Slot to be Thankful for

The weather machine is in proper working order. Phrases like 'onshore flow' and 'cold upper low' make us squeal like pigs going to the powder trough with each short wave that comes ashore.

Backcountry duo B and S, to whom we'll refer as BS, decided to check the snowpack's progress this morning.

They went to lowly Snoqualmie Pass, at the paltry elevation of 3,000', a mere 52 miles from Seattle. Here is a report from S:

We thought it would be a longshot to ski the Slot Couloir. B and I wanted to climb Mt Snoqualmie and have a look. The cliff bands in the forest were better than we could have hoped. There was quality powder once we hit the open slide path above the waterfall. The amount steadily increased until I was breaking trail through two feet of fluff by the time we hit timberline, which was quite strenuous, especially with no help from that lazy B.





We were very happy to find calm conditions with little evidence of wind on the snow surface. We were also lucky to get a lull in the storm and see some blue skies near the top. Slot Couloir was rocky near the top, but what a great run for November! We were able to ski all the way to the parking lot from the notch returning to the west face.





That's incredible! If I didn't know these guys, I'd be tempted to call BS on their report. Snoqualmie Pass's premiere ski descent the day before Thanksgiving? You have a Slot to be thankful for.

High Water?

Two days ago, I wandered from Schiphol (sounds like 'ski pole') Airport to Amsterdam. The sign said 10 km, but I reassured my companion, "The city is right next to the airport. Once we walk through this tunnel, BAM, we'll be in the thick of it." Two-and-a-half hours later, my optimism obsolescent, we were somewhere in the city but far from the thick of it. We hadn't kept a straight course, we'd wasted lots of time trying to read maps that didn't make any sense, and DM had needed one prolonged stop at a driving range to avoid sand traps and water obstacles in his britches.

Time had nearly expired for two Nederland novitiates. Nevertheless, it was a beatiful day for a walk, the temperature a balmy 10 degrees Celsius. It felt great to stretch the legs after an overnight international flight. My memory had failed me once again; why do things always seem so much easier when condensed with age and romanticized in retrospect? I don't know. But I do know that my optimism has served me well over the years. Helpful locals directed us toward a train to Amsterdam Centraal. Dank u well! We managed to board one train in the wrong direction to throw us even farther afield before finally getting it right.

With a little more information, we could have boarded a train to Amsterdam Centraal directly from Schiphol. However, we would have missed so much - sheep with red butts, sheep with blue butts, windmills, exposure to the towns on the outskirts of Amsterdam, tired legs - that I don't regret our picaresque promenade one little bit. Long live the flair for false savoir faire. I'll have twice the knowledge next time we get there. Never mind that two times zero still equals zero.

In the meantime, while we meandered in the Nederlands, the Pacific Northwest was experiencing a tropical deluge. Seattle had 3.5 inches of rain in one 24-hour stretch. Mountain roads disappeared left and right. Mt Baker Highway and Nisqually Road in Mount Rainier National Park both closed due to flooding. A cooler, still-wet weather pattern has since supplanted the subtropical spigot and I couldn't be more elated for what awaits.

Why so happy? Not only because my short-term selfishness is satisfied (My friends won't have it too good while I'm abroad.), but even better, this winter promises great things. With washouts, the old becomes new. Well-traveled paths fade into obscurity. Adventures abound. Ample opportunity to exercise my best skill, which is carrying skis on my back. Furthermore, it's a gorgeous sunny day in central Finland and we just might get our equipment through customs today. Better late than never. Please process that €6500 deposit quickly! Then we can hop on the highway and high-tail to Helsinki - no matter that we don't know our way around Helsinki to get to the shipping center, it can't be that tough - full speed to Vantaa, we have an experiment to assemble!

Two for the road, beautiful filtered sun shining through forested hills north of 60 degrees latitude, dreams of adventures to come, high hopes for an experiment that will work after 6 hours of driving and a sleepless night assembling electronics; let's go!