Ready for snow
Ski Patrol training week starts tomorrow, and yesterday a patroller friend of mine told me she wasn’t ready for the season to start. Not ready? I was dumbfounded. Granted, she just returned from her “summer” job fighting wildland fires. It was a long season for her. Usually she has a quiet shoulder season to prepare for winter. But still. A part of me wonders if Ullr was listening. I certainly hope not.
Perhaps it was our early season snow that kindled my enthusiasm. The ski season was in our grasp. Just a few more inches (well, more like 15″, I’m exaggerating) and we’d be open.
Crystal Avi Dogs, Ari and Kayla, are ready for ski season
In case we forgot, this is what “significant snowfall” looks like
Now, after some warm rain all that snow has melted. It’s a bummer, but I tell myself that it’s still early. Thanksgiving is still weeks away. Besides, I have a book proposal to work on and several articles to write. I’m busy, for God’s sake. I should be using this time to frantically finish all these projects.
This morning, in the NOAA forecast discussion, the meteorologists mentioned some magical words in the long-term forecast: ”significant snowfall in the mountains.” Can there be any words sweeter than these? I love the way the words
A girl can dream
“significant snowfall” feel in my mouth–the alliteration is poetic, the image is pure bliss. Significant snowfall means large flakes the size of ten-year-olds falling from a steel gray sky. It means a white duvet covering the browning grass and jagged rocks. It means pointing skis downhill, picking up speed and leaning into the turns, one after the next until your smile freezes in place.
Next week could be the week folks. I know its a long ways out. Long-term forecasts are more about hope than facts. But right now, that’s all we’ve got.
