February 19, 2008 - Woodpile Woes
We heat the guest house primarily with our woodburning stove. How much wood we will use is always up for debate at the beginning of the season. I bet Emily $1 early in November that we would have enough wood split and stacked on the porch for the winter. I was wrong, and now I am digging up the secret stash in the backyard to supplement our dwindling supply.
The way it goes is this. First I shovel all of the snow off of the buried woodpile. Then I take a sledgehammer and knock the frozen logs loose.
Then I carry these unsplit logs to the back door and pile them neatly.
Finally, I carry the logs through the house one or two at a time and pile them on the porch for splitting later. Today’s addition to the pile consists of the snowy logs piled on the left of this photo. All of the wood you see here represents about 25% of what we started the winter with. 70 days of snow and cold all but obliterated a woodpile that was intended to last for 4 months!
The break in the weather has allowed us to grow the woodpile enough that we should be able to survive whatever March decides to throw at us. If not, there is still plenty of wood in back that I can dig up. I will split and stack the newly transported logs over the course of the next couple of days.
I owe Emily $1 for losing the bet we made in November. She was soooooo right.
February 16, 2008 - Sunny Bluebird Days Are Here
We’ve had a long fetch of nice weather over the past week or 10 days. Sort of a nice respite from the 70 days and nights of blizzard conditions we just lived through. We’ve been getting lovely sunsets for the first time in awhile (like this one from our front porch the other day).
Reports from the mountain are that the snow is in great shape, especially since we have gotten a fresh shot of snow just about every other day, just enough to freshen up the slopes and keep things soft and enjoyable. Word on the forecast sites is that February is supposed to end with a return of winter conditions. Let’s hope so!
We’re dug out and ready for more!
February 11, 2008 - Digging Out
The whole town has been digging out now that some nice weather has finally arrived. Its been a long winter so far. Here I am snowblowing the porch after snow shoveled off the roof blocked entrance to the house.
February 9, 2008 - 70 inches in 7 days
Just one week ago, I cut out the front page of the Steamboat Today newspaper - excited because they were proclaiming that the Steamboat Ski Area had surpassed the 300 inch mark by just early February. I am not sure I could have predicted that just one week later, the ski area would be reporting 370 inches. Yes folks, you heard it right, 70 inches in 7 days.
Its getting deeper every day!
If any of you have been following our antics, then you know that last Friday we broke the snow blower. Thank goodness for Precision that we got her back on Monday morning at 8 am, since there is NO way we could have been able to keep up with the snow if all we had were shovels.
Even the porch needs snowblowing in a year like this.
In one week, the amount of snow in town has gone from comical to absurd. I was pretty sure that they wouldn’t need to truck in any snow on Lincoln Ave. for Winter Carnival, but rather just choose not to truck it out for one night.
Careful out there, its bottomless!
Our guests are certainly enjoying the snow. Some have even been challenged to get out and into the Yampa Valley because of it. But everyone made it safely and are enjoying this epic year.
February 4, 2008 - Powder Not Chowder
Steamboat reported 4 inches this morning. But that was a lie. There was really about 18 inches on the ground by 9AM. The storm hit right at 5AM and dumped silly amounts in a short time.
No camera today. No matter, I was on a solo mission anyway. Rode the snowboard today on Pumphouse from the Steamboat Pirate Map for 5 creamy, delightful laps. It was the first time I have hit this stash on a true powder day. Its good on a chowder day, for sure. But on a powder day? Bliss. Especially fun on my short, responsive 156cm board.
Also hit an unnamed shot that we discovered recently. It’s a gem because nobody, and I mean nobody, knows its there. I got the only tracks on this one today. I might just go back tomorrow for some more in this same area. Its GOOD over here right now.
Will this ever end? I hope not.
February 2, 2008 - Powder Pigs
We’ve gotten well over 2 feet in 2 days here in Steamboat Springs. Emily, Sandy, and I spent the better part of Saturday morning exploring one of the powder stashes from the Steamboat Pirate Map. This one, according to the map, is called Pumphouse.
Um, yeah, we like this run.
Emily agrees, Pumphouse rules!
See, even a local can learn a thing or two from the Steamboat Pirate Map!
Sandy in a rare moment of stillness on Pumphouse.
What can I say, this is THE year to be here in Steamboat. We’re over 300 inches and we’ve got 2 months to go!
February 1, 2008 - 25 inches in the past 72 hours
Snow. Snow. Snow. Its getting ridiculous here.
Emily ran over a piece of firewood this morning and killed the snowblower. Thanks to our neighbor Tom Ross who let us borrow his blower to remove the 15 inches that were in the driveway this morning. Thanks to Precision for doing emergency surgery on our Toro. I sure hope she makes it because the forecast is for….. MORE SNOW ALL WEEKEND.
We have guests showing up tonight. Its the start of a 30 day stretch in which we are 100% booked!