for hunters   But I think it’s that love for the other seasons that makes the coming of winter that much more special.

September is tough.  The first photos of people skiing start to pop up.  Buyer’s Guides start coming out.  Even teasers for the years’ movies appear.  I try to force myself to ignore it.

“It’s way too early to be having powder dreams” I tell myself.
“There’s plenty of biking still to be had.”
But they still have a way of sneaking in.

When I lived/worked at a resort in Northern NM, we had a tradition for the beginning of the season.  Some of my friends had a snowboard shop and we would all pack up the leftover gear from the season before and head to Vail for the biggest ski swap in the US.  Luckily for us, it coincided with a number of important events.

A-Basin or Loveland was normally open, so it would mean the first turns of the season.
It was over Halloween, and there was a huge costume party that weekend.
And it was usually the first, really big gathering of people that loved the snow.
First…

Movie premier season is upon us.  The first one in Sandpoint is in a couple of weeks.  There’s snow on the mountains…hopefully here to stay.  Ski swaps are coming.  And there are people skiing in the US as I write this.

In my head, winter is here.  No matter what the weather man says…El Nino, La Nina, whatever…I know I’m gonna be sliding on white stuff soon.  I don’t really care if it’s on my skis, my board, or my butt…it’s fun.

Can’t wait to see you up at Schweitzer!

Let it Snow!

Monday, September 28

It’s that time of year, when anticipation clings to the air like the morning fog…. When frostbitten fiery leaves fall to the ground - Waiting, just waiting for that one weather report; that one moment that will determine the next phase of fall.

Snow.

A chance of snow, snow likely, rain/snow mix, light dusting – it doesn’t matter how it’s phrased on the weather report. Snow is snow.

First snow.

There is something about fall… the incredible colors,  cozy sweaters and cool evenings, the smell of fireplaces and cinnamon, harvest and holidays - but what fall is to me, and to many, I imagine, is simply the first phase of winter. A prelude, if you will. The start of something fresh. When the word fresh takes on an entirely different meaning to those of us sitting through this overture, anxiously waiting for the curtain to rise and the snow to fall.

It’s a tease, I think, the first snow. Here today gone tomorrow. Nevertheless, it falls. And by falling, nature gives us an affirmation that our fervor for the winter season has been more than simply a frivolous shadow of hope…

So we wait…. and we hope….

Fast Forward to Wednesday, September 30……

Driving up Schweitzer Mountain Road,  lost in the snaking asphalt, offset by crimson and gold, my early morning coffee and my perfectly appropriate music-pick for the cloudy, cold day – I am suddenly startled when my eye catches it … Snowflake? Nah – it’s not quite that cold – I was wearing flip flops two days ago! I check the setting on my heat – full blast. Huh… little white bug perhaps… Again – lost in the music.

Another little white bug flies by my windshield.

Ok – getting suspicious….

And a third.

Alright. That confirms it. It’s snowing!

Check the time – 7:57 – three switchbacks to go. Call my boss…

“Hey Patrick, its Haley. I am going to be about five minutes late… by the way – did you know it’s snowing?”

Pulling into the parking lot, I realized why Patrick laughed when I said that…. full-on flurry on the Schweitzer village. I stuck out my tongue. Tastes like winter. I scoured the sidewalk and grass searching for some contrast – a sign of stickage – maybe….? maybe not….

It doesn’t matter. It’s snowing. Happy Fall.

Huckleberry Festival!!! Fun Fruity Facts….

I am always surprised at how many people have never tasted, picked, or – most surprisingly- heard of huckleberries. With the culture that surrounds the little fruit in our part of the world, it’s easy to forget that it is, in fact, secluded to this part of the world.

Huckleberries are difficult to explain to  and are far too often too closely compared to a blueberry. Frankly, I think huckleberries stand alone in the fruit world. Though someone did once describe it to me as a blueberry on steroids which I think is a fairly accurate description. Or fireworks on your tongue…

 In light of the upcoming Huckleberry Festival at Schweitzer (Sunday, Aug. 2) I wanted to highlight some random, fun, albeit sort of useless tidbits and pieces of history about the huckleberry…

 Below are excerpts from a couple of different online huckleberry sources…. Enjoy!

-          Early European settlers named them “hurtleberry,” whose origin is unknown (though some say it has something to do with hurt, from the bruised color of the berries; a related British dialect form is whortleberry).

-          Very early on — at the latest 1670 — this was corrupted to huckleberry.

-          As huckleberries are small, dark and rather insignificant, in the early part of the nineteenth century the word became a synonym for something humble or minor, or a tiny amount:
         “He was within a huckleberry of being smothered to death”.

-          Later on it came to mean somebody inconsequential:
            Mark Twain’s character Huckleberry Finn, was so named, as he told an interviewer
            in 1895,  to establish that he was a boy “of lower extraction or  degree” than Tom  
           Sawyer.
 
-          “I’m your huckleberry” — is to be just the right person for a given job, or a willing executor of some commission. Where it comes from needs a bit more explaining.

-          “My huckleberry friend” – It seems that the word came to be given as a mark of affection or comradeship to one’s partner or sidekick.

-           “The Huckleberry Railroad” was so named because it ran so slow; a person could jump off the train, pick huckleberries and jump back on the train with minimum effort.” 

I think most can agree that this little berry is now anything but insignificant or inconsequential…. See you at the festival!

Sources:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-huc1.htm

http://www.geneseecountyparks.org/huckleberry_railroad.htm

Bluegrass Festival this weekend!

see you there…

The Summer List

Schweitzer Mountain Resort is open, and with so many different activities there seems to be a new adventure every day. Biking, frisbee golf, and hiking make the top of my list. With huckleberry season in sight I am thrilled to add huckleberry “eating” to that list as well; but towering above everything else is the serenity that comes from looking out over the glimmering Lake Pend Oreille nestled deep within the majestic Selkirk Mountains.

Opening day. Ergo, it’s officially summer.

And what a perfect day to commence Schweitzer’s summer season. Sunshine, a light breeze out of the southwest (??) and blood curdling (joyous, bungee trampoline induced) screams outside our office window. Ahhhh. I do love the quirks that define summer at Schweitzer.

Free lift rides all day tomorrow if you haven’t heard. Consider this your courtesy heads up. If lift rides aren’t your thing, we’ll also have a bbq, beer and live music in the Village. And that’s everyone’s thing. Enjoy a few photos from opening day below…

Pucci's Pub served as the starting point for a 15 (or so) mile cruiser bike pub crawl.

June 26, 2009

An Epic Ride

The other day I was taking a nice ride on my bike after work, but hopes of having a nice ride vanished with a load crack. As the rain fell the “this sucks” attitude seemed to creep up on me. The harder it rained and the louder the thunder became the more I seemed to enjoyed the ride. I am not sure whether it was the rain, the thunder, or the combination that rattled my existence, but it was truly an epic ride. When I returned to my truck I was soaked and it did suck then, but what is a truly epic moment worth?

Dear Faithful Blog Readers,

Oh how the off season can be trying. I realize my posts have been few and far between these days. The good news is that summer officially kicks off up here in one week (Friday the 26th!) Then, again, there will be life, recreation and fun on the mountain. Between chairlift hot laps over lunch hour, a bungee trampoline located directly adjacent to our office, a handful of stealthy marmots, donkey balls, hiking, biking, digglering, beer on tap at the summit, and a slough of other amusing activities, there will surely be plenty to write about. Please stay tuned as I devise outlandish and only sometimes Schweitzer related stories to share with you. See you on Saturday the 27th for Summer Celebration? Hope so. If you mention this blog post, I might even treat you to a beer. A coupon if you will.

Sincerely,
Tara