Saturday, February 6, 2010

Round Two? Redux

Well, Round Two is a fizzle. We got plenty of the promised winds, along with 6-8 inches of snow. The AFD's report a southern track for the next wave, so Mammoth will get the lion's share of this storm.

This is Good News/Bad News on my Mountain. We stand a better chance of good crowds with the rough stuff missing the Tahoe Sierra...it remains to be seen whether there's a Super Bowl Factor. Our clientele are Raiders/Niners fans mostly...if the sad state of both teams hasn't alienated them already. I don't sense much Super Bowl Buzz this year.

Back in the 49er's Glory Years, they turned the Mountain into a Ghost Town every time they were in a Playoff Game...

In a related story...I'm looking forward to actually spending a whole shift in the new Recaro Seat in my favorite BR350!

Last night, my tractor's Heater Blower Motor failed after three hours. Complicating matters was the scheduled Power Outtage...that's right, PG&E selected last night to replace a major line across Donner Summit, so we were on StandBy generators until 4AM I put some more clothes on, then my watch cap, and soldiered on until the power was back up. I finished my morning in our newest Bison. We knocked out the Work Orders, and went on to re-roll most of the home runs, too.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Round Two?

As I write, I'm looking at the 10 O'Clock News. The lead story is the new storm. Looking outside, it hasn't arrived at the DaveCave just yet...however, chain controls are up on I-80 over the Summit. A look at the Mountain's webcam shows a little accumulation with a swing shift winch working in the background!

"Windy" is the take-home word from the Sacramento TV stations. Just to clear the air, I read the Reno AFD...they quantified the winds at 95mph over the ridges. Rather than the 10-20 inches Sacramento is pedaling, Reno says 8-10 inches.

Well, I'm in for an interesting night...I can't wait to try out my new Recaro seat...comfort counts extra when you can't see a thing!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Another Good Night!

So why am I still weary? Could it be the unwritten "Law of the Universe"? The one that says: "When TruckeeDave wears a new pair of Levis to work...there shall be a diesel spill upon him" I'm not surprised anymore by this one...but I am getting awfully tired of it!

I drove by Donner Lake on my way to work last night. With nary a puff of wind, the lights of the cabins on the South Shore were perfectly reflected on the lake, under a clear starry sky. Orion gazed down as the Moon was rising through the cloud deck to the East. Damn fine viewing, all around.

Swing shift had a little trouble...an older winch cable parted and downed one winch, but the hero snow regime made our workload lighter...and more fun! My cat was in the shop...finally getting the new Recaro seat, so I ran our year-old Bison. These Bisons are fast! I climbed some stuff that I haven't climbed in years (owing to the low snow conditions the past three seasons)

As I worked my way up the Mountain, the East Wind began to freshen a bit. By the time I was up top, the East Wind and cold temps had combined to produce the fog that blew in just in time to obscure the sunrise. Now there were some embedded flurries coming from the fog bank! Not enough to impact our work, but enough to remind me of tonight's forecast!

The Reno AFD wasn't exactly promising a blizzard for tonight, and the next storm (for Saturday) is defying their modeling efforts as well. Some splitting of these next two storms is predicted by the models. This always gives the NWS Forecasters fits...the overnight guy even handed off some of the forecast calls to the Day Shift! Honesty is especially nice coming from a "Close Enough for Government Worker"!

The Sacramento TV News WeatherGuys have been touting some feet for the oncoming storms all week...they can't help it...they get their forecast data from the Sacramento NWS Office...notorious for factoring in Politics when they arrive at their Forecast Products...sigh...

So tonight, I'll be suiting up and driving into work in some snowfall...after a whole day's sleep. I'm still tired from my stomach bug...I don't feel sick, I'm asymtomatic...except I'm way more tired and weary than normal.

I should get energized if we get some decent snowfall tonight...and I'll be sitting in my brand new seat! I've got plenty of stuff on the iPod to listen to, and Thursday's are when the A Team starts their week...should be good.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Resting Up...Again

I enjoyed a great weekend! I parsed out my time...one day of errands and shopping in Reno...and one day catching up on my chores in the DaveCave. I was full throttle at retirement speed...keeping my energy in reserve should something important come up...

Now that I'm home from my first day of my week, I realize that the stomach bug that I thought I beat Saturday night, was hanging in...plaguing my days off! Turns out that Retirement Speed was my only choice!

Even though I was not totally "On my game" last night, I surely enjoyed it.

The forecast was for showers decreasing after midnight. Whoops Missed! I looked at the radar pix about 3AM...It looked like another hour or two before the clearing would begin in earnest.

Reality? We got 4-5 inches between 0400 and 0800!

It's Good skiing today, come on up!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Good Morning!

I got a whole day's sleep again yesterday. I had a nagging stomach bug Friday night and I needed the restorative effects of a real sleep-it-off siesta. There's a nasty bug going around the Mountain, so everyone's taking extra good care of themselves lately. When I awoke last night, my mind was blank...no blog in there, to be sure.

About Last Night
Hero snow set the stage...swing shift knocked out the major portion of the Work Orders, and everything was running like thoroughbreds. My graveyard compadre overslept, but was on his way in when I called.

With the Perigee Moon hanging huge in the sky, our world was illuminated to the max. Beautiful squeaky snow, sparkling in the moonlight, was our playground...and play we did! With most of the work done, we had the chance to do the little extras that so often get put on hold in our quest for max acreage. I widened my trails, and contoured some trails for maximum sensual flow.

As we were finishing up the lower Mountain, that big Moon was preparing to set in the West. It looked incredible hanging over the mountains to the west in a mist that painted an impressionist tableau of pink and blue over Lodgepole Pines and slopeside cabins. I could have stopped and deployed my camera, but it was my Friday after all...I'll always have the memory...

As I rolled out of the parking lot, eager guests were speeding into the resort, bent on bliss. God bless 'em, they're gonna enjoy a peak experience today! It's only fair...the Mountain's Graveyard Shift enjoyed their Peak Experience...it's good to share...

I have plenty of chores to do on my days off...the Sacramento NWS Office has incited the Sac TV News to gush about another Five Foot Week forecast...cooler heads in the Reno NWS Office haven't ventured a guess about accumulation yet...telling, no?