My Favorite Time of Year

I have to admit that this is the beginning of my favorite time here at Trinity, summer is officially over because the Labor Day weekend just past, schools are starting back, hunters are getting ready for the archery & high hunt, and the PUD & NCRS are coming out to do their SnoTel Maint which means that they stage here at Trinity and I get to go flying for the 4th year. It is definitely great getting to catch a ride and see everything around here from the helicopter at 5000-8500' up it gives a whole different perspective of the beauty all around here. I'm hoping to get as much flight time as possible this year and for sure to get to see Lyman Glacier or what is left of it this year and compare it to what I've seen the last 3 years and what it looked like back in 1985 when David Morris and friends hiked from Plummer to Lyman Glacier and Spider Meadow, it could be quite dramatic. Not sure how many people will be here this year just depends on how much work needs to be done while they are here. I knew it had to be getting close to that time of year because of all the horse & mule teams that have been making the trip up to the high country getting ready for deer season and some early bear hunters, I knew it meant that there would soon be the sound of helicopters and people moving around here in a flurry of work to get the SnoTel stations ready for this years snow, since we only have about 1.5-2 months before winter/snow starts showing up here and goes from green to white. It will be nice to see crew members I've known for the last 4 years and some of the new volunteers that have come to help them out, having them here means the snow isn't far behind and once that happens everything here changes. The one thing I'm not sure of yet is who the pilot will be but for the last 3 years it has been a pilot named Doug even though he's been here with 2 different helicopter companies last year was Northwest Helicopters and I assume that is who will be here again this year, he is a wonderful and very good pilot who I have every confidence in, safety is his first concern, without a safety meeting you won't fly in his copter. It is the opportunity of a lifetime and I get to do it each year, and every year gets better. Once they are gone I'll put up new photos of this years activities and what I see from the air.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.