Signs in the Forest

Recently the Forest Service took out the sign in sheet at the Trinity TH for the summer and put in sign in sheets for Winter users of the TH, the put them in the box used in the summer and there is only one problem with that it will covered up with snow pretty quick since it is only 4' above the ground. The map in the tree is where the snow usually is after they groom in December and the scarfman is where the snow was when it started melting out. It's a great idea to know how many people use the TH in the winter but they will need to put it some place else to be used.

First Snow of 2007

This morning we got up and everything was white, not heavy white but white none the less, it is the first snow of the season. It's beautiful and white and continuing to come down mainly for today and tomorrow but then after that it should stop except higher up. We'll see what is happening. Get those snowmobiles and skis ready it is coming to your favorite place well my favorite place.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Hard Core Hikers

On Monday morning 8 PCT hikers left out from Trinity headed to Stehekin but first they had to get across Buck Creek Pass a 5900' pass to get to the PCT and back on course to make it to Canada, there was new snow down to about 5000' and they were hoping to make it there and headed down again before the day was over but they had to contend with the snow that had fallen and the clouds surrounding the mountains. It rained all day yesterday with the mountains only peeking out of the clouds for brief moments during the day. Yesterday afternoon while the rain had let up we went for a walk as the kids were getting restless and we came upon a couple of more hikers headed up to Buck Creek Pass but it was 4pm at that time. They had made the trip before but not with this much snow on the ground and more on the way with the snow level down to 4500' and then down to 3500' tonight and 3000' Thur which means all of the hikers will be doing most of their hiking in the snow, to me it didn't appear that they had the gear to get through much snow and the weather service shows that there is around 4-15 " at the elevations they are going to have to travel over. They are trying to beat the winter snows to Canada, this should be interesting for them this early in the year. We send them all Trinity vibes and best wishes for a safe journey to all of them on the trail.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

From Dry to Very Wet

As I have mentioned this past summer was a very dry summer and very dusty on the road to Trinity especially with all of the people that just like to drive around and make more dust, so we started getting light rains and snow in the upper elevations but couldn't see it Sat because clouds were very low and covering all of the mountains but Sunday got a glimpse of the snow on the mountains even heading south down the valley on either side but only the very top. We've gotten over 1.5" of rain since Sunday and we really needed it and looks like it will be here all week almost like Nov started out last year and we really could do without a repeat of that storm especially in Oct. The colors of the leaves are quickly changing from green to yellow and red it is quite spectacular to see. For all of those that have been waiting for the snow to arrive, it won't be long and you can get early views of it out here right now but bring a slicker as you might get wet, the nice thing today is there is no wind. I also want to apologize for not including photos with these little ditty's like I usually do and will upload them soon but due to technical difficulties like breaking my computer and having to put it in the shop 2 weeks ago and now just waiting for it to get fixed so at this time I can't add photos, I've taken quite a few I'd like to share with you. Think Snow!!!
We found out Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Real snow on the Mountains

This weekend we got some much needed rain and saw snow on the mountains down to about 5500' but most was above 6500'. Sat morning we saw a little snow on Chiwawa, Massie& Buck mountains but nothing else down the valley not on MT Maude or Carne of any of the others of the Chiwawa's it was like there was a line where it stopped. Sunday morning we woke up to very wet conditions and the clouds were basically sitting right at the tree line right out back and we couldn't see the mountains or the snow on them. Once or twice we got a glempse of little patches of snow but not much could be seen through the clouds/fog. I had seen 8 hikers on the road between Basalt campground & where the pavement stops when I was heading out to town, well yesterday evening one of the owners came and knocked at my door to let me know that we had 8 PCT hikers spending the night in the cabin. They had made it here and were heading up to Buck Creek Pass but turned back because of the snow that had fallen overnight, beside being very wet from the rain wasn't hard but lasted all day we got about .75" here and the temperature never got higher that 38 yesterday. It was the first time since I 've lived here that that many PCT hiker's have come through at one time or stayed overnight. They left this morning hoping to make it to the PCT this afternoon and over Buck Pass which is the highest point they will have to cross from now on. I wish them the best and safe and happy trails. I'm sure that we will be seeing more this week hurrying to finish and arrive safely in Canada before the snow sets in for winter.
Too all of my friends who have been waiting for the snow to arrive well it won't be long now, I'm going to be watching the clouds and mountains daily to see if we get more of it, or it disappears quickly. Get those skis and snowmobiles tuned up it's almost time, " LET IT SNOW".
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Cedar Street Block Party

This weekend Leavenworth was crowded with visitors because it was Autumn Leaf Festival with booths, art show games for kids and of course all of the stores enjoying the large group of visitors especially in the downtown area near the gazebo-- but a few blocks away on a usually quiet street there were barricades blocking the ends of Cedar Street for a couple of blocks and in the middle of that CLF Chumstick Liberation Front was set up getting ready to play for the crowd that had gathered. Aaron and friends & neighbors had gotten together and pulled off one of the best events I've attended in town with a few hundred neighbors and friends showing up from Leavenworth enjoying the food and drinks and getting to know new friends. Personally this is what I think of when I think of Leavenworth and would like to see it happen much more, it is a very close knit community which is why I like being a part of it even though I'm the furtherest Leavenworth resident well my mailbox is anyway. Many of the people that were there said they just happened upon it as it really wasn't advertised that I'm aware of Nat mentioned it to me at the grocery store as we were both getting ice cream, glad he did as I love live music and the venue was great, aeven the kids and dogs were welcome and no problems other than the music getting cut short because of sprinkles happening, even as the equipment was being pickled up an impromptu jam session with Sergio on accordion and Mike on drums along with several of us helping keep the beat, it was very enjoyable.
Before heading home for the evening we were making a pass through town just to see what was happening and to see if anymore live music was happening, well it was Paul Sweeny was playing at the Tumwater so I stopped in to see who was there, I only intended to stay long enough to drink a glass of tea, instead I ended up staying a couple of hours and several of us helped Paul sing the songs of our youth wasn't really planned but we just all jumped in right from our seats. Several of our friends wanted to see Peace & Bear so we went to take little walks with them , they don't meet strangers and everyone that meets them falls in love with both of them . Peace & Bear Love are both blessings to me, they have many aunt's & uncle's in town that like for them to come around and that makes my life much easier since they go everywhere I go, we are a family with very many extended members of that family that live in town. Life is great.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Sno-Tel Maintinence

Well after not being able to lift off from Olympia last week to do maint the crews showed up yesterday and it was very cloudy here and areas that they needed to get in to were hard and some not possible. The loads went up sporadically and full so I wasn't able to get to fly this year which was disappointing but sorta expected with the weather being the way it was. We did talk of moving a sno-tel station to here at Trinity next year which will be very cool to have here and this year we are setting up a snow course to check the snow this year, then next year we will have realtime data about the snow, very cool. Since I've lived here I've become very interested in rocks, & snow and all the bugs living here especially the ones I see in the winter, the cold doesn't kill them. I've been learning about the different types of fish we have in the river and creek here and some that we have seen aren't even mentioned by those in the know, which I think is very interesting. There is always next year.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Fall Offically @ Trinity

This has been a very nice summer and even though it has been extremely dry & dusty it has been very comfortable with our high of 94 back in July. Since then though it has been rather mild, and the evenings have been very nice and cool but Friday night it got down to 36 and last night down to 26 with heavy frost on my Blazer and Ranger and the ground there was even a new dusting of snow on Chiwawa and Massie Mountains only lasted a short while though it is good to see. Today the wind is blowing and this week the hunters will be moving in the area. Tues we are going to try to do the Sno-Tel maint which means the flight in the helicopter as long as the weather cooperates, I'm looking forward to it but also know at this time of year it can be a bit iffy. I'll let you know how things pan out.
We went to Leavenworth for Salmon Festival it was fun learned some things about the fish & fry we have been saving out of the waterholes that are drying up. Also got to see lots of friends and listen to good music by the locals Chumstick Liberation Front at the close of the first days activities. Went and checked out the Native American Encampment and not only enjoyed the dancing and drumming but the samples of smoked salmon very tasty. Also watched a man making westerncedar bark baskets for gathering berries, using those baskets keep the berries fresher longer. I found there were many uses for western cedar bark for the Native Americans, very educational, lots of cool decorations with a deep history. I felt wonderful being there I'll have pictures up soon.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Hiker's on the PCT

Every year there are numerous hikers that hike the PCT some starting in Mexico and headed to Canada but there are a few going the other way. Due to floods a few years there has been a detour that usually brings them over Little Giant and then they walk up the road to the Buck Creek Pass trail to reconnect to the PCT, but this year because of the storms in Nov and Dec there are reports of over 400 trees down on the detour making it even harder to use so this past week I have been coming across many hikers walking up the road but coming from town not the trail, they are starting to feel an urgency to get finished as the temperatures at night are falling and even here we have been down to 33 this week. I met one hiker that had to be finished by tomorrow in Canada so she could fly home to Oregon and sleep in a bed and have a real meal before beginning class Monday. April hope you made it, she was averaging 24-26 miles a day. Not an easy task out here so Kudos to all of those planning to finish in the next couple of weeks. The hiking gear has changed to a little warmer clothing especially at night which I found out is when several of the hikers we have met are hiking, not bad with a full moon but when you are deep in the forest with only a headlamp you have to pay attention. Blessings to all those travelers.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your too.

Thank You Mattracks

Today I received an email from Jamie @ Mattracks and he said he was sending the other 2 tracks and the greasegun that should have come with the tracks. Now I just have to take them to Cle Elum to get them changed, not like just having a tire changed. I want to especially thank Travis and Jamie for being there continuous help with getting this resolved. Mattracks stands behind their product and I'm looking forward to using them again this year. In my last update about my tracks I said I would let everyone know how things turned out, so here it is. Let it Snow.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

2 of 4 Tracks Arrived

Well after contacting Mattracks concerning the damage to my M3 tracks I was sent a warranty authorization for which I promptly filled out and sent back to the company. I haven't heard a thing until yesterday afternoon when I received an email telling me that 2 tracks had been dropped at my mailbox. This really confused me since I have 4 tracks that were damaged but only 2 were replaced. I immediately emailed Mattracks trying to find out if there was a mistake or if I was going to receive the other 2 tracks but so far haven't heard back. I'm grateful for them taking care of this but I would have liked a little more communication with the company so that I would have known what was going on without having to assume because we all know what that does. The snow is getting closer to being here as I saw snow this morning on a couple of the mountains behind my house, it was beautiful to see but then it was gone just as fast once the sun got higher. The jury is still out on this but I will let you know what happens . I really believe it must have been a miscommunication but we will see what I hear back from the company .We are getting close to the time of year when we are prepared for snow to be here and getting vehicles ready for the winter and getting them where they need to be once it gets here so we have a short time for this to be taken care of without causing a problem.
Now I have to get them changed out which might be another situation to deal with soon.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

I See Snow on the Mountains

Well this morning I got up and as I looked out at Chiwawa Mountain & Massie Ridge I saw a light dusting of snow after they had been sitting in the clouds all day yesterday. It was a nice surprise I have to admit. We had to cancel the helicopter ride last week even though the weather here was perfect but where the helicopter was coming from was fogged in so we had to reschedule for a couple of weeks later and now it will all depend on the weather at that time. Here at Trinity I'm getting ready for winter making sure that everything is in working order, repairs made and watching the sky for changes. This year we might have a snow course for taking snow samples throughout the year which could be interesting. We'll just have to see what happens. It's cooling down and the humidity is high making me a little more uncomfortable at times but it is just part of life.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

I'm Constantly Amazed

After living at Trinity for the last 3 years I am constantly amazed with how many people around Leavenworth don't know what Trinity is or where it is located. One of the things I enjoy most is getting out and seeing new places especially with all of the beautiful places to go around here and I have to admit I'm very spoiled living here and with what is in my backyard I don't need to go anywhere but I like to know where things and places are. There are those that I meet that have fond childhood memories of coming out here as a kid, then there are those hikers I meet from all over that are cruising the PCT either from Canada to Mexico or vice versa that have been coming by here for years. I feel truly blessed to live here and just exploring the places around here are enough to fill a lifetime of adventure. The disadvantage to living out here is finding people to go explore with, it does take some effort but is well worth it, so if you are up for an adventure and would like to explore places you have never seen before let me know.
To give a brief history of Trinity began back in the 1920's and was really developed by Royal Development Company of Canada and the original mine was actually started up at Spider Meadow but after not being able to access it in the winter decided to try to access Red Mountain from the Trinity townsite and they dug a 2 mile tunnel through Phelps ridge I've included some photos of what Trinity loked ike back then with over 400 people living and working here. They did produce copper, silver and gold but the compant went bankrupt and most of the workers ended up going over to Holden Mine to work. Mining was tried here until the 70's off and on but nothing to amount to much. It was purchased about 17 years ago and turned into a conservancy. I've had the opportunity to live here going on my 4th winter and everyone is different, I meet lots of people snowmobiling and hiking and then those that just can't read the NoTresspassing signs and try to get past us with out detection and that is where Peace comes in she is becoming a great watchdog and doesn't let anyone get by without getting caught. This is the one time it is much better to ask permission instead of asking forgiveness once people cross the gate I might not be as cordial to them. Anyone that has ever had enough respect to not cross the gate but stay there until invited in have often been given tours of the powerhouse or shown around especially if they have been here long ago and have memories of coming here as kids I do my best to accommodate them and it is how I have made many of my friends out here, most are from the west side of the mountain and I hear from the often. It's funny to me but I see a summer camping group and the winter snow junkies that can't wait to see the fluffy white stuff falling, and hear the whining of snowmobile engines. Do yourself a favor and if you haven't ever been out this direction take the effort you'll be glad you did, the road out here is a rough road but the beauty all around more than makes up for it. Living in Washington offers every kind of outdoor activity you can imagine and being surrounded by mountains and rivers & creeks all around me is what makes this place Paradise to me. Get out and see all of the beauty around this wonderful state we call home and keep your eyes open, you will be surprised at the things you've been missing, especially taking time to enjoy it. What I usually see are people from the city out here and driving so fast and crazy like they are still in traffic in the city, take your time and enjoy it, life it too short to be rushed through, you might miss what you have been looking for.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

The Jury is still out

This past year I purchased from Mattrack's their M3 tracks for my Polaris Ranger after totally destroying the set of Polaris tracks I purchased when I bought my Ranger. Mattrack's makes 2 different sets of tracks which have a 1" lug and the M3's which are longer, wider, and have 1 7/8" lugs and I thought they would be better for living out here. When I was first looking at them one of the concerns I had was the longer lugs and how they would fare on dirt during the melt out time and I was told that they could handle any type of terrain as long as it was done under 40mph and I figured that would be great because with the tracks on my Ranger will only do 5-7mph because of the torque I have to run in low gear. When I was talking to the sales rep I was told that 60% of the M3 tracks would never see snow and I thought that meant that they were very tough tracks so I ordered them thinking they would be just what I needed to get around out here. I installed them just before going to Texas at the beginning of Nov and drove the ranger up to the dam on the tracks up a dirt road 3 miles. They weren't used again until I returned from Texas when we had 4+' of fluffy snow and drove it back to Trinity. I used them around here for about 2 weeks while we were getting snow days of 1' or more every couple of days and then the day before Thanksgiving we drove the Ranger out to Fish Lake which took us almost 6 hours to go 21 miles, very deep snow that hadn't been groomed so it was difficult to get through but we did until destroying the transmission in the deep snow Thanksgiving day. While I had my Ranger jacked up and was trying to see what was damaged I inspected the tracks and noticed that many of the middle tabs were torn or completely torn off, not only that but I also noticed that some of the big lugs were torn at the base of the lug where it attaches to the track, this really concerned me because if this happened with snow what would happen during the melt out. It took me until Feb to get it back from the shop so for 2 months it wasn't even used but after that I used it some but not all the time especially if I needed to make a quick trip I relied on my snowmobile. By the end of the snow season in June many of the lugs were torn and most of the smaller tabs in the middle of the track were totally torn off making them not as effective as they should be. I was late in getting the information back to Mattrack's but once I sent photos of the damage it was addressed very quickly, and just under the wire for the 1yr warranty so I received the paperwork I needed to fill out and sign and got it back to Mattrack's now I'm waiting to see what will be done to correct this problem. It is getting close to that time of year when they will be needed again for another 6 months of snow. I do like the tracks but definitely need to have more power than what the Ranger can do with the way the motor & transmission are set up . I have some thoughts of how to maybe fix that but it is still in the thinking stage right now. I'll let you know what I find out and how this is handled by Mattrack's.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

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.

Labor Day is almost gone

That means that there won't be that many people out in the campsites now since school is starting back up and summer is over so maybe things here will get back to normal sorta. Bow season & the high hunt will be starting soon which means there will be more hunters here but that usually goes pretty smooth. This has been a very busy time out here this year lots of folks getting out in nature but still acting as if they were in the city especially the way they drive, these aren't the type of roads to go 60 mph on but they try leaving large clouds of dust staying around. It should be rather quiet now until it snows and then the snowmobilers will start up tearing up the snow. It would be nice if they would take their trash when they leave. I am always amazed as we walk everyday to see what has been left by hikers and campers, they brought it with them but they want to leave it here when they leave and that is sad. This is such a beautiful part of the state and I am amazed how little some of the visitors here care about all the beauty all around them. All I can do is try to educate and pick up after them because it does get to me to se the stuff left on the ground and in campsites, this is my home and I like it to be nice. We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Trinity Mine circa 1937

This is what Trinity looked like in 1937 when the mine was in full swing with over 400 people working here. For those of you that have been here in the past 25 years or so wouldn't recognize the beautiful place we call home, compared to what it looked like then. Thanks to David Morris Napeequa Winery winemaker and history sleuth. More to come soon. We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Lyman Glacier (fastest melting glacier in U S

I was visiting with some friends the other day when they were here and we were discussing Lyman Glacier and what is still there and what isn't anymore. I have put pictures up that I have taken over the last couple of years but I was given some pictures of Lyman Glacier back in the 80's from a hike David Morris of Napeequa Winery took, thanks for sharing them David. I will put a few comparisons up here and the rest will be on the web album for those that might be interested. From what I have read and understand is that Lyman Glacier is the fastest melting glacier in the northern hemisphere and being in my backyard concerns me. I hear comments that there is no global warming but if that is the case then why the drastic changes in this wonderful glacier, I'd be interested in your thoughts. I also am looking forward to seeing what it looks like this year when the PUD & NCRS are here to do the snotel maint. this year, it could be gone.

New Visitors to Trinity

Well you can definitely tell that summer is coming to a close because the campsites are staying full even during the week. For the first time this summer I saw a very large RV that made it to the Phelps Creek campground only a mile from Trinity which means it traveled over some very rough road to get there, but it made it. Yesterday I had visitors up from Plain and as I was giving them the tour of Trinity all I heard was ooooh's & aaaaah's not so much for the buildings they were seeing but all of the great places to back country ski. They were surprised to see the dam and bowling alley and just how magical this place truly is. One of the visitors was David Morris the wine maker from Napeequa Winery, he even brought up some of his wines to share with friends that come to Trinity, it's a wonderful gesture, I just don't know anything about wine, so now I'm going to have to get educated about what to serve and when, everything needed to make the experience great for everyone. Fortunately David said he would be happy to help me out with that. David Wiley and Evan also came out with him. I enjoyed the company and believe they enjoyed being here as much as I did showing it to them. Being so close to the county border with Snohomish/ Chelan counties we figured that we would be the furtherest north place that you might get to taste great local wine from Napeequa Winery and it is also the closest it has been to the valley the winery is named for. These pictures I got from David Morris are early pictures of Trinity in the 20's, Thanks David.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

More Excitement @ Trinity

This weekend wa a fun time until last night when the plant dropped which is not that uncommon but when I went to restart it was when the excitement bagan. When bringing it back online the generator began sparking and the voltage fluctuated so I shut it down not needing power to sleep. This mornig when I went to being it back up not only were there sparks but everything came on fast and then relays were popping everywhere so I shut it down fast. It's just one of those things that happens living in Paradise, Life is Good. We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

A Busy Weekend

This week has been a busy week out at the trailhead lots of horses and hunters during the week and lots of hikers this weekend. The owners came up and went hiking up Alpine Creek up to the top of Buck Mtn and found lots of snow just past where we can see from Trinity. I was supposed to go to the west side but found out that Peace wasn't going to be allowed where I was planning to go so we just stayed close and had fun here. Friday morning Eric & Michelle along with Jean & her son Will came out for a visit and tour of Trinity got to see all of the sights and we had a great visit, that evening we went to their camp at Schaffer Creek and had a wonderful dinner and Peace and Romeo played very hard while we were there. Saturday we just stayed around here until the afternoon when the owners got back from their hike and then we headed to Plain for the Plain Hardware Moonlight Music Fest, it was lots of fun and there was a great turnout of people, the music was great everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was nice to get to see old friends there and meeting new ones. Even got to meet Bob & Kathryn who ended up last Thanksgiving spending time with Kaia & Shaba because they had gone out and ended up at their house, they shared some of their experience with them. It's nice to hear that people remember them with good thoughts forgetting they are wolves just that they are one of God's creatures. I even got some old pictures of Trinity back in the beginning of the mine and that was wonderful to see, thanks to Dave Morris by way of Byron Dickinson. They kept me up late looking at them. Everyday I am more and more grateful for being able to live in such a beautiful area, where Life is Great, can't see being anywhere else.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

CLF back in action

Last night at Munchen Hause in Leavenworth Chumstick Liberation Front performed before a packed Beer Garden, many friends and locals were there but also many out of towners some from as far away as Kenya. The evening started out a little slow for dancers to get out on the dance floor and it was the kids that were there that started dancing and enjoying the music first. There were many little ones with their parents enjoying the music and crowd. Peace met many new friends, the kids loved her and she likes the attention, plus there were many other furry friends for her to meet and play with. Even though there have been new members of the band added this year the music is full of messages and great dancing music with Steven belting out the lyrics with Nat making those harps wail. Even though the show started earlier than normally expected for a Sat night it was lots of fun, seeing friends, and making new acquaintances and watching the joy that people experience just by seeing and petting Peace, she does live up to her name and she is such a blessing for me. The laughter and joy being had by all last night is what everyday should be like and living here that is exactly what it is like.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too. Namaste'

Chumstick Allstar's Softball Team

One of the things Peace &I have been doing this summer is going to support the Chumstick Allstar's which is made up of people living on the Chumstick and being friends and closest neighbors We've been going to watch and support them as much as possible. This past Wed thru Sat was the Leavenworth Tournament and we made the Wed and Fri games and took the camera along this time taking some pictures of the team and fans. We didn't make it to Saturdays games so not sure what the outcome was but do know it was much fun going and watching them play, now it's time to find something else to fill the time, and so enjoy going to Gibbs Farm, another magical place, Peace enjoys getting to be a farm dog on occasion. Here are a few pictures from the Friday game you can check out the web album for more picts. The pictures are of Napeequa Gibbs, Chris Rader, Uncle Ivan & Napeequa, then Peace posing.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your too.

Help from Mushers

This past weekend we had about 30 mushers come out for the weekend and they were great. This winters storms caused the Chiwawa River to cut a new channel that came right through Trinity's back pond, and eroded one of the bulkheads and flooded part of the Buck Creek Tr. We had put out a few sandbags, but with the ever changing river flow they were sent downstream and the hole got bigger.
Well we had about 12 people that got their feet and legs very cold that Friday morning started filling sandbags and hauling rocks up & down the pond in our small boat, in about 2.5-3 hours they had closed it off building a nice rock/sandbag wall. I am very grateful because what they did in three hours I couldn't have done in 2 summers, especially in the water and silt they were working in. I want to thank: Bill, Carol, Laura, Mark, Allan, Diane, Brian, Dan, Jared, Jake,& Alex for the wonderful job you did. I couldn't find my list so if I left anyone out please let me know my memory sometimes doesn't remember everyone that helped with this. This was the largest group that has been here since I've been at Trinity, loads of fun. We had many more show up Friday night & Sat morning, we were treated to a slide show and video from Margaret & Don who had done the Serum Run in Alaska this past winter, we had about 25 mph winds that evening and everyone was bundled up watching the Alaska pics where at times it was -55 during their run. I apologize to everyone that was here but I have misplaced the tablet where the names were, I believe it will show up. I found it,so now it's all good, now I can remember all of the places I want to visit this summer. I'll put other pictures up in the online album which is linked to the blog. Thanks again for all of the help. I forgot to mention that Peace was a good hostess to the 10 or so dogs that also visited this weekend, not counting the dog teams that stayed at their kennels, she kept up with all of them and there were no problems at all they all got along great it wa a pleasure to watch them interact also. We have more sandbags on the way.
I found my Paradise, hope you find yours too. Namaste'

Trinity in June

The cottonwood trees are exploding here and there is so much cotton flying that it looks like snow. The deer are liking the corn and salt lick and there is a constant parade all day except the hottest part of the day. The creeks and river are getting back to normal what ever that is they are wild and subject according to what falls or what blows out, one thing for sure they are doing what they are supposed to. There are still snow fields above 6000' even in the meadows. As the snow recedes at the bridge going to the dam more and more destruction becomes apparent from the avalanche that happened. There is much to be cleared up yet, it is beautiful when you see that it all happens to keep things in balance. Watching and listening to the creeks & rivers there is such power and rhythm, so blue and clear, refreshing on a hot day. Everyday I have a greater appreciation for the beauty surrounding me.
The birds are singing their different songs yet it sounds like a choir to me brings me joy to hear them, the doe are having their fawns but it depends on where in the forest you are not many have been born around Trinity yet but have across many on the road in & out of Trinity. This is the time of birth and new things flowers popping up everywhere never trying to be anything but what they are supposed to be, we can learn from them to be ourself and to fulfill the purpose we are here for, not trying to be something we aren't. As I walk through the forest with Peace at my side frolicking and playing with anything she can find I'm reminded to enjoy the moment , see the beauty, peace and harmony that surround me, it is intoxicating and such a wonderful feeling, and when I share it with others it connects us because we are really all connected, and life is as it should be. As I walk through areas that were damaged severely during the storms I realize that it was necessary to maintain the natural order of things, and because of it, we can see the beauty if our hearts are open and tuned in to the spirit that IS.
I found my Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Getting back to Normal for Summer

Well you can tell it is summer, the fawns are hitting the ground, many of the early blooms are turning to seed, the rivers and creeks are coming down in flow and the water is beautiful. Buck Creek Trail continues to be under water at Trinity and we have talked to the Forest Service they are aware of the problem and said they would fix it but so far nothing has happened, you will get your feet wet on the trail, the road has been fixed and cleared of trees there are some places that is still very rough but passable. The other night while coming home I saw the allusive bull moose that lives out in the forest here , I followed him for over 1.5 miles before he finally decided to get off of the road it was a beautiful sight. It's getting warmer and much drier which here means more dust, so it would be nice if it rains today as has been forecast we could use it. Everything is green and beautiful, it has been very windy for most of the month which has been nice keeping it cooler than it would be without it. There are many hikers and campers taking advantage of all of the beauty out here.
I'd like to say congratulations to Rob and family at Plain hardware for 10 years, buy local. They had a great celebration with music food and fun yesterday evening with a wonderful turnout, may you have many more.
I found Paradise, hope you find yours too.