Skiing

Both my daughter turned 13 and 20 within 4 days of each other so we planned a ski trip to the Cascades since my 20 year old daughter and her boyfriend live in Oregon and we live on the California Coast. So we met in old Mt. Shasta which is in the middle somewhat. My 20 year old daughter was supposed to meet us there Thursday night but couldn't. Then she didn't get up with her 6 am alarm the next day. So she rolled into town at about 3 or 4 pm Friday. I was kind of steamed because we had rented two adjoining rooms for the duration which isn't cheap. Anyway, an old climbing and skiing buddy was back from a music tour so when I called his number he made time and we went skiing on Friday. It was the best metal edged cross country skiing I've seen in 5 or 10 years. We skied from Bunny Flats to Seven Mile Curve(around 8000 feet elevation to around 5000 feet elevation) (around three to five miles skiing). Of all the routes on the mountain it is my favorite in both length and duration. and also it usually isn't dangerous in most ski conditions, unless it goes into a whiteout(no visibility over 1 to 3 feet). There is a large bowl halfway down that is manzinita bushes most of the year but it there is at least 4 to 5 feet of snow(there was 6 to 8 feet this year) there is enough to have a great ski a few feet above the tops of manzinita bushes like a ski bowl manicured by nature. It is about 1/2 mile in all directions with a nice drop of about 500 to 750 feet in elevation. And the best part was it was just my friend and I there to ski it. It was hot that day and the sun was very bright. My friend took his shirt off and skied down with only ski pants and boots and skis and poles and sunglasses. I brought too many clothes and wound up just lifting my t- shirt to above my belly and taking off my wool hat so I didn't faint from the 60 degrees or more with full sun and full sun reflection at 7000 feet in elevation.

It was great to see such perfect conditions because it rained the next three days in town Saturday, sunday, and Monday. Saturday I returned with my wife and two daughters and my older daughter's boyfriend and we brought two saucers, a plastic sled and my cross country skis. I was happy to not have to ski that far again as I had pulled a muscle in my right foot so I didn't have full control in turning on skis. Sunday we went up to Castle Lake, my favorite lake probably in the world of this size(about 1/2 mile in diameter approximately). It is a natural glacier scooped out alpine lake that is about 400 to 800 feet deep in one spot fed by mountain snow. We built a snow man about 1/4 of the way out into the lake on the ice from the snow on top(life size). The kids gave him a mohawk, hob nailed boots like you sometimes see in England and Scotland, with a guitar by his side. The snowman stood about 5 feet tall or so. It was a fun experience while being in a blizzard. I was grateful that the rain had turned to snow at about 5500 feet and now since we were above 6000 feet at the level of the lake we were in a full blizzard. I skied out on the lake with my cross country skis after trying to push my pole through the snow into the ice and into the water. The real problem this time of year is that one cannot be entirely certain very easily whether one is standing on real ice with a snow coat or if one is just standing on snow buildup on the lake after the ice melted. I suppose it doesn't matter as long as one is supported without falling into the lake but it can be very iffy this time of year. Luckily, we all are fine and had a really great time.