Some Pictures for Friends

I was asked by some friends for pictures of Glacier Mountain, Lyman Lake & glacier. I first saw Lyman Glacier 3 years ago, the first year I was here & have seen it every year for the last 3 years. It is very sad to see how small it is now compared to what it was 3 years ago, or what it was like 100 years ago even. These pictures were taken last Oct. when they did the Snotel maintenance. Hope you enjoy these Tommy & Jim.

A New Visitor this morning

As Elaine and I were looking at the weather outside and noticing how warm it was getting, I noticed something outside and as I turned to look I saw a Marten coming back from the snow cave on the side of the house. I tried to get a picture but he saw me and was gone. I went and looked to find him again but only found tracks several of them coming from the creek out from the front pond. It was nice to see him but at the same time means we have to be on guard for our little buddy Peppy, he might not be much competition for a young hungry Marten. Not something I expected to see especially in the morning, last year a biologist for the forest service had set out traps to see if we had any Martens out here in the forest and set out 6 at Trinity and only had one trap with Marten tracks on it so this is really cool. Will just have to keep our eyes open as this is the first time this winter to see him or his tracks and yet today I found 5-6 different places that he has been since Thursday when I was dragging and it was snowing and I never saw any tracks except for a big Buck that always stays here with us.
This next week could be very interesting as the snow level is up to 6000-8000' and temps are supposed to get up in the 40's all week could start to make things here very sloppy and is that the beginning of the end of winter or will we get another big winter blast at the end of the month. Overall this year we've had more snow than last year but only have about 10' showing on the gauge because of the warming and compaction that has been happening all winter. Last year we had 14' on the gauge it just was more spread out when it came and this year came in big dumps. Never a dull moment.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Weekend Visitors & Lots of Powder

Friday morning we woke up to some new snow on the ground and colder temps so Elaine & I went out to work on the trails we had been making. We got some new snow over night and just wanted to try to smooth it out since it was frozen and set up better. We even went up to the Bowling alley & did some dragging from there to try to keep as much open as possible, just in case we do get more snow. It's so much easier to do it as it arrives instead of letting it get ahead of you, then it can become somewhat of a problem, besides we like to get out in it and play & enjoy the beauty. We finally had to quit when it got too warm and we were making more of a mess than we wanted to and it was time to eat.

Friday afternoon I heard snowmobiles at the gate and went out to see who it was and saw 3 sleds heading down the road so I went back inside and a little bit later some friends Alan & Shauna showed up at the door, and it was great to see them again, they were part of the group that helped me to get home after Thanksgiving by breaking trail. They had come up for the weekend and were out for a ride with other friends so they came by, a very pleasant surprise, and we had a great visit.

Saturday morning we woke up to near whiteout conditions and about 1' of new powder on the ground so we decided to just stay inside and watch it snow, around 12:30 there was a shout and knock on the house and Jim & Art, friends I met last year were out for a ride making first tracks and enjoying the powder and came out to visit before meeting other friends back out at the Chiwawa river bridge for a fire get together. It was great to see them again and they are also parents of some of the kids, Justin, Ashley & Ryan that also helped me get home Thanksgiving and another time when I was going out to see Elaine and broke down at Chikamin Flats and was walking out to the garage a nice 10 mile walk but was very grateful for the ride out. It is always a pleasure to see friends and I will be forever grateful for all of their help and friendship.
We found our Paradise and so have some of our friends, hope you find yours too.

The Weather is Constantly Changing

Well it has continued to be very hard to know what the weather is going to do at Trinity, earlier this week we had snow then rain/snow mix, then more snow then it got warm with beautiful blue skies all around yet we still saw it snowing in the back yard at the same time. Elaine and I spent almost everyday working on the trails around Trinity and some days got so warm so quick that we could only work for a little while before tearing it up instead of smoothing things out. This morning we are getting snow and are supposed to get almost ft of new snow today and tomorrow. Every time it has snowed the snowmobilers have been out to tear it up or make first tracks but I have been able to make first tracks a couple of days this week when going out to the mail or Leavenworth but the temps have been crazy too some days not getting below 30 and then warming up very quickly but then we have seen high temps after 6pm when it should be getting colder, very strange is all I can say. Last night we had beautiful clear skies with a half moon brightly shining and lighting up the Trinity Valley it was gorgeous, the owls were busy talking to eac`h other and the only sound we could hear outside was Phelps Creek because it has almost a foot more water flowing now than it normally does. Another thing this year is that the Chiwawa River has been diverted north of Trinity and it is now flowing into the back pond that usually only has the water the hydro plant uses in there but now there is water coming in from somewhere upstream probably due to downed trees and snow combination no matter what the cause it has changed course and now has wiped out part of the Buck Creek Trail, it's a stream, actually there are many of these new streams flowing through all of the low areas, it will be interesting to see what happens after the melt starts. Life is always interesting at Trinity, you never know what you will experience from one day to the next. Elaine and I have been enjoying working out in the snow keeping the trails open and smooth as possible using only the Ranger & a drag, and snowmobiles to take out the high spots. It is so good having Elaine back home and even though the weather hasn't cooperated all the time each day we are out playing together and even though it is only in the 20's & 30's most days she is beginning to understand that snow can be great fun. She loves driving the Ranger and does a great job with the dragging now that she is starting to get more comfortable doing it, some days she doesn't want to quit even when it the snow is getting sloppy which it has been a couple of times this week, and I'm very grateful.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too

Elaine Is Finally Back Home

Well after almost 2.5 months of being gone from Trinity due to a broken ankle, Elaine is finally back home. YEAH!!! I'm so glad to have her home now we have alot of catching up to do. That is Austyn with Mimi and she was good medicine while Elaine recovered her ankle. We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Almost Time

Well I'm getting excited because after being gone since Thanksgiving Elaine is finally going to be home this week. I'm going to pick her up in the next couple of days and bring her home on Thur after a short visit with Chris, Kerry and Austyn once they get home from Mexico, it's definitely a day I've been waiting for quite a long time. Elaine's ankle is doing better and now is going to be home and we can get back to normal, it's a very exciting time.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

2007 Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race

The Cascade Quest was run completely for the first time in the 3 years I've been here. The first year there wasn't enough snow, and last year it was canceled due to too much snow, we got almost 3' over the weekend and over 8' in the week following the race. This past weekend the Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race was held in Leavenworth, WA with 12 dog teams who are trying to qualify for the Iditarod in Alaska, 6 dog teams and sporting class with 2-6 dogs. We didn't have that many teams this year that actually made it to Trinity 2- 12 dog teams, and 4- 6 dog teams. We had more support staff that teams but the pace was great and fun was had by all that came out. The weather was perfect the sun was shining and the skies were clear and the trail was fast, almost too fast in some areas of the course. This was a pleasant surprise compared to the last 2 years and records were broken, even the Malamute team with Tim set record times for them before this weekend their best time was 8 hours and this weekend he made it to Trinity in just under 6 hours and going back out even did better, just over 5+ hours.
We want to thank all of the crew the vet Ty Johnson and Scott his helper, Lois for cooking along with Mira & Anders her kids, Cricket, Tom & Emma Porter, Monte & Terry photographers who also showed up to help and take pictures of the race. Jay and Perry were making lots of miles on the trail to keep things going smoothly, but they were on snowmobiles and came to Trinity to get some rest. For more pictures go to our web album http://picasaweb.google.com/mtazz50/CascadeQuest2007
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

2007 Cascade Quest Prep @ Trinity

Well after getting the Ranger back at Trinity this week I've been doing all that I can to get ready for the sled dog teams to arrive Sat morning for the 12 dog teams and then Sat evening for the 6 dog teams, they will spend the night and leave Sun morning for the Rec center and the finish of the race.
The snow is compacting somewhat but it has been so cold that once you break the crust that is on top it just wants to fluff up. We should start seeing the vet and support crew arriving this afternoon. The sun is shining here and it is beautiful and looks like a great weekend for this race after not getting to run it the year before last because of a lack of snow, and last year it was cut short because of all of the snow we got Friday night and Sat, over 3' in just over 24 hours and for the week over 7' of new snow. The conditions are so much better this year and should make for a good race. These are a few pictures of what me and the Ranger have done with the drag on the snow.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours. Namaste'

This Week at Trinity

Well the Ranger finally returned to Trinity after totaling the transmission and getting it repaired just in time to get things ready at Trinity for this years Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race which is this weekend. The race will come through Trinity on Sat morning for the 12 dog teams and Sat evening for the 6 dog teams. I'll do my best to have things ready for them when they arrive here and it will be a busy time while they are here. It will be a couple of weeks before Elaine can make it back home and that will be so nice to get her back here but after this winter being like it has been it has been hard having her in E Wenatchee and me here so it will be wonderful for her to get back and I can't wait.
Now that it has started getting warmer the snow is starting to settle some making it easier to get around and now that the ranger is back I can lay down trails so that we can get to the setteling tank and bowling alley. Things are finally getting back like they should be and for that I'm grateful.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours.

It has been sooooo cold lately

Well this past week has been very cold with temps getting down to 0 to -1 even one day but since they had groomed last Thur night the very cold temps have made the trip in and out very quick. You have to be careful though because in some places it is very icy and so you have to use some wisdom but it is such a nice trip now much different than the last time I went out. I went to visit Elaine in E Wenatchee and she will be coming home soon and I can hardly wait. Her ankle is healing but not totally healed yet but she is using it more and she still uses the walking cast if she is going out or will be walking for periods of time. She wanted to come home today when I came back in and as much as I would have liked to bring her home today it just wouldn't have been right yet, she'd have to have ridden a snowmobile in if she would have come in today and it would have been a good trip for her too but she probably wouldn't have felt so good after getting home.

The Ranger has been in the shop and is now ready so hopefully it will be back next week just in time for the Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race next weekend and it will be very helpful to get things ready here for that, then Elaine will be able to come in and won't have to ride a snowmobile to get home and then we will all be back at Trinity where we all belong and that will definitely be a day of celebration and the first time since the day before Thanksgiving that we have all been home together, and for us another day of Thanksgiving but then every day is.

Absence definitely makes the heart grow fonder and of that I'm sure but I will be so happy once we are all under the same roof and a family once again. One thing we learned is to be sure of what you want and everything that goes with it because you can get what you want but there might be price to pay or consequences you hadn't thought about.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too. Namaste'

Crazy Weather Continues @ Trinity

The weather continues to be so very unpredictable today instead of snow it has been clear most of the day but it warmed up to 36 and now instead of getting snow it is raining. This morning I tried to see if I could go out today and only made it to the other end of the trail head parking lot before sinking in very deep snow. I had to stomp a path from the gas house to just before where they turn when grooming. It's hard to tell that they groomed at all because of all of the new snow we got after they groomed along with the strong winds but hopefully this rain will help to compact the snow making it much easier to get out on the snowmobile. I tried today but didn't get very far before having to dig out and turning around and coming back into Trinity.
The Ranger is in the shop and I found out that the transmission was completely fried along with the clutch housing was messed up the parts were ordered and should be here Thur and it might be ready as soon as Sat or the following Tues and that will sure be nice to have back in here. With all of the snow we've gotten it has made it difficult to get around Trinity right now because there isn't anyway to keep the trails cleared without the Ranger or Bob's rig being here.
Not only that but Elaine will possibly be coming home then too and that will be the best news of all. She hasn't been home since just before Thanksgiving and she broke her ankle and has been in a cast , and all of the crazy large snow dumps that just keep on coming have really made it difficult to get out to see her, I've only been out 3 times since Thanksgiving but am very glad that Elaine will be home soon with Peppy and then we will be a family again all of us at home. With all of us here then it won't matter if we get lots of snow then because we will be together and that is what counts.
This last 2 months hasn't been easy but at the same time we have learned some very valuable lessons about what is important in life, Love and being with the person you Love most no matter what is happening, and to enjoy everyday and make the most out of it. We can change the things we look at by the way we look at things. The rain has turned into very large snowflakes now so it will be interesting to see what happens now.
We found our Paradise, we hope you find yours too.

Very Unpredictable

We have really been getting lots of new snow this month already . We started off with rain and since Wed we have received over 4' of new snow. I walked out today through waist deep new powder just to clear the dish.
These are some pictures of the same house from last week and today. I tried to take the the snowmobile around the trails we had been using to get around Trinity but I was only able to go about 10' before getting buried see the photo.
Now we're expecting more snow so it's going to make it very interesting. Would be nice to see a few people that love powder to come see what we have on the ground. Yesterday I had to cut 19 trees just to get out to go to the garage but with this new snow we got I'm not going very far right now.
The main thing on our minds is getting Elaine back home to Trinity, then it can snow all it wants but with us being apart and not able to go in & out like I normally do makes it harder. Even with all of this happening we both know that this truly our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Starting off with a Bang

Well it's the 3rd of Jan '07 and the weather continues to come yesterday in the form of rain over 2" and then the snow started last night and we got another 1.35" of snow/rain mix. This has been another interesting winter and so very unpredictable.
Elaine is still recovering from her broken ankle but is doing so much better and hopefully the cast will come off very soon and she can return to Trinity along with Peppy then we will all be back together as a family should be. The holidays weren't exactly as I thought they would be but have been good still and now it just is getting everyone back home safe a sound. One good thing about all of this is that Elaine has gotten to spend lots of time with Austyn and that has definitely been good medicine for her and this absence definitely has made the heart grow fonder and has helped us to realize just what is important in our lives. Now it is just a matter of time until we all are under the same roof again.
On New Years Eve we went to Jackie & Dave's for a sledding party and Elaine even got to enjoy the tube on the slide, it was much faster going down, but we used the same tube to pull her back up the hill, we had a great time with great friends and it was a good start for the new year.
We found our Paradise, hope you finds yours.

Nashaba is 10 Today, Happy Birthday

Today is Nashaba's 10th Birthday, but he didn't get cake and ice cream, instead he had to run home from the Fish Lake Sno park along with Kaia after being gone from Trinity for 3 weeks mainly because they went out when the road was groomed but after all of the new snow couldn't get back. Right now he's been resting, eating, & drinking lots of water. He constantly looks for Elaine when he comes inside and has a hard time understanding why she isn't here. Well hopefully she will be home very soon so that things can get back to being as they should. Thanks to everyone who had a part in getting Nashaba and Kaia back home, it's much appreciated.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your too.

Happy New Year from Trinity and a Big Thank You

Well today I was able to bring Kaia & Nashaba back to Trinity after them being gone for over 3 weeks because of all of the snow that had been dumped during the the last 3 weeks of Dec.
First of allI would like to send out a big thank you to John &Carmen, Carmen's uncle Burt and Denny with Pacific Mountain Services for getting the road to Trinity groomed on Thursday I know it was not the easiest thing to do with all of the trees and the slides that had happened as a result of the snow & wind storms that happened in the last couple of weeks . It took a group effort and we will be forever grateful for helping me to get out of Trinity and to Elaine and also so I could get Kaia &Nashaba back home.
I had gotten a call earlier in the week that Craig who lives in Chiwawa Pines had the kids and had had them for about 2 weeks. After several phone calls were made, and we found out that the road was groomed that I would possibly be going out on Thur and went to see them on Friday with Elaine, it was good to to get to go there with Elaine and see the kids but since Bob didn't come over we decided not to go in until Sat so I picked up Kaia & Nashaba at 10 and they both did very well riding in the car it wasn't what they really wanted to do but they did well. We went to the garage and dug out the Ranger so that Bob could take it to the shop to be fixed and before I could get headed into Trinity The bolt that holds the trailing arm in place came out which really put things back as I had to go to Leavenworth to get it. When I got back Bob had his rig loaded and was getting ready to load my Ranger and head back across the pass. It was getting late so I left the kids tied at the garage for the night and thought about waiting until today to bring them home just because there had been so many sledders out this weekend enjoying the snow that wi could have been a very long journey in and today there were none on the trails which made it great for us coming in, we just came through some light snow from Leavenworth to Trinity. It's good to start getting everyone back home, now we just need to get Elaine and Peppy back here and we will be all together again for the first time at home since before Thanksgiving.
Many many thanks to everyone who had a part in helping to get our family back together and for helping me to get out so I could see Elaine while she is recovering from breaking her ankle, it shouldn't be long now and she'll be here where she belongs.
Cudos again to Pacific Mountain Services for opening up the road to Trinity. Thanks
We found out Paradise , hope you find yours too.

The Day after Christmas

Well it's the day after Christmas and yesterday seemed to stretch out so long, being here without Elaine, Kaia, Shaba it just didn't seem like home or much of a holiday. It was a very lonely week and it isn't because I haven't tried to get out. The snow is just too deep for me to get through on the ATV especially going up hills right now. I've spent many holidays and days alone and it has never bothered me but this time all I wanted to do was to be able to share it with Elaine, instead we were apart and have been for the majority of this holiday season and it just hasn't felt like holidays. Now I normally look at everyday as a holiday but for the first time I feel very restricted in what I've been able to do this winter. Breaking the Ranger so early in the season has made things even more difficult to get around, that and the fact that they have only groomed out to Trinity one time so far this year. That sucks real bad since they say they have a schedule and like to keep the trails close to the snowpark groomed yet leaving the further trails alone when those are the ones that most people want to go ride on. Last yr they groomed every 7-10 days and this year they have groomed out here one time and that is all. At this time there are lots of trees down from Grouse Creek on but it just doesn't take that long to remove them especially with the equipment they have to work with. Personally I'm not sure what is going with them but one thing I do know is that they don't groom what needs to be groomed and spend alot of time grooming the same things over and over limiting where people can go which isn't close to what is available here for all of the winter sports that could be happening out here.
I know that the dog sledders haven't been able to go very far on their outings because of what has and hasn't been groomed, they are less than a month away from the Cascade Quest Sled Dog race and haven't seen one team out this far this year, and yet I know they have been practicing down by Fish Lake. When it comes to who is really reaponsible for the sno-parks it seems that no one wants to take the lead, the forest service turns it over to Pacific Mountain Services and leaves it up to them and the Rec Club as to what gets groomed and when and so far it hasn't come close to being done on a schedule or anything else for that matter, but they spend alot of time doing the routes close to Fish Lake.
On Thur my friend Bob is going to start heading out this way with chainsaw and sled and is going to work his way down to Trinity. He is going to cut the trees that they say are down and go as far as he can and if it gets too late he'll go back out and then start back in the next morning so hopefully I'll get to see Elaine one way or the other this week. That is my goal. The other one is to try and find out who really has the say about the grooming out here. This time out here wouldn't have been bad if Elaine would have been here to share it with instead of being apart during all of this time, and being divided in spirit, loving being at home but at the same time wanting to be with the person I Love, Elaine. Everyday is a learning experience it's what we do with it that counts.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

It's The Day before Christmas

Well it's Sunday mornig the skies were clear last night no snow fell but the temps sure did, perfect conditions for grooming. This holiday season has not been quite like I thought it would be especially since Elaine came into my life. I thought we would be spending the time together and getting with family and friends for this time of year, instead we have only seen each other 2 times since Thanksgiving for a couple of days each. Right now the snow is too deep for me to get out on the ATV expecially when it comes to going up hills and there are plenty of those between Trinity and Fish Lake. I did hear that a couple of friends tried to get out here yesterday but they said there were too many trees down and they could only get to Grouse Creek campground which is still 18 miles away from Trinity.
Every morning I get dressed and go out to check the road to see if it has been groomed and since the snow last week that dumped about 3-4' of new snow and dropped many trees has not been groomed since the first time back on Dec 6th. They are supposed to have a schedule they keep but it seems to me that they work on keeping the trails closer to Fish Lake cleared and groomed but the more adventurous trails have been left alone and ungroomed, affecting many sledders, dog sledders and skiers that use these groomed trails. I still haven't seen or heard of Kaia & Nashaba for over 10 days and that concerns me. I know they use the groomed trails but they aren't groomed for them to get home and I still can't get to them. I'm just believing that Elaine and I will be together for Christmas and will get to make up for the time we have been apart. This is a time to be with family and friends and know that Love and Peace should be given to all we come in touch with. My desire is for the the Trinity pack to be reunited back home at Trinity.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours. Namaste'

Hard to Know what is Happening

This past week has brought more changes at Trinity, mostly more snow. It has been more difficult to get out right now because they haven't groomed out this far. Now this is part of the state sno-park system and according to the maps it is a groomed trail. On the latest update they say they groomed out here on Sat which just didn't happen. People tried to come out here and ran into many trees down on the trails. I've been going out everyday since it snowed so heavy and no groomer has been out this far, I've been trying to get out to see Elaine and right now don't know what the condition of the road is coming out here, there are a couple of slide areas I was told that people tried to come out here on Sat but could only get to snowcone because of the downed trees. So I'm confused. They have a schedule that says when they will groom but so far the only time they have been to Trinity was on Dec 6 a week after they were supposed to be here originally. Last night we got an additional 6-10" of new snow and it is still snowing at this time. I'm just looking fot the opportunity to go get the snowmobile instead of having the ATV in here right now, it would be much easier to go in and out right now and much quicker, but it would be nice to know the condition of the slide areas before trudging out that way. Everything happens for a reason and today this is another lesson learned.
We found our Paradise hope you find yours...

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Still Missing Kaia & Nashaba

Things just don't seem quite right with Kaia & Nashaba still not coming back but since it hasn't been groomed or no snowmobilers coming out this far to give them tracks to follow that are still out at the other end of the road. I haven't heard from anyone lately that they have been seen or spotted so not sure where they are, I just have to trust that they will be safe. Everything happens for a reason but it is in how we look at things that decides what we will experience. This winter has brought many new lessons to be learned but I believe the biggest lesson I have learned is that I can either choose to have Peace of mind (Love) or conflict (Fear). "If we change the way we look at the things we look at will change" and everyday that becomes more of a reality for me. Some people think we are crazy because of way they look at being out here, we see it as beautiful touched by the hand of God, perfect just as it is, yet others look at it as harsh and unforgiving something to be afraid of, yet we are all looking at the same place. In this time of being alone I know that I am not alone just not present with all of our pack, and realize how connected we really are. Elaine is getting a walking cast today so that she will be more mobile but will still be few weeks away from being able to come home and get around comfortably, the day I am looking forward to happening but must remember to live in today to get the most out of life.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your too.