And You think You have SNOW

As of Friday morning @ Trinity 56.5" for Feb 2008 and 469.25" for the season. This is a photo looking between my house and the owners house which are normally 30' apart and the porches are normally 8' above the ground but where I have driven between and continue to pack it is well over 12.5' and still coming down. This has been the hardest snow to keep up with because we aren't getting any rains to consolidate the snow and compact it, even though we have gotten some wet snow there are many places that you can get stuck very easily or just sink up to your neck. With almost 5' so far it looks like this could be another record month for the snow here. Yesterday while we were maintaining the trails around Trinity we heard snowmobiles @ the TH outside the gate and went to check it out and 2 of the 3 were stuck in the deep POWder and they commented that down below the snow was very wet and easy to get on top of but that isn't the case out here, if you are going to go through anything out here that doesn't look like it has been travelled on then POWER is your friend if you try going slow plan to have to dig out, this stuff is very fluffy and deep with not much bottom to it and once you break the crust you can instantly sink to your teeth, not too much fun, but I love it here and there is no place so beautiful at this time of year.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

446" and Still Snowing Hard

This year for the first time I started keeping very accurate measurements of the snowfall we have received at Trinity this year beside just the stationary gauge we have, and have been blown away by the amount of snow that has fallen at Trinity. As of this morning we have had 446.75" which is over 36' of very dry fluffy powder but on the gauge it shows just over 10' because it is constantly settling yet in some places it is still very soft and deep, which is why I got stuck yesterday while knocking down the trails around Trinity. This year has been the hardest to keep up with of all of the snows I've experienced here so far, we get such large amounts of snow at a time that just to get on top of it has been difficult and I've had to dig out more times than I would have liked. It's been great for skiers because of all of the POWder days but for getting around it has been very difficult to get ahead of and stay ahead of. This winter we have only had maybe a week of temps over 32 and the snow is so dry that when it hits the water it becomes a slushy creek which effects the dam and powerplant making life more difficult but not unmanagable, just more wood on the fires.
Getting all of this snow in the amounts we are getting makes life interesting and gives me time to catch up on some reading and resting up because when I do go out I know it will be a busy time for me, clearing the trails around here and keeping the plant running between the dumps. By this time last year most of the big snows were over completely and we just got a few inches to maintain our amount of snow but nothing to really add to the depth, I believe records are being broken everywhere this year especially the fact that most of this snow hasn't had much moisture in it so it will be interesting to see what happens during the melt out.
We've found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Cascade Quest 2008 6 Dog Purebred Race

There was a new class race this year as part of the Cascade Quest and it was the 6 Dog purebred dogs which are Malamutes, Siberian Husky and Inuit Dogs, these are not the speed dogs but they are very powerful and normally are your freight type sled dogs, these are not your speed dogs but they can pull a heavy load. We had 4 Purebred teams here at Trinity Sat evening and overnight. I believe we had 2 teams of Siberian Huskies and 1 Malamute team and one Inuit team, it was a beautiful sight to see and hear Sun morning as they were tuning up and getting ready for the re-start and finish to the race.
We found our Paradise , hope you find your's too.

Cascade Quest 2008 Idatarod Qualifier

This past weekend was the running of the Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race, where most of the activity centered around the Lake Wentachee Rec Club where the race started and finished. There is the 10-16 dog race which is a 200 mile continuous race where each leg is 50 miles with rest periods in between. This year there were 2 teams that made it to Trinity this year but originally there were to be 4 teams. This year the weather really didn't cooperate in that it snowed everyday but Monday with almost 70" during the week making it very difficult to keep the area where they would be opened up and packed with lots of last minute repairs and changes. We had Lois Solmonson our cook for the weekend, Tom & Emma Porter who have been to Trinity each year for support staff but next year Emma wants to be a participant and has been training for the last few years., then Ty Johnson the vet here to check the dogs but he is also Peace & Bear's vet which makes it nice because he makes house calls. It couldn't happen without the volunteers , they keep things moving smoothly. The first team arrived at Trinity around 7am with the 2nd team coming in just a little after 8am, they took care of their dogs then got something to eat and some rest before leaving around 12:30pm and 2pm. Here are a couple of photos of those teams and volunteers.
It did snow all day making the course slower in places but and had some people concerned about how much snow we could get for the day especially after getting 17" on Thur and another 10" Friday.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Trinity's Peace, Bear Love & Gizmo

Last week the weather was beautiful the sun was bright and the nights were clear, but for Peace & Bear it wasn't what they like the most. To them the harder it snows the better they like, but with the warmer weather earlier in the week it helped to set the snow up so that they could get to places that were almost impossible the week before. From the time they get up in the morning they play and wrestle in the snow. Normally their coats are blac or brown but now mostly white and they love it. They teach me alot about not taking life too seriously but to enjoy every moment as it arrives. After playing hard they come in for a short rest even with Gizmo as a sleeping partner for Bear. Gizmo fits right in with their play but doesn't like it so much 2 on 1, he's really sneaky and into surprise attacks especially on Bear, they keep me laughing and entertained, what do you do in the snow?

After the beautiful weather last week it looks like January is going to go out with a Big POWder dump, we got no snow last week and since Sun morning we've gotten 20" and only 0.25" yesterday giving us a grand total for the year of 367" and 101" for Jan so far and still 2 days to go, could be very interesting for the slde dog races this coming weekend.


We found our Paradise, Hope you find your's too.

What a week it's been @ Trinity

This past week was very different for many reasons many I can't explain, but the biggest thing out of it that is out of my control is that my sled is at our garage at Fish Lake and I need a ride to it or someone kind enough to bring it out to me at Trinity. Once that is taken care of then I can do other things needed to be done but it's a long walk in these conditions. If anyone is out riding this way and can give me a ride out or could possible drive it in for me I will gladly cover your gas if you will let me know, I'd appreciate it contact me @ trinity5.peace@yahoo.com or 509-210-2351.
This has been a beautiful week weather wise but cold we didn't get any snow during the week and most mornings started between 0 & 2 but the sun was shining brightly and the full moon lit the mountains up even at 2am it truly is my very favorite time of winter when the full moon is high in the sky and the snow glistens and sparkles with hoar frost I call Ice Diamonds. Perry and Jan came out Friday with their dog teams and that was a nice visit, they seemed to have a great run and Jan was going to get some night time running in definitely picked a great time to do it. This past week conditions are almost identical to the conditions we had during last years Cascade Quest but this year the Quest is going to be a week later and now the forecast shows snow all week, doesn't look like large amounts but it would accumulate and make it more difficult for the dog teams, we'll just have to see. It should be an exciting weekend, if you've never seen sled dog races you should check it out, it's very exciting and beautiful at the same time.
Life is a journey full of lessons and this week reminded me of that, it seems the lessons we don't learn we will repeat until we learn them. My word is one of my greatest assets and I do not commit to things until I weigh it out and will do whatever it takes to carry it out. I have lots of people tell me thing like they are going to have to come to Trinity and I believe that they mean it at the time but for some reason it never happens so I don't repeat what they say but watch and see if it happens. This week though I believed what I was told and told others and none of it materialized with many people being concerned and confused at the same time. One thing for sure I didn't like the feelings that I had but it did remind me why I didn't do that and why at this time did I let this happen as far as my part of it, time for some self searching because I know that knowing makes me a better person. I feel great though in spite of it because I know everything I did was from a pure heart and came from a place of love and peace. Sometimes I guess we just need a reminder.
It was because of all of this that my sled ended up at the garage and me stuck at Trinity and the reason I've put this out. Thanks to all I appreciate you. FYI so far Jan has only had 96" of snow but over 350+" accumulative for the season. The gauge shows just over 9' which just shows how very dry this snow has been this year. Get out and enjoy the snow there is so much to see and experience.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Cascade Quest 2008 Coming Soon to Trinity

Well folks it's getting close to that time of year when mushers and dogs are out on the trail sharing it with snowmobilers, skiers and snowshoers, along with anyone else that just loves the snow. December was wild month as far as snow goes we got a total accumulation of 225" just in Dec and so far in Jan only 81" . We've gone from grey skies and snow everyday to very cold -2 to 1 overnight and up in the 20's during the day, the snow is setting up nicely and makes it much easier to get around and all. So far it sounds like there is going to be lots of teams competing, so far 4-5 12 dog teams will be running the continuous 200 mile Iditarod qualifier, then there are 4-5 (6) dog pure bred teams and 9 (6) dog teams that will all be coming through Trinity on Sat at different times, it is a rest stop for the 12 dog teams and an overnight for the 6 dog teams. If conditions stay like they have been this past week it should be a very fast race for all involved, but then again this is Trinity and anything is possible. I have to admit that there is such excitement in the air when the teams are getting hooked up and ready to run the barking and jumping of pure delight that they are getting to do what they love. Peace & Bear might not pull a sled but they love the snow and getting to run in it gives them pleasure like nothing else .
If you have never experienced the sled dog races you are missing out on something beautiful and powerful that takes place in one of the most beautiful settings in the state of Washington along the Chiwawa River Rd to Trinity. The groomers have been kind enough to groom some areas along the trail in trailheads and campsites so that you can watch the race without being too close to the road. There is no snowmobile parking at Trinity but at the trailhead there will be areas to park along with the restroom facilities. Spectators are encouraged to come see the teams in action but please park your sled at the trailhead and walk in across the bridge. Remember these aren't pets but working dogs so check with the musher before walking up to the teams, be safe and have fun. You can check out photos of last years quest on the web album link for now my computer is still not working so all of my photos of the teams aren't available, but will be updated soon.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

God's Eye from Space

This is a photograph taken from the Hubbell Telescope by NASA , it is very rare and occurs only every 3000 years I was told. It is called the Eye of God and I believe it is beautiful, hope you enjoy it.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Beautyful Sunnyday & Friends

Today was a beautiful day and I had several visitors some I expected and some I didn't but it was all good. I had a group from Wildfun Rentals / Sno-Jammers Snomobile club, who I had met New Years eve and they had helped when Jim was late getting here. Got to show them around the place and they seemed to have a great time even had a visit just for Bear & Peace. Thanks to Spero & Krystin from WildFun Rentals in Lakewood. For anyone reading this and never had the experience of riding a snowmobile especially out here give them a call or check out their website www.powersportrentals.com, you'll love the adventure, tell them Gregg sent you..

Also got meet more of the Chiwawa Pines group, Ray Bentley & family and Tom and family sorry didn't get all of the names. Today was some of the best conditions we have had in quite a while and it is the first time this year that we haven't gotten heavy snow right after grooming has been done and that was nice beautiful sunshine.


The top photo is of Buck Mountain this morning just as I saw it.

We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

NewYears Day 2008

The first 3 photos are of the front pond that is actually freezing this year because the flow has been changed and so it is freezing and you can even see a big snowflake shape that formed in the ice, I thought it was very cool so thought I'd share it with ya'll.

I also need to make a couple of apologies and corrections from an earlier post, concerning the Chiwawa Pines gang. The Chiwawa Pines gang were:
Jim & Ryan Wright
Art, Eric, Justin & Ashley Alley
Allan, Shauna & Christopher
Lee, Kathy & Derrick (Mr. Highmark) for the moment anyway, I think I got everyone covered now but in case forgive me for not remembering everyone.

The last photo is of the groomer driven by Denny and Jason his helper drove my sled in
after Jim got is stuck, they are with Pacific Mountain Services and I appreciate their help with my sled and for making a pass through Trinity, I can't thank you enough for your help and saving me a long walk out to my sled.

This year has started out with snow all but 2 days since the new year started and it is still coming, should be a banner year for snow here now if it would just warm up a little to help it set up better.

Peace, Bear Love, Gizmo, & I hope you all have a great 2008. Get out and enjoy the beauty and snow all around, be safe, most of all, have Fun...

We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

2Days after Christmas

We have been getting snow for about a week solid as of Christmas and 2 days later friends that I met last year showed up in force, they live in the Chiwawa Pines area, Aret, Jim, Allan, Shawna and please forgive me for not remembering everyone's names they had a blast playing in DEEP POWder and even doing some climbing but getting stuck too.

Peace and Bear loved it getting the attention but they love each other too. We are continuing to get snow here and just in Dec we had 225.75" of Dry Fluffy POWder that is finally settling a bit especially since it has been warming up since yesterday.
One thing for sure what seemed like there might not be a winter at the beginning of the month it has definitely made up for it. Check out the many cool photos of the Chiwawa Pines Gang on the web album linked to here. Sorry this is late getting out but my computer is down and wasn't sure about getting these downloaded.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Happy New Year 2008

Well 2007 went out with some excitement I could have done without but ended up turning out great and I need to thank a couple of people for going out of their way to help. Thia past week we have really gotten lots of new snow very dry POWder that seems almost bottomless. The last time I had seen any snowmobilers out this far was last Thur and there were 14 of them and they said they were grateful for big sleds in front breaking trail and since then we had gotten over 4' more. The grooming report said they had groomed all the way to Trinity but yesterday afternoon I met a couple of guys from the Sno-Jammers snowmobile club out of Puyallup that had worked to make it to Trinity so I showed them around, while they told me how rough the road in was and how deep the snow was. My friend Jim had told me that if they groomed he was going to come in on my snowmobile but I told him that the road hadn't been groomed according to what I saw at the Trailhead. Some valuable lessons were learned yesterday , the first one is to communicate with several people to let them know when you are making a trip like this especially alone. There were suspicions but we didn't know for sure that Jim was coming this way until around 6:30pm and he had started in around 3pm. When Glenn and Loren left to head back to 1000 trails they came across Jim about 10 miles from here and emailed me to let me know they had seen him and were concerned because of the bad conditions. That was the first confirmation that we knew Jim was on trail but way overdue. After making several phone calls and sending a few emails 911 was called around 10pm to let them know that Jim was overdue, around 10:30 I heard noise on the porch and there shaking and cold was Jim he had been walking for the last 4 hours because he had slid of trail and couldn't lift the sled anymore he was drained. I made a few calls to cancel the rescue efforts but around 1am I heard sleds outside and went out and there was Glenn & Doug from Sno-Jammers and they had come out to look for someone they had just met on trail 7 hours earlier, I sure wasn't expecting that they took my key and said they would get it out of the hole it was in and ready to ride in the following morning which I knew could be an adventure but was prepared to make it, Jim has to go to work tomorrow. While drinking our morning coffee and getting ready to go out to get the snowmobile Peace started barking like crazy and when we went outside there was the groomer with Denny driving and Justin steering my snowmobile they drug it out to us then made a pass around and back out making a very nice drive into Trinity. This was a combined effort thankfully Glenn and Darryl had seen the groomer out grooming when they were coming out here to help look for Jim and explained the situation to them and just how deep the snow out here was, they mentioned they would finish what they were doing and then would head this way but in all honesty I wasn't going to count on it and for that I apologize. A big thank you to Glenn, Darryl and forgive me for forgetting your name who came out originally with Glenn from Sno-Jammers snowmobile club, Gayle Evans from Midway store, and Denny and Justin from Pacific Mountain Services for not only grooming out here but dragging my sled in for us making life easier for us today. I've met some wonderful people Snowmobilers that have helped break trail, helping to get out of jams and I just want to thank all of them for their help and caring for someone they just met or haven't even met before it's how I believe things should be but most people are in such a hurry to get through life that they miss those opportunities, I look for those opportunities because you just never know who you might meet or help. I just want to apologize to Loren for forgetting his name and for calling Doug Daryl on the return trip. Thank You to all of you Happy 2008.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Merry Christmas From Trinity

This is another Christmas time at Trinity and again it has definitely been different, it is nice not feeling like I have to get out, but am hoping everything will work out so that I can go out for New Year's eve, not that I know of anything happening but it is always nice to hear from and see my friends. It is very white around here today but we got no new snow last night so hopefully what we have will settle down a bit making it easier to get around here.
Everyday is a new day and Peace, Bear Love, Gizmo & I hope that everyone has a wonderfully blessed holiday time and realize that there is more to it than seeing how much we can spend but how much of ourself we can give to others. Enjoy every moment of everyday, it just makes life great.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

The Week Before Christmas

This has been an unusually different winter this year. We got small amounts of snow early in the season but not what anyone expected but now it is trying to make up for the lack of early season snow with alot all at once. Everyday the landscape around here has looked different and some days can't see beyond the trees, then others blue skies with clouds of varying colors a little over 2 weeks ago we hardly had 1 1/2' of snow and today we are almost at the 10' mark on the gauge but some of that is because if drifting snow not actual we are more around the 8-8.5' mark.
We haven't seen very many snowmobilers out this year which is totally surprising for this time of year but at the same time awhen they only keep the lower parts of the trail system groomed consistantly because according to the forest service personell no one really comes out this far just to snowmobile. I have a favor to ask of all of you who like to ski, snowmobile, anything that has to do wth being outdoors in the snow that enjoy coming out to Trinity and Phelps Creek TH if you would please send comments ato me or to the forest service and parks system and let them know how you feel about not having access to all parts of the park just because of the way they choose to groom, they say it is for the recreationist but I'd like to hear from those of you that actually use the trails and off trails around here. Thse are just a few of the scenes around here this past week.\

We found our PAradise, Hope you find your's too.

BOY is it Snowing here

This morning we woke up to almost 6.5' of snow on the gauge, we got almost 16 " yesterday total and another 10" today so far and it is still coming down. Jimmy tried to head out on the snowmobile and it is so powdery and fine with no bottom that my sled just wanted to plow through it, not enough machine to get out. So if there are any of you out there thinking about making a run to Trinity we would appreciate it if trail was broke he could get out but right now just get stuck. Just let me know either by email or just come on out would definitely appreciate it otherwise we just have to hunker down and wait it out until they groom or it firms up wither of those choices would work for us. If you are coming out this direction to find POW this is definitely the place, just be prepared it is Very fluffy. It is beautiful though and we love it. Bear & Peace just plow through what they can but usually get buried in the powdery snow they play in. Thanks for any help getting Jim out would be appreciated.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Can you tell that Peace & Bear Love are happy to be home, they went out about 7am and are still playing outside checking everything out since they got home. After being very restricted in what they could do in town except for when they are at the farm our second home away from home, where they are part of the pack. They keep me laughing at their antics in the snow, they just love to be out there playing running the excess energy off. Yesterday PEace had her very first encounter with a snomobiler face to face as she was running home but once she saw the snowmobile drive up she went into charging and jumping around but she wsn't going to let them pass and he wasn't sure if he wanted to try while she was there until I got her to sit with me and watch them go by. There is no place like home and we are so glad to be home, no place like it, we like visiting our friends and having them visit us here.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Glad to finally be back home

It took 4 hours to change 2 of the rubber tracks on my Ranger Thur night in anticipation of trying to get out on Friday but it was going to depend on whether or not the road got groomed. I needed to get my truck out which was 13 miles inside of the barricades @ Fish Lake sno-park, not a good place for it with all of the snow we got, but I also had to get Jim who had been waiting to start work at Steven's Pass for 2 weeks and now was a day late, we thought we could make it in 2-3 hours. Well we started out @ 5:30 am and even though it was groomed it was still very soft, not what I was hoping for. We got to the truck and had to dig it out and then ended up towing it 11 of the 13 miles it had to get out and ended up taking us 7.5 hours and the worst part is that from the barricade to the garage the road had been plowed and scraped down to the pavement which didn't excite me at all not after spending the time to change the tracks the night before, the reason I had to change the tracks is because they had stretched and got cut up on icy pavement last year taking big chunks of rubber out of the tracks.
Because of the road condition I decided to stay out for a couple of days waiting for the next snow to arrive and cushion my ride and saving my tracks, it was supposed to snow Sun night, and that didn't happen, then it was supposed to snow Tues night and it did leave a dusting, just enough to make the roads slick.
I was getting restless not seeing home and what was happening here plus we didn't plan to be gone but 1 day which turned into 5.5 days. It was nice getting to spend time with some friends I haven't seen in a while, and had a great visit at the farm, but by Monday I was ready to be home. We left out this morning with white roads coming in but not enough to really help so we drove very slow until we got to the Sno-Park then we made pretty good time got home before 2pm just as the snow started falling. Bear & Peace had fun seeing everyone and meeting new people while they were in town but once we got home they really got happy, especially since the snow is firm enough for them to run across and not drop into like it was before leaving. They both ran home the last 1.5 miles down the road just to get here.
We were very surprised to see so much snow that hadn't been shredded like normal once the park is open especially with all of the snowmobile tracks coming out this way, very few boon dockers mostly trail riders. There is plenty of snow from the barricades @ Fish Lake to travel to Trinity or anywhere else out here. I also want to thank the groomers for grooming again after I pulled my truck out leaving some serious ruts in soft snow, so even though they groomed to Trinity Thur night, they came back to Basalt and filled in the ruts we made getting out, I'm sure the snowmobilers appreciated it too.
Even though we live in the middle of nowhere as most people think because we are surrounded by mountains and 23 miles in a snow park, there's No Place like HOME....
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

It's Groomed to Trinity

Well after lots of snow last weekend and not able to get very far because of the fluffy powdered snow just under 7' then rains for 2 days helped to settle it down to just above 4' pf pillowy snow. Ths has caused some anxiety on my part because my truck was still 13 miles from Fish Lake but after the groomers coming out Thur night and grooming I finally headed out yesterday morning, planning to get my truck out and Jim to Steven's Pass for work, he was a couple of days late since we couldn't get out. Well it was an ordeal to say the least but my truck isn't buried for tne next 6 months but is free again so we can go to more places than we could without it.
I apologize to all the sledders that come upon my ruts but it couldn't be helped and it won't happen again not by me anyway. There is snow on the mountains and the road is groomed so I will pepobably be seeing many sledders soon, which will take care of the quietness.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Got what we wanted, SNOW

The past week plus a few days we've had some very cold temperatures but didn't see much snow around. Then we got 9" and went to move the Blazer and there wasn't any snow down where it was parked so I left it there even stayed in Leavenworth to see how much snow we got in the latest storm, well Leavenworth got 1.5-2" we only had about 1" but it did arrive just in time for Leavenworth to be on national TV GMA was there at 4am as were about 1500 locals. On Nov 30 we had about 20" total snow, then on Sat afternoon it started snowing and by yesterday morning we had about 3.5' of snow and it was 17 degrees so the snow was very dry powder and continued to snow all day, the dam froze up with all of the slush in the water from the cold snow so we had to rely on the furnace for warmth which isn't a problem. Since we had no power I couldn't see just how much snow we had gotten overnight 31" of more powder with no bottom to it. It took almost an hour just to make trails to the powerhouse this morning and then I almost couldn't get the Ranger out of the powerhouse because of the very deep snow. I then spent the next 1.5 hours trying to go 150' but it was more trouble than it was worth and then the rains showed up and it rained all day.


This is how last year started out only in reverse the rains came first 14.5" in under 50 hours then lots of very dry cold snow 4.5' in 6 days. We've been looking for this for a while but sure hadn't figured on getting this much this weekend. Well after this rain it should help to have a nice base to build upon. The pictures of the gauge are from 12/2 & 12/3 the bottom photo showsalmost 7' just in case you can't tell. So far it has packed the snow about 16" so far and it hasn't stopped yet we'll see what happens tomorrow. At least we got warm enough for the dam to clear the ice especially with the water flowing in the creek now. Definitely have to watch for slides in the next day or two, could be interesting. Peace & Bear are having fun in the snow but today found it very difficult to get around except for the tracks I made to the powerhouse. With all the rain lots of snow is falling of the roofs of the houses so when Bear is outside I have to really keep him away from the buidings otherwise he could get buried in the falling snow.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.