And the storm rolls in

On our second day, we decided to get serious about hiking. We really, REALLY needed to whip our hamstrings back into shape. So we set off straight up Arrowhead. This is a pretty steep pitch, although it's hard to tell from the photos. The sort of pitch that will put a hurt on your calf muscles.

By the time we'd had our coffee and hit the hill, the storm they had warned of (or a slightly milder version thereof) had socked in the valley, and it was snowing hard. This was a true spring snow, and very, very wet. The huge, heavy flakes coated every twig and turned the forest into a wonderland. The only downside is that, much as you bundle up against the weather, your clothing is drenched and heavy within minutes.

Max likes to sit sometimes and just gaze at the view. It's a wonderful thing to see.

At these times, you can really see the "wild" in him.

Fortunately for me, I'd come prepared for spring snowstorms, and had rainpants and a waterproof shell. Only trouble? Hiking vertical slopes makes you hot but quick - much too hot, in fact, to keep my shell on. It was between suffocation and a soaking wet down sweater. I went for soaking wet. There was no wind, and the steep slide back down to civilization would be relatively quick. As long as we kept moving, we wouldn't get cold.


Sam doing a little happy-dance.


Once we topped out and turned around, we were really wishing we'd brought one of our toboggans with us. Really, though, the snow was much too wet and heavy for even the best spring wax. The one snowboarder we passed was having a mighty hard time keeping his speed up long enough to get to the bottom without walking. We still had another option, as we quickly realized: we could slide on our pants! Nothing like a waterproofed nylon for sliding! And we're off down the mountain....

Max has a bad habit of trying to grab at anything and anyone that's sliding downhill at any sort of speed.

He doesn't actually bite down, so it's totally harmless...nevertheless it can be alarming for total strangers. Especially kids going by on saucer sleds. Then he has to be forcibly restrained. But I don't mind....and we were too high on the mountain for kids or sleds at this point.

Only trouble with this method is that eventually a huge pile of snow accumulates in front of your butt, and you come to a screeching halt.

Mike likes to mix up his sliding techniques a little. He's crazy like that. This one he calls the "rockstar slide".

This one, well...I'm not sure what he calls it....

It's sort of a freeform tumble. I'd call it the "front-loader".

Happiness is a spring snow!

By the time we got to the bottom again, my camera lens (in spite of having been kept inside a plastic bag for the entire hike) was almost completely fogged over. That's how wet the snow was. This is some serious humidity. But I kinda like the effect in this photo. Fortunately, the camera dried out once disassembled and de-batteried.