Return of the Unknown Celebrity Skier

Another weekend trip to the mountain.  This time I teamed up with my friends Kim and Tamie.  I ski with Kim on a regular basis, but haven't skied with Tamie for awhile.

  
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Who is that masked woman?

Tamie likes to cover up when she's out skiing.  I mean TOTALLY cover up.  She pulls her face mask up so high that it hides her entire face.  Not even her nose is visible.  (Although we tease her, Tamie is probably the smart one.  She won't ever get skin cancer.)

Last time we skied with Tamie, Kim said it looked like we were hanging out with someone famous.  Tamie was then dubbed our "unknown celebrity skier."

Looong lift line

There'd been a dumping of snow the prior day, and the upper Cascade lift didn't open.  But today the weather was calm enough to de-ice the lift.  Hungry for fresh tracks, when my friends and I got wind of Cascade opening, we hightailed it on over.  Unfortunately, so did everyone else.  The lift lines were epically long. Kim, Tamie and I took our places and braced ourselves for the wait (at least...I think it was Tamie.  But I may have been waiting with Goldie Hawn.)

The photo I took when the lift stopped

Finally we got on a chair.  Up, up and away!  Until....the lift stopped.  Ugh!  After hanging in mid-air for several minutes, I got out my camera.  I figured I might as well take some photos of the lovely snowy woods while I was waiting.  Well, I'd no sooner gotten the camera out of its case, when the lift came to life.  My friends told me I need to take the camera out more often when we're stuck on the chair.  (Although I think our "unknown celebrity skier," aka Madonna, may want to avoid the paparazzi.)

Luckily the lift started running again

Ahhh....forward motion once again!  Up we traveled, all the while enjoying amazingly beautiful views from the Cascade lift.

Our mystery celebrity skier

And the ski down was sublime.  Nothing better than making tracks through fresh snow.  My friends and I made a quick stop at the bottom of the hill, and I snapped a shot of Tamie with low clouds in the background.  At least, I think it was Tamie but I can't be sure.  (I may have been skiing with Sandra Bullock.)

Looking down Heather Canyon

We skied a few runs down the Cascade, until my friends were ready for lunch.  Upon reaching the lodge, we discovered it was a 15 minute wait just to get a table in the restaurant.  Fifteen minute wait?  There was skiing to be had!  I decided I could skip lunch and get by on the powerbar in my pocket.  I told Kim and Angie Jolie I'd meet up with them when they were done eating.

Heather Canyon from the bottom

I headed straight over to Heather Canyon.  I'd heard rumors it was open.  Heather is a steep canyon with lots of double-black diamond runs - someplace my friends aren't willing to go.  Now was my chance to ski it. 

I was hoping for some fresh pow, but found the canyon's slopes wind-scoured and icy.  I did happen upon a small gully filled in with fluff, so I rode that down until I hit the trees.  The forest was full of wonderful soft snow, and I was able to get five blissful turns before reaching bottom.

Afternoon blue skies

My Heather fix now satisfied, I did a couple more runs before meeting up with my friends.  We headed back over to the Cascade lift.  By now, the morning's clouds had lifted, and blue sky filled the horizon.  Hood stood out like a lofty white sentinel. 

I catch Kim in action

We found a fun run.  Skiing on top of a gully lined by a cornice, I found if you went straight down the top of the cornice, the snow below was velvety-soft.  It was so nice, we had to go back and try it again.  Both Kim and our unknown celebrity (Katy Perry?) voted it the best run of the day.

Ski tracks make cool patterns on this slope

The second run down the cornice, both Kim and Tamie (or maybe it was Nicole Kidman??) hit some deep snow and wiped out in unison within a few feet of each other.  It was such a funny sight, I quickly dug out my camera to memorialize the scene.  But Kim was too fast.  She saw what I was doing, and sprang up right away.  Foiled!

Kim and Demi Moore

Skiing down the gully's bottom was especially scenic.  Hood rose up at the head of the canyon.  The sky couldn't have been any bluer.  Perfect photo op!  The girls consented to a couple of shots.  Here are Kim and Tamie, enjoying a bluebird day (at least I think it was Tamie, but it very well could have been Mariah Carey).

There go the girls!

Another wonderful day on the slopes.  Sunshine, great snow, and fun companions.  And it's not every day you get to ski with a celebrity.  Although I think I skied with Tamie, I can't be sure.  It may have been Meryl Streep!


Linking with:  52 Photos Project.

First Flower

It happens every year.  Once February has taken its exit, the dull gray that's Portland in winter begins to slowly brighten.  The first indication spring is almost here?   When daffodils begin to push themselves up through the rain-soaked soil.

Last weekend I discovered a clump of cheery yellow daffodils blooming in my front yard.  The sun made a brief appearance.  Just long enough for me to grab my camera and get a couple of shots.

One week later, the cherry trees have burst into frilly pink blossoms.  Tiny green leaves are beginning to sprout from other trees.  Our backyard frogs are out in force, performing their nightly symphony.

Yep - spring is coming fast.  My skiing days are numbered.

Finally - a Post That's Not About Skiing

President's Day rolled around.  Not only a holiday for me, my hubby had the day off too.  Since I've been skiing somewhere almost every weekend since Christmas, I suggested we spend the day together.  (Didn't want my poor hubby to turn into a "ski widower.")


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Checking out the surf

Today's weather wasn't the best.  It was your typical February day in Oregon - cloudy with showers.  What to do on such a gray day?  Why, head to the coast!

Bear enjoying the sea air

We packed up the dog and headed to Cannon Beach.  A mere hour's drive, it's the closest ocean access from our home.

The waves made cool sand patterns

Once out of the car, Bear made a quick dash for the sand.  He had a grand time, running up and down the length of the beach, his doggy ears flapping in the wind.

Bear is ready to play

I, of course, was busy with my camera.  Oregon has the most gorgeous coastline.  Steep cliffs, mossy old growth forests, and craggy rocks rising up from the shore.  Even on a cloudy day, it was spectacular.

Making tracks in the sand

The rain that intermittently pelted our car during the trip over, cleared up upon arrival.  Timing is everything!

What's left of a sand dollar

It's always interesting to find things embedded in the sand at water's edge.  Cannon Beach is one of the more popular places on the coast.  Shells and such are discovered quickly, so the beach is usually picked clean.  But I happened to spot this half sand dollar sticking out of a wave-eroded hollow.

Dramatic beach views

I was hoping to hit the beach at low tide.  It's always fun to check out the variety of marine life in tidepools.  But the water was starting to rise when we arrived.  There was one large rock already inundated that had tons of starfish clinging to it.  I really wanted to get some photos of them, but heavy wave action made access impossible. I could only photograph from afar, the sea stars barely visible in my images.

Sea anemone in a tidepool

I did spot one tiny tidepool near a group of flat rocks.  And hidden in the mud were a bunch of bright red anemones.

Barnacles encrust the rocks

The barnacle-encrusted rocks also made interesting photo subjects.

Rock peek-a-boo

We'd walked along the beach until reaching the farthest distance from our car.  It was then Roger noticed a heavy rain cloud heading our way.  Time to turn around and hightail it back!

Scenic, rocky beach

Halfway to our vehicle, the sky opened up.  Rain began pelting our faces.  Wet and cold when we reached the parking lot, I noticed Moe's, a local clam chowder restaurant, right next door.  Mmmmm.....hot clam chowder!  Too good to pass up, we left our wet, smelly dog in the car, and went to lunch.

Roger tries to capture the elk with his phone

Hot clam chowder always hits the spot!  After filling our bellies, it was time to head home.  On the way back, I spotted a sign for an elk viewing area near the town of Jewell.  Intrigued, I asked Roger if he minded making a detour. 

Elk galore!

After a short drive down a winding, mountain road we came to a lovely clearing.  Since it was mid-afternoon, I didn't think we'd see any elk.  I thought they only came out in early morning and late evening.  But upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised.  An entire field was chock-full - elk of every shape and size.  I've never seen so many elk in one place, ever.  Cool!  I instantly regretted not bringing my big zoom lens.  Oh well, feeling privileged to witness this impressive sight, I reasoned it was a good way to end our day trip.

Although I love skiing, it was nice to go somewhere entirely different.  That's the great thing about Oregon - you can always find something fun to do, even on a rainy day.



Linking to:  Share Your Cup Thursday.

Linda's Great Fall

After all the birthday resort skiing, I was ready for a nice, quiet backcountry trip.  The Mazamas ski mountaineering class scheduled its first official tour for the Saturday of President's Day weekend.  An email hit my inbox asking for assistants - presenting the perfect opportunity to tag along.


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Ready to go!

I joined up with a group planning to tour Newton Creek.  Familiar with the area from a trip I did last year, a return visit was in order.  The class met up in the Hood River Meadows parking lot at Mt. Hood Meadows ski resort.  The plan was to ski uphill, following a trail leading out of Heather Canyon, and then climb up the adjacent ridge outside of the ski area boundary.  Supposedly, there were some good slopes at the ridge's end.  Last year, due to bad weather, my party only reached the top of the first pitch, before high winds and heavy snow forced us to turn around.

Starting up the trail

Today's snow conditions were 180 degrees different from last year.  Instead of fresh, fluffy powder, the snow had been melted and re-frozen.  The weatherman had predicted warm temps and possible rain.  Not remotely prime conditions for skiing, upon hearing the forecast, I'd considered staying home.

But, not one to back out a commitment, here I was.  Patrick, our group leader, gave out general instructions, and then sent us down the Heather runout trail.  A relatively flat path, the first part of the journey was an easy glide.

Here's where the climbing begins

But once our group left the trail, things got tough quickly.  Climbing through the woods up a steep slope got everyone huffing and puffing.  Class members began to spread out.  Some had more trouble than others navigating the steep, somewhat icy grade.

Poor Patrick was having the most trouble.  He'd just purchased a new set of skis, much wider than his old pair.  The problem was, he was still using the much narrower climbing skins from his old skis.  These skins didn't provide enough surface area for traction on the icy slope, which made ascending all but impossible.  Patrick was finally forced to take off his skis and boot-pack up the slope - a slow, tiring slog.

Looking down on my companions

The steep climb finally leveled out to a flatter ridgetop.  A gap in the trees revealed a nice view of Heather Canyon and Mt. Hood.  This warranted a quick photo stop.  When finished, I realized the rest of my classmates had already taken off up the ridge.  I got a glimpse to the last two guys as they vanished into the forest.  Looking back, I saw Patrick struggling up the final pitch.  I waited for Patrick before taking off again.

A steep climb up

I plodded along, following the ridgeline, making occasional stops to let Patrick catch up.  I kept following the ski tracks ahead, hoping to find the rest of the class.  I trudged along for at least a half mile seeing no one.  Finally, when Patrick reached me, I asked him if we'd somehow missed the group.  Patrick was as mystified as I.

We took a break, ate some lunch, all the while thinking someone would happen by.  After 20 minutes, Patrick made the decision to ski back down.  Maybe somehow we'd missed everyone.

One of my tour-mates

Due to the icy snow conditions, I elected to keep my climbing skins adhered to the bottoms of my skis.  (it was a thickly forested area, and I didn't want to hit a tree)  Patrick and I picked our way back down the ridge.  We'd traveled almost a mile when I heard a shout.  One of the other class assistants came sliding through the trees.  Turns out the group went higher up the ridge than anticipated and we'd turned around too soon.  The assistant came down to check on us.  Now that we'd been found, he was heading back up to rejoin the class.  Patrick said boot packing had worn him out, and he was going to travel back to the trailhead.  Also feeling a bit worn out, and thinking it was a good idea to travel in pairs, I offered to ski down with him.

Pausing for a brief rest

The assistant mentioned a treeless slope not to too far away nicknamed "the potato patch."  He said it was a good place to ski down.  Patrick and I decided we'd check it out.  After another half mile or so, we saw an opening in the trees.  Skiing up to the edge, I peered down a very steep barren slope.  It was completely clear, except for some large rocks sticking out of the snow.  At the bottom was a rushing creek.  This must be the place.

Patrick (on the left) our super-nice leader who helped me out of a tough spot

Patrick went out first.  I heard the unsettling sound of ski edges scraping.  Uh-oh!  The entire slope was a sheet of ice with a thin skiff of snow on top.  If there's one thing I don't like it's skiing on ice.  But already committed, I tentatively pushed out onto the slope.

And then suddenly, my skis went out from under me.  I slid into Patrick, knocking him over.  We untangled and I righted myself.  I'd no sooner gotten back on my feet, when my skis slipped again.  This time Patrick wasn't there to stop me.  I found myself sliding head first, on my back.  I'd lost my poles immediately upon impact, and didn't have them to slow myself.  I could feel my body accelerating as it traveled over the slick ice.

Following the ridge

I've experienced sliding falls many times when skiing in resorts.  So I think instinct kicked in.  Somehow, I got my body turned around so the feet (with skis still on) faced downhill.  Then I dug in my ski edges, elbows, and butt with all my might.  Miraculously, I came to a stop about halfway down the slope.

Patrick, visibly shaken, shouted "don't move!"  He retrieved my poles and skied down to where I lay sprawled.  Patrick said he saw me starting to accelerate, and was afraid I was going to hit a rock or end up in the water.  Looking around at the many rocks poking out of the snow, and the creek, now much closer, I realized how lucky I'd been.  If I hadn't stopped myself, I would've surely hit something, sustained broken bones, or worse.

Now, totally freaked out by the icy slope, I told Patrick there was no way I was going ski the rest of the way down.  If I fell again, it was very likely I'd slam into something and get hurt.  I decided the safest thing to do was slide on my butt to the bottom.  Patrick was very understanding.  He offered to ski directly below me to make sure I didn't get going too fast.  Using my ski poles as brakes, I slowly inched myself to the bottom.

Nice Mt. Hood view!

So that's how I ended up traveling to the bottom of the "potato patch."  Not exactly the way I'd envisioned, but at least I made it down safely.  Patrick and I crossed the creek on a snowbridge, then removed our skins for a fast ride down the Heather runout to our cars.

Later that evening, now safely home, I realized how close I'd come to disaster.  The only casualty from my tumble was a very sore right knee (that is unfortunately still bothering me).  It could have been so much worse.  I'm a very lucky gal.

Looking back on my experience, I think keeping my climbing skins on prevented me from using my ski edges to dig into the icy slope.  With nothing sharp to hold me, I was unable to keep from slipping.  Patrick's narrow little skins only covered the middle third of his ski bottoms and didn't impede use of his edges. That's why he was able to ski down with no trouble.  Another lesson learned!

Will I still backcountry ski?  Oh yes.  Although not a pleasant experience, I'm not one to let a scary fall stop me.  But next time, if the snow is icy, I think I'll stay home.

Happy V-day!

I had a wonderful time skiing for my birthday.  But more fun awaited.  The next day, I joined my regular Thursday ski bus and went up to the mountain again.


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Bus Mom Linda putting heart stickers on everyone

It happened to be Valentine's Day.  Our bus mom Linda loves V-day, and always celebrates in style.  She decorates the bus, has a contest to see who's wearing the most red, and places heart stickers on everyone's faces.

How do you like this lady's t-shirt?

Upon our arrival at Meadows, I headed to the lifts. While waiting for my friends, I spotted this women sporting a very distinctive t-shirt over her jacket.  I did a double-take at first, it looked so real!

Rear view

It even had a back side.  The lady turned around so I could get a shot of the rear view.  She commented that all the women laughed at her shirt, but the men averted their eyes and didn't say a thing.  I thought it was great!  Really fit in with the V-day theme, don't you think?

Glen and Katie join me today

I met up with Tele-lady Katie, and my buddy Glen, a retired co-worker.  Glen and Katie hit it off right away, and our happy trio set out to conquer the slopes under the Hood River Meadows (aka "HRM") lift.

Me and my ol' buddy Glen

Glen had to give me a hard time about hitting the big 5-0!  However, both he and Katie are well into their 60's, so to them I was "still a kid."  Feeling bad about your age?  Just go skiing with folks older than yourself. 

Glen all by his lonesome on the lift

Katie and I jumped on the lift before Glen was ready and left him to ride all by himself.  When we got to the top, Glen said the liftie commented we'd ditched him to get some "girl time."

Failed synchronized tele attempt

I had my tele skis that day, and had the bright idea to have Glen get some photos of Katie and I making synchronized tele turns.  Well.....not so easy.  Even though we skied in a line and tried counting out, this was the best we could do.  Not very "in sync" at all!  Oh well, it was great fun trying.

The mountain's coming out!

The weather went from overcast to foggy.  And then, near the end of the day, Mt. Hood decided to peep out from behind her cloudy veil.  It made a nice backdrop for a final shot of my friends.

B-day gift from my ski bus - what could it be?

Back on the bus after a hard day's skiing, I knew something was up.  Doug, one of our regular riders, is a retired high school art teacher, and a very talented artist.  Over the years, he's made funny signs, cards, and painted hats and mugs for various bus riders.  For my 40th birthday (which happened to fall on a bus day) he made a mini coffin, complete with feet sticking out one side.  What was Doug gonna do for my 50th?

A senior skier!

After bus mom Linda announced my birthday over the PA system, the entire bus sang the "happy birthday" song.  Then a large bag was passed up the aisle.  Uh-oh....what was inside?  Did I dare open it?

Close up photo of "old Maude"

In the bag was a very funny figurine.  It was of an old lady skier, nicknamed "Old Maude."  Around her neck was an AARP card with the words "AARP ski team."  She was wearing Depends, and had a bota bag of Geritol hanging from her side.  On the back of Old Maude's skis were training wheels.  What a hoot!  I laughed so hard!

The artist and his creation

Also inside the bag was a card, created by Doug of course, and signed by all my bus friends.  Doug's specialty is drawing caricatures of people, so the person depicted on the card was me.  I absolutely loved it!

Awesome card from Doug!

The birthday celebrations just keep on coming!  I'm very fortunate to have found this great community of skiers and friends on the midweek ski bus.  Made for a very special and memorable birthday (and Valentine's Day) this year.  Thanks everyone!

50

I love birthdays - especially when they're mine!  And milestone B-days?  Double the fun.  But turning a half century?  Gotta do something special.  No way was I gonna be at work the day of my big 5-0!


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Birthday ski day!

I decided long ago to spend the day of my 50th birthday on the slopes.  Unfortunately my b-day didn't land on Thursday.  That meant no celebrating with my ski bus friends.  But, no problem, Meadows had buses running other days of the week.  So I hooked up with the Wednesday bus.  I was a little sad to be spending my big day with strangers, but the desire to ski on my b-day ended up trumping those feelings.

It's my birthday!

I was in for a surprise.  Getting on the bus that morning, I was pleased to discover Dave and Vito, two Thursday regulars, on board.  Yahoo - someone to ski with!

My skiing companions (aka "the bodyguards")

I saved my pink princess hat helmet cover that I'd worn in Alta.  Time to try it out at Mt. Hood Meadows.  It was a big hit.  Lots of people smiled, laughed, and wished me a happy birthday.  One of the liftees announced my b-day to everyone (on the megaphone) and sang the "happy birthday" song.  Photographer Grant caught me as I skied by, and got lots of photos of me wearing my special headwear.

Photographer Grant caught me on the slopes (photo by Grant Myrdal)

Vito and Dave teasingly called me "the princess" and dubbed themselves my "bodyguards."  They were great guys to ski with.  I had a blast tearing up the slopes with them.

Afternoon birthday snowfall

Although the day began with sunny, blue skies, by afternoon the weather had a change of heart.  Clouds moved in and it began to snow.  Wow - fresh powder for my b-day.  A great gift courtesy of Mother Nature!

Vito says "Let's go!"

Later in the afternoon, the same liftee who'd earlier announced my birthday asked my name.  He instructed us to come back to the lift next round.  My friends and I did as we were told, skied back down the hill, and got onto the same lift.  As our chair swung away from the loading area, I looked down at the ground below.  Written into the snow were the words: "Happy Birthday Linda."  Awwwwww!!

We head out to ski the new pow

After a wonderful day of skiing, I boarded the bus and popped open a beer for the trip home.  I soon discovered the Wednesday riders were a fun group.  They were super-friendly, brought tons of treats, and freely shared their wine.  Someone told a joke over the PA system, and before you knew it, there was a parade of people heading up to the microphone to share their funnies.  Even the bus driver told a few.  It was a merry ride all way back to Portland.  I've never laughed so hard!  By the time I deboarded, it felt like I had 25 new friends.

So this is what 50 looks like!  (photo by Grant Myrdal)

It was a fabulous way to commemorate hitting the half-century mark.  How do I feel about turning fifty?  Well, as my dad once said upon turning 65; "I'm 65 and I'm still alive!"  I'm grateful to be in good health, have a wonderful husband and kids, a great job, lots of super friends, and be able to enjoy skiing, hiking and running.  I'm proud of all I've accomplished over the 50 years I've spent on this planet.  And I'm looking forward to many more good times to come!

Tomorrow I had plans to ride my regular Thursday bus.  And rumor was my bus friends had something in store for me...... 

Check out my next blog post for all the details!