We are trying. There was a group of instructors and other volunteers here Saturday that dugout stairs, ski racks, and carpet lifts. I hid the racks from the elements on Sunday, but everything else is buried again and deeper yet. Sorry. I apricated your energy and efforts. Old Man Winter had other plans. Maybe this is a test.
For you new to the area, this is not how winter works in the Sierras. It snows, sometimes many feet, but then it stops and is followed by blue skies. That is when we catch up. That is when we teach snowsports. No blue skies this time. If fact no breaks. Just two more feet in the morning, 14 inches during the day. Repeat.
More delays in opening are a real possibility. I know kids, Mom, and Dad wants to get going but honestly, Sky Tavern is not a very happy place right now. There are five guys up here ranging in age from their 20s to way too old for this stuff, trying to manage the snow instead of getting programming going. Things like setting up the lodge, writing updates, and talking to people, should have been what time was spent on, but we were pushing snow out of the lot into Grass Lake for the 900th time. We have never been this taxed before. The road to the lodge has 15-foot walls on each side and those beginner lifts, missing under the white stuff. One snowcat snapped its front axle and then one track departed the vehicle. It at least broke just outside the parking lot and not in the middle of a ski run. We still have other cats. They are out running up and down moving mountains of snow. The snow is level with the race team cargo container at the top of the race hill. Since the first of the year Sky Tavern has used half as much diesel fuel as we used all last season.
Snow is good. Summer is that time between snowfalls. My family's life revolves around it. It must be true since my wife's license plate is SNOPHLK. I also love kids. Nothing makes me as happy as a kid that figures out skiing and gets a huge grin going. I would like to give you instructors the place to make that happen soon. Hang tight. We will be skiing soon and it looks like for a long season. That buried fence in the picture is 12 feet high and the green Bumble Building is at the top of the Webster lift and almost gone.
We will get open and all this will be a good thing when we are skiing in April. There have been years when I had to explain in February that snow really was on its way and to just be a little more patient, Yea, not so much this season. We know blue skies and skiing is coming yet right now this snow is sort of evil. The measured snowpack has much water now as during a normal entire year. The atmospheric river will dry up at some time. According to the guru, Bryan, at Open Snow it will be around the 20th. See the link below.
We will ski when we need to pass out the sunscreen. LOL.
Bill
