cabin fever
This weekend was the second annual Forest Service Cabin Trip. We didn't start planning early enough to reserve the Brooklyn Lake Cabin, but that turned out okay because we were able to explore some new territory down by Walden, CO. Melissa was a champ this year, following up on ridiculous hassles created by the online reservation system, but eventually we were able to get a one-night reservation for Grizzly Creek.
Here's the cabin:
The awesome FS dude at the Walden office called Melissa last week to let her know that we shouldn't plan on being able to drive all the way to the cabin (which the reservation system implies is possible). So, instead, Mark, Yao, Melissa, and I loaded up packs, divvied out food, and skiied in. Here we are making ready:
The ski-in was about 3 miles, I'm guessing, and we did it in just over an hour. Conditions were sunny and pretty calm; aside from sticky snow it was great.
We ate like champs on the trip. Veggie curry for dinner, with peppers, onion, squash, and brown rice. Cooked apples with brown sugar and pecans over tapioca for dessert. Sweet potato breakfast burritos this morning. Hell, yeah. It's funny how much more I appreciate a good meal when every ounce it was carried in on somebody's back.
Late last night Melissa and I went out for a full-moon ski, but we got thwarted by clouds and snow. No moon, but still a nice ski. Once we got back, the wind started picking up, and blew all night long. And all morning, too; after breakfast, clean-up, and repacking, we headed out into one hell of a tailwind. The snow was cold enough that we had no problems with stickiness, but once we were out of the trees the snow felt like a sandblaster. I literally sailed the last half-mile, blown along on level ground back to the delightfully un-snowed-in truck. Here's a return-trip pic, in the trees before the wind got really exciting.
I'm a lucky guy, for all kinds of reasons. This trip was a great reminder of how great life is.
Here's the cabin:
The awesome FS dude at the Walden office called Melissa last week to let her know that we shouldn't plan on being able to drive all the way to the cabin (which the reservation system implies is possible). So, instead, Mark, Yao, Melissa, and I loaded up packs, divvied out food, and skiied in. Here we are making ready:
The ski-in was about 3 miles, I'm guessing, and we did it in just over an hour. Conditions were sunny and pretty calm; aside from sticky snow it was great.
We ate like champs on the trip. Veggie curry for dinner, with peppers, onion, squash, and brown rice. Cooked apples with brown sugar and pecans over tapioca for dessert. Sweet potato breakfast burritos this morning. Hell, yeah. It's funny how much more I appreciate a good meal when every ounce it was carried in on somebody's back.
Late last night Melissa and I went out for a full-moon ski, but we got thwarted by clouds and snow. No moon, but still a nice ski. Once we got back, the wind started picking up, and blew all night long. And all morning, too; after breakfast, clean-up, and repacking, we headed out into one hell of a tailwind. The snow was cold enough that we had no problems with stickiness, but once we were out of the trees the snow felt like a sandblaster. I literally sailed the last half-mile, blown along on level ground back to the delightfully un-snowed-in truck. Here's a return-trip pic, in the trees before the wind got really exciting.
I'm a lucky guy, for all kinds of reasons. This trip was a great reminder of how great life is.
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