Pacific NW

Expeditions

32° HEAVY SNOW, 32° SNOW   9” SNOW

We’re in full damage control mode,” Pete shouted at me with his ear protectors on as we crossed paths, he wielding the snow blower and I the shovel.  The statement rang with excitement and urgency.  From sun up to sun down, we dug ourselves out of the mounding snow.  Overnight we received 8” and it was still snowing in the morning.  As the piles grow, the job becomes more strenuous.  Wrists, neck and back are feeling the strain.  The snow now towers over us and along the boardwalk above John’s cabin it has nearly created tunnels, narrow corridors that we struggle to keep open.  The cabin roofs have yet to unleash their tremendous loads.  Most of the cabins weren’t designed with winter in mind and shed directly onto a deck instead of onto the ground.  This is bad for the deck, as it takes the brunt of the force, and also creates more work for us!  We won’t risk putting ourselves on the decks under these massive, looming loads until the roofs have let go.  Unfortunately, the boat cover couldn’t handle the weight of the overnight snow load and it now bears a huge rip near the bow.  Despite the rip, however, the cover is still doing its job of keeping the decks largely snow-free.  We were relieved that the snow had tapered off by the afternoon.  Most of the bay is free of ice now, save for a patch over by the salt lagoon.  This is a reminder that we’ve transitioned from an extreme ice kingdom to a full-blown snow kingdom.  The winter of 2012 does not disappoint!