I enjoyed a lazy Thanksgiving bereft of most of my family. We all have more than one family these days which makes for scheduling fun every time the Holiday Season rolls around. I don't mind really, sometimes the all week prep and all day kitchen marathons are nice to avoid.
Still, I will be baking a 14lb Free Range turkey later this week...with Sausage and Spelt Cornbread Dressing...without the rest of the requisite Thanksgiving Feast hoopla.
Unencumbered by responsibilities, I plugged into some NFL football on TV while keeping an eye on the internet for Breaking Space News...
SpaceX, the private space launch company wrangled by Tesla Motors' head honcho Elon Musk, was set to launch a TV Satellite from Florida's Space Coast.
Mysterious traveler, Comet ISON was swinging around the Sun, and skywatchers were on pins and needles on whether it would survive the close encounter. ISON was predicted to pass our star at one Solar Diameter's distance from the Sun's surface, enduring (or not) temps high enough to melt iron.
Football it turns out offered a twofer in the form of the Raiders vs Cowboys game. The first half looked like the 70s/80s Raiders crushing America's Team 21-14, only to look like a different team in the second half only scoring 3 points to the Cowboy's 17, in the end, losing 31-24.
SpaceX ended up offering a twofer of sorts as well...
A dramatic Aborted Launch seconds after engine ignition, when sensors showed the Falcon 9's main engines' thrust ramp-up was out of spec. The launch was "aborted by autosequence due to slower than expected thrust ramp," Musk posted on Twitter.
The SpaceX Launch Team secured the rocket and began failure-analysis while concurrently recycling the vehicle for a second attempt at launch within the hour! NASA never double clutched ever!
The Launch Team ran out of time to understand the anomaly, and ran up against the edge of the satellite's Launch Window. They'll try again after the Holiday Weekend, when the FAA will let them launch once the holiday air travel eases up a little.
Comet ISON was a twofer as well. All Solar Viewing satellites recorded images of ISON's swing through it's late morning (PST) perihelion...comet observers held their collective breath...then nothing!
I had tried to view ISON before it's close encounter to no avail...hazy skies at the Ancestral Digs made the highly improbable observation impossible.
After sunset, the first images of ISON reappearing after it's blast furnace rendezvous, show something on ISON's path. Observers were of two minds: ISON didn't survive...or...ISON did survive without it's nucleus...or something. As of 'Black Friday' afternoon, whatever it is has brightened quite a bit! Sky & Telescope Magazine has the latest Comet ISON blow-by-blow.
Here's a movie of the comet's two+ day solar flyby.
ISON may yet be a naked-eye wonder! Stay Tuned...
What a nice Thanksgiving night surprise...ComcastSportsNet replayed Tim Lincecum's No Hitter against the San Diego Padres from this past July...like an early Christmas Present!
Showing posts with label remote sensors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label remote sensors. Show all posts
Friday, November 29, 2013
Friday, February 3, 2012
Sleep Tight
I gave a lot of thought to my Reno provisioning trip before I postponed it 'till Monday. COSTCO and WINCO will be downright sedate after the pre-Super Bowl shopping frenzy...I was curious to see how many new big screen TVs were going through check out. The new labor regime at My Mountain gives me a four day weekend, so I can spend one doing all my errands.
I don't remember seeing the Noon News today, I tuned in the TV a minute before noon...and I woke up at 9:30PM. I feel well rested...I guess I needed the winks more than I needed the aggravation of midweek errands.
Last night's shift was a good one...darn near Hero Snow...the remote sensors say more of the same tonight...it hasn't been over 32°F in 48 hours.
I'm off to enjoy it in thirty minutes!
I don't remember seeing the Noon News today, I tuned in the TV a minute before noon...and I woke up at 9:30PM. I feel well rested...I guess I needed the winks more than I needed the aggravation of midweek errands.
Last night's shift was a good one...darn near Hero Snow...the remote sensors say more of the same tonight...it hasn't been over 32°F in 48 hours.
I'm off to enjoy it in thirty minutes!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Like Hero Snow, Only Different
Well, I wasn't convinced that Wednesday morning's snow showers would make it to my neck of the woods, so I was pleased as punch when the flakes started falling about midnight! The scant two inches of accumulation was welcomed by all concerned...especially after the shift we endured!
At the end, the three of us had every working machine on the mountain! Next downed cat, and somebody goes home. Tuesday night is the Graveyard Mechanic's night off, so we were on our own.
It was weird...the tractors all ran...but their tillers refused to work right, or refused to work at all... no tiller...no corduroy...no joy...All in all, we lost an hour or so of productive time, so the new snow saved our butts...
The storm postponed my Reno shopping trip, it'll be much more civilized Thursday!
When I woke up tonight, I checked all my weather stuff: Remote Sensors, Webcams, forecasts, blogs and AFDs. This dearth of winter weather has sharpened my weathermania to near-OCD levels...
This week will be another dry one...February 1st is the day the Water People measure the snowpack. Much better results than January's survey, the Tahoe Basin's snowpack is up to 37% of normal.
As you can imagine, business levels are off as well. Word came down this week that our hours are getting cut back to 36 hours a week....not good, my summer travel budget is shrinking!
We'll go back to full strength once we get another blast of winter...after another week or two of Conservation Mode.
These Low Snow Conditions are tough sledding. With reduced groomable acreage, the tendency is to groom everything you've got...the better to attract customers. This desire must be balanced against conserving the piste so we can stay open until the next storm finds it's way to My Mountain.
Skiing, snowboarding and grooming all use up a little bit of piste...nothing you'd notice in a day or two. However, when it's weeks between storms, you can't miss the signs of shrinkage.
It's Groundhog Day! Let's hope Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, we need six more weeks of Winter, just to catch up!
At the end, the three of us had every working machine on the mountain! Next downed cat, and somebody goes home. Tuesday night is the Graveyard Mechanic's night off, so we were on our own.
It was weird...the tractors all ran...but their tillers refused to work right, or refused to work at all... no tiller...no corduroy...no joy...All in all, we lost an hour or so of productive time, so the new snow saved our butts...
The storm postponed my Reno shopping trip, it'll be much more civilized Thursday!
When I woke up tonight, I checked all my weather stuff: Remote Sensors, Webcams, forecasts, blogs and AFDs. This dearth of winter weather has sharpened my weathermania to near-OCD levels...
This week will be another dry one...February 1st is the day the Water People measure the snowpack. Much better results than January's survey, the Tahoe Basin's snowpack is up to 37% of normal.
As you can imagine, business levels are off as well. Word came down this week that our hours are getting cut back to 36 hours a week....not good, my summer travel budget is shrinking!
We'll go back to full strength once we get another blast of winter...after another week or two of Conservation Mode.
These Low Snow Conditions are tough sledding. With reduced groomable acreage, the tendency is to groom everything you've got...the better to attract customers. This desire must be balanced against conserving the piste so we can stay open until the next storm finds it's way to My Mountain.
Skiing, snowboarding and grooming all use up a little bit of piste...nothing you'd notice in a day or two. However, when it's weeks between storms, you can't miss the signs of shrinkage.
It's Groundhog Day! Let's hope Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, we need six more weeks of Winter, just to catch up!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Better Now
As it turned out, last night's shift was better than "glass half full".
24 hours of sub-freezing temps did wonders for the piste. I actually ran with a roll of snow in my blade most of the night, in fact I did a push project for a good hour, vastly improving two adjoining trails that we opened earlier in the week. Boy howdy, that felt good!
A look at the remote sensors says "Springtime Conditions" Saturday night due to the afternoon high of 45°F. The mercury is falling fast, and should fall past freezing by 7PM-8PM.
I expect tonight's shift to be mostly making corduroy, with some light pushing and patching...in short, another satisfying shift.
On the mechanical front, my old favorite BR350 ran like a Ferrari last night. My oil pressure was back where it should be after an oil change. The wrenches said I had fuel in the oil.
This was a little less than a surprise. Over the last three weeks, the engine oil levels have been all wacky, the injector pump failed, and the working tractor has a new smell...like a "solvent" smell, once I have it up to temperature, and it's nose to the grindstone.
That's a lot of fuel and engine oil connections...oil analysis will tell the tale. Industry sourses say the Caterpillar six cylinder engines in the BR350's need rebuilding after 10K hours. Mine is clocking in at 11K, plus another 100 hours a week, or so...
Even with the mystery lubrication issues, the ol' fave is running strong, and no engine temperature changes are evident. Hydrostatic fluid temps haven't changed either...Triage continues...
24 hours of sub-freezing temps did wonders for the piste. I actually ran with a roll of snow in my blade most of the night, in fact I did a push project for a good hour, vastly improving two adjoining trails that we opened earlier in the week. Boy howdy, that felt good!
A look at the remote sensors says "Springtime Conditions" Saturday night due to the afternoon high of 45°F. The mercury is falling fast, and should fall past freezing by 7PM-8PM.
I expect tonight's shift to be mostly making corduroy, with some light pushing and patching...in short, another satisfying shift.
On the mechanical front, my old favorite BR350 ran like a Ferrari last night. My oil pressure was back where it should be after an oil change. The wrenches said I had fuel in the oil.
This was a little less than a surprise. Over the last three weeks, the engine oil levels have been all wacky, the injector pump failed, and the working tractor has a new smell...like a "solvent" smell, once I have it up to temperature, and it's nose to the grindstone.
That's a lot of fuel and engine oil connections...oil analysis will tell the tale. Industry sourses say the Caterpillar six cylinder engines in the BR350's need rebuilding after 10K hours. Mine is clocking in at 11K, plus another 100 hours a week, or so...
Even with the mystery lubrication issues, the ol' fave is running strong, and no engine temperature changes are evident. Hydrostatic fluid temps haven't changed either...Triage continues...
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Hope Springs Eternal
Two wet nights in a row...just two too many! My favorite old BR350 let me down two out of three shifts so far this week, too. Something's gotta give!
Thursday's storm was a first for the season...it arrived 18 hours ahead of schedule, but it was rain, not flurries...
Thursday night, after the rain and a day of warm temps, swing shift opted to do little grooming in the rain (the proper call...wouldn't be prudent to turn the whole mountain into boiler-plate!) Tough conditions...fortunately the number of ponds, creeks and sinks is down. Down because the piste is up...a little.
My crew of four tiptoed into the night. Conditions: Delicate. A thin hard tempered crust had formed atop the gooey pack. Things turned out OK if you barely scratched the snow with the blade, careful not to pierce the ''Cream Filled Center", and crawled along slowly enough to let the tiller grind the scrapin's enough to lay acceptable corduroy...
Or you could double pass everything...ahh, double passing...Groomer's Purgatory. You don't get any more groomed, but you see more scenery...faster...twice...
Looking at the remote sensors on Friday evening, I see the temperature has been below 32°F since that midnight shift change Thursday night.
From my glass is half full perspective, tonight will be better. That "cream filled center" will be well below the reach of even the most aggressive, or careless blade. More aggro blade work will yield more scrapin's for hungry tillers, yielding a bit of fairy-dust to comb into corduroy...while praying for calm winds...
A week of these conditions will bring the return of the Alt-Hero Snow, a couple of movable inches of velvety topping that skis nicely during the day, and repairs quickly every night.
The sad truth is Thursday's rain will help us persevere until the storm door reopens in mid-February...and we still have snowmaking to help with the patchwork!
Thursday's storm was a first for the season...it arrived 18 hours ahead of schedule, but it was rain, not flurries...
Thursday night, after the rain and a day of warm temps, swing shift opted to do little grooming in the rain (the proper call...wouldn't be prudent to turn the whole mountain into boiler-plate!) Tough conditions...fortunately the number of ponds, creeks and sinks is down. Down because the piste is up...a little.
My crew of four tiptoed into the night. Conditions: Delicate. A thin hard tempered crust had formed atop the gooey pack. Things turned out OK if you barely scratched the snow with the blade, careful not to pierce the ''Cream Filled Center", and crawled along slowly enough to let the tiller grind the scrapin's enough to lay acceptable corduroy...
Or you could double pass everything...ahh, double passing...Groomer's Purgatory. You don't get any more groomed, but you see more scenery...faster...twice...
Looking at the remote sensors on Friday evening, I see the temperature has been below 32°F since that midnight shift change Thursday night.
From my glass is half full perspective, tonight will be better. That "cream filled center" will be well below the reach of even the most aggressive, or careless blade. More aggro blade work will yield more scrapin's for hungry tillers, yielding a bit of fairy-dust to comb into corduroy...while praying for calm winds...
A week of these conditions will bring the return of the Alt-Hero Snow, a couple of movable inches of velvety topping that skis nicely during the day, and repairs quickly every night.
The sad truth is Thursday's rain will help us persevere until the storm door reopens in mid-February...and we still have snowmaking to help with the patchwork!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
White Noise
I messed with my bedtime over my weekend...I slept overnight instead of keeping my graveyard ways. I had a pretty good "Monday" night on My Mountain last night...the snowmakers were able to fire up by 10PM. I had a little "eye trouble", and shut them for my 30 minute lunch, before I paid the price today and fell asleep before noon...
So now I'm up at 5:30, four hours ahead of schedule...there's a new noise afoot, too.
I tuned into a couple of 6 O'clock News' weather reports...the weatherdudes were a little more animated than they have been for weeks...they're talking precipitation in the 7-Day Forecast.
I looked at Reno's AFD, snowmaking looks secure for another few nights...the rain that's got the weather guessers abuzz looks to be more wish than wet spell from where I stand tonight.
Reno's NWS Office is concerned about possible Fire Weather coming up:
What about the huge blocking high that's been keeping Mother Nature's Finest at bay?
Well, the Arctic Oscillation, which has been driving the big Eastern Pacific High, is trending colder...just what we want.
Local Weather Model Wrangler, TahoeWeatherDiscussion is Cautiously Optimistic that the ducks will get in line, and that Winter will arrive finally!
I looked at the Remote Sensors...our high was 10°F lower than yesterday...that won't be white noise on my Mountain tonight...it'll be the roar of Ratnik Snow Guns and the whir of fans standing in for Mother Nature...we can hang in until Pattern Change comes.
So now I'm up at 5:30, four hours ahead of schedule...there's a new noise afoot, too.
I tuned into a couple of 6 O'clock News' weather reports...the weatherdudes were a little more animated than they have been for weeks...they're talking precipitation in the 7-Day Forecast.
I looked at Reno's AFD, snowmaking looks secure for another few nights...the rain that's got the weather guessers abuzz looks to be more wish than wet spell from where I stand tonight.
Reno's NWS Office is concerned about possible Fire Weather coming up:
 |
| These are the forecasts that try men's souls... |
Well, the Arctic Oscillation, which has been driving the big Eastern Pacific High, is trending colder...just what we want.
Local Weather Model Wrangler, TahoeWeatherDiscussion is Cautiously Optimistic that the ducks will get in line, and that Winter will arrive finally!
I looked at the Remote Sensors...our high was 10°F lower than yesterday...that won't be white noise on my Mountain tonight...it'll be the roar of Ratnik Snow Guns and the whir of fans standing in for Mother Nature...we can hang in until Pattern Change comes.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Back At It
My all too short weekend is over...I'm back on the hill at midnight. Snowmaking over my two nights off has been a frustrating business to say the least. With temps up on the Crest hanging around 50°F as I write (1:20PM), I'm encouraged by the Reno AFD that says the temps will come tonight, once the high clouds move out.
Afternoon highs will stay high, or even warm a degree or two for the next few days, but overnight lows favor will snowmaking. So, it will be tough sledding for another week. The Natives are getting restless, and rumors are flying about resorts closing, or running out of snowmaking water.
So, me and my bunker mentality are soldiering on until Winter finally begins. Signs are that that may begin in the 10 days- two weeks time frame...
There's beginning to be some buzz in the local weathergeek community about pattern change on the horizon! Sober observers are starting to see some hopeful signs in the long distance model runs, and the Arctic Oscillation is heading negative. In Europe, Winter roared in after it started off like a lamb. We're due of course, but 10-14 days is a double eternity in a La Niña year!
Tahoe Weather Discussion is leading the view to our weather horizon.
@powdiction tweeted: "Its still way out but best change I've seen in the Pacific in a long time. Possible wave train next week/weekend weather.hawaii.edu/models..."
KTVU2's Meteorologist, Bill Martin lit up Facebook with a GFS model photo:
I'm buoyed for sure, but I'm going against type...I'll consider the glass to be half-empty for at least another week (but getting to sleep every afternoon may end up being like Christmas Eve for an eight year old!)
Many folks forget that the seven weeks of fair weather in December and January last season, were followed by 500 inches of snowfall. The Christmas Holidays are water under the bridge, but winter may turn miraculous in due time...
Afternoon highs will stay high, or even warm a degree or two for the next few days, but overnight lows favor will snowmaking. So, it will be tough sledding for another week. The Natives are getting restless, and rumors are flying about resorts closing, or running out of snowmaking water.
So, me and my bunker mentality are soldiering on until Winter finally begins. Signs are that that may begin in the 10 days- two weeks time frame...
There's beginning to be some buzz in the local weathergeek community about pattern change on the horizon! Sober observers are starting to see some hopeful signs in the long distance model runs, and the Arctic Oscillation is heading negative. In Europe, Winter roared in after it started off like a lamb. We're due of course, but 10-14 days is a double eternity in a La Niña year!
Tahoe Weather Discussion is leading the view to our weather horizon.
@powdiction tweeted: "Its still way out but best change I've seen in the Pacific in a long time. Possible wave train next week/weekend weather.hawaii.edu/models..."
KTVU2's Meteorologist, Bill Martin lit up Facebook with a GFS model photo:
 |
| GFS for January 20th |
Many folks forget that the seven weeks of fair weather in December and January last season, were followed by 500 inches of snowfall. The Christmas Holidays are water under the bridge, but winter may turn miraculous in due time...
Sunday, January 8, 2012
It's On!
I fell asleep before kickoff of the early NFL Wild Card Game, only to wake up in time to catch the final four minutes of futility as the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Houston Texans. Didn't they used to be the Houston Oilers?
I may not get back to sleep...the evening game between the New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions is a barn burner! It's On! All offense, all the time.
Down on the Central Coast, the Mavericks Surf Contest is open for business. The window is open...when the weatherman says the waves will be big enough, and the winds calm enough, the word will go out to the 24 contestants, and 17 alternates who then have 24 hours to get to the break near Half Moon Bay, CA. The break has been contest-worthy this week, 50+ feet! I'ts On!
Snowmaking was ON! last night, and will be again tonight. Temps fell enough Friday night to fire the fans and guns about 8PM. When I left Saturday morning about 0930, the snow was still pumping.
It's amazing how much good was done in 12 hours of snowmaking. Temps were just below marginal, but the snowmakers rocked it. Swing shift was nothing if not aggressive, yeah, they did make a couple of puddles...nothing we couldn't recover from. Many of my trouble spots received the cure, and I made a request list for Saturday night.
Before I started this post, I checked the temps...the afternoon high was way lower than Friday...12°F lower! It looks like we're just a hair warmer tonight, but temps are damn close to last night.
It's my Friday. Another solid block of snowmaking should make for a carefree weekend. Lookin' forward to it.
I may not get back to sleep...the evening game between the New Orleans Saints and the Detroit Lions is a barn burner! It's On! All offense, all the time.
Down on the Central Coast, the Mavericks Surf Contest is open for business. The window is open...when the weatherman says the waves will be big enough, and the winds calm enough, the word will go out to the 24 contestants, and 17 alternates who then have 24 hours to get to the break near Half Moon Bay, CA. The break has been contest-worthy this week, 50+ feet! I'ts On!
Snowmaking was ON! last night, and will be again tonight. Temps fell enough Friday night to fire the fans and guns about 8PM. When I left Saturday morning about 0930, the snow was still pumping.
It's amazing how much good was done in 12 hours of snowmaking. Temps were just below marginal, but the snowmakers rocked it. Swing shift was nothing if not aggressive, yeah, they did make a couple of puddles...nothing we couldn't recover from. Many of my trouble spots received the cure, and I made a request list for Saturday night.
Before I started this post, I checked the temps...the afternoon high was way lower than Friday...12°F lower! It looks like we're just a hair warmer tonight, but temps are damn close to last night.
It's my Friday. Another solid block of snowmaking should make for a carefree weekend. Lookin' forward to it.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Heat Wave
OK, this is getting ridiculous...I raised a sweat Wednesday, and I was standing still! In a short sleeve T-shirt and long nylon "running pants". I was standing next to the fuel pump at the Sparks COSTCO filling up the car. I could feel the weight of the Temperature Inversion, and you could see the compressed wood smoke/smog layer laying fetid across the Truckee Meadows.
Smog is probably the wrong word if I'm going to be precise...it's probably been a decade or more since I've seen genuine smog in America. Smog implies emissions of pollutants from manufacturing, transportation, and power generation. I recalled real smog Tuesday morning when I watched SpeedTV's replay of April's Chinese Grand Prix, and I was reminded of the horrific scenes from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
The long outdoor shots from Beijing were frightening...during the bicycle road races, I feared for the health of the competitors! This year I saw similar smoggy views from the Grands Prix in South Korea and the new India Grand Prix near New Delhi.
Reno's wood smoke layer paled however to the fantastic vista of clouds hugging onto the peaks of the Carson Range, under towering stacks of lenticular clouds looking like impossibly huge science fiction pagodas. I would not have been surprised to see spacecraft whizzing to and fro like a scene from a STAR WARS Sequel! Backlit by the high clouds it was an awesome tableau..I kicked myself for leaving my camera at the DaveCave.
I rolled back up the Truckee River canyon, and caught a glimpse of the old Lincoln Highway on the north side of today's Interstate 80 near Floriston. As I climbed the hill to the Martis Valley, there were flurries evident over the Sierra Crest. Sadly they were falling over Tinker's Knob, midway between Sugar Bowl and Squaw Valley USA...not that they would produce measurable amounts of snow anyway...again it was a missed photo-op...and of course, it missed all the ski areas.
Back at the DaveCave, I stowed the groceries and worked for an hour on the pickup's distributor project before I washed up and laid on the bed for a minute...I woke up at 9PM and pondered dinner...home made pizza? NY Steak on the BBQ? I woke up again at 1:39AM
I was itchin' to write today's blog. I quickly scanned my social sites. Jeweler Facebook-ed that tonight was his first night back in his tractor. I toured the webcams and remote sensors...no joy...another night of tall temps in Snowmaking City. The Tahoe Basin has been flirting with record high afternoon temps for three days. and it's forecast to continue for a couple more days. Three days remain of December, it looks like Reno will record it's driest December since 1883!
I'd be lying if I said all this waiting on Mother Nature wasn't taking it's toll on my psyche...for solace, I looked at the sober Tahoe Weather Discussion Blog...I was comforted...check it out, good news may be on the horizon. He's a one-stop-shop worthy of a bookmark.
Smog is probably the wrong word if I'm going to be precise...it's probably been a decade or more since I've seen genuine smog in America. Smog implies emissions of pollutants from manufacturing, transportation, and power generation. I recalled real smog Tuesday morning when I watched SpeedTV's replay of April's Chinese Grand Prix, and I was reminded of the horrific scenes from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
The long outdoor shots from Beijing were frightening...during the bicycle road races, I feared for the health of the competitors! This year I saw similar smoggy views from the Grands Prix in South Korea and the new India Grand Prix near New Delhi.
Reno's wood smoke layer paled however to the fantastic vista of clouds hugging onto the peaks of the Carson Range, under towering stacks of lenticular clouds looking like impossibly huge science fiction pagodas. I would not have been surprised to see spacecraft whizzing to and fro like a scene from a STAR WARS Sequel! Backlit by the high clouds it was an awesome tableau..I kicked myself for leaving my camera at the DaveCave.
I rolled back up the Truckee River canyon, and caught a glimpse of the old Lincoln Highway on the north side of today's Interstate 80 near Floriston. As I climbed the hill to the Martis Valley, there were flurries evident over the Sierra Crest. Sadly they were falling over Tinker's Knob, midway between Sugar Bowl and Squaw Valley USA...not that they would produce measurable amounts of snow anyway...again it was a missed photo-op...and of course, it missed all the ski areas.
Back at the DaveCave, I stowed the groceries and worked for an hour on the pickup's distributor project before I washed up and laid on the bed for a minute...I woke up at 9PM and pondered dinner...home made pizza? NY Steak on the BBQ? I woke up again at 1:39AM
I was itchin' to write today's blog. I quickly scanned my social sites. Jeweler Facebook-ed that tonight was his first night back in his tractor. I toured the webcams and remote sensors...no joy...another night of tall temps in Snowmaking City. The Tahoe Basin has been flirting with record high afternoon temps for three days. and it's forecast to continue for a couple more days. Three days remain of December, it looks like Reno will record it's driest December since 1883!
I'd be lying if I said all this waiting on Mother Nature wasn't taking it's toll on my psyche...for solace, I looked at the sober Tahoe Weather Discussion Blog...I was comforted...check it out, good news may be on the horizon. He's a one-stop-shop worthy of a bookmark.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
That Christmas Eve Thing
It's 3PM...I've been in bed for half an hour...I'm not sleepy...I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve! My alarm is set for 9:30PM...it's my first worknight of the 2011-2012 Season! I'm sipping on a stiff eggnog, listening to some talk radio. Hopefully naptime catches up with me soon.
I just got off the phone with my Boss...things sound pretty good on My Mountain, and he says my favorite BR350 is running like a Ferarri. Furthermore, when I asked he said: "Every snowcat on the hill is in fine fettle...even the 2-Ways are all installed and transmitting".
So, this turn of events is thanks to a favorable week of snowmaking conditions, and yeoman's work from our snowmakers. It's gonna be nice seeing first hand how things look...I'm beyond bored with telepresence!
Oh, webcams, PWSs, and Remote Sensors are modern miracles of the Information Age, but when you boil it down to basics, they're just an electronic fishbowl view, akin to the Chamber of Commerce-style weather forecasts that make the forecasters and their TV weatherman customers happy at the expense of the resorts, their customers, their hard working crews, and the bean counters. There's an awful lot of beans to count when you're blowing snow around the clock and Mother Nature's not chippin' in!
Looking at the AFDs and forecasts, I don't see any change to the entrenched blocking pattern in the Eastern Pacific for another week, maybe two, maybe I don't want to think about it at all for a while...
Tonight I'm just looking forward to strapping on my groomer, looking at the Work Orders, and reacquainting myself with Grooming 101, and our snowmakers' finest!
I just got off the phone with my Boss...things sound pretty good on My Mountain, and he says my favorite BR350 is running like a Ferarri. Furthermore, when I asked he said: "Every snowcat on the hill is in fine fettle...even the 2-Ways are all installed and transmitting".
So, this turn of events is thanks to a favorable week of snowmaking conditions, and yeoman's work from our snowmakers. It's gonna be nice seeing first hand how things look...I'm beyond bored with telepresence!
Oh, webcams, PWSs, and Remote Sensors are modern miracles of the Information Age, but when you boil it down to basics, they're just an electronic fishbowl view, akin to the Chamber of Commerce-style weather forecasts that make the forecasters and their TV weatherman customers happy at the expense of the resorts, their customers, their hard working crews, and the bean counters. There's an awful lot of beans to count when you're blowing snow around the clock and Mother Nature's not chippin' in!
Looking at the AFDs and forecasts, I don't see any change to the entrenched blocking pattern in the Eastern Pacific for another week, maybe two, maybe I don't want to think about it at all for a while...
Tonight I'm just looking forward to strapping on my groomer, looking at the Work Orders, and reacquainting myself with Grooming 101, and our snowmakers' finest!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
The Grind
As I was grinding the French Roast this morning, I noticed the trees outside the DaveCave's kitchen window were still for the first time in what, Four days? The weatherdude on this morning's Trainwreck News said the wind would return Sunday night.
Damage-wise the Tahoe Sierra got off easy. The blustery winds became hurricane-strength Santa Ana Winds in SoCal and really tore things up. Even the Big Valley suffered worse than the mountains. Sacramento TV News was full of fallen trees on cars and houses.
So where does all this wind come from? Well, there's a huge Blocking Ridge parked on the Pacific Coast. This ridge of high pressure causes all the storm systems spinning out of the Gulf of Alaska to travel up and over the ridge before diving down in to the Rockies. The wind is from the system's western edges, the dry side of the low.
The winds rekindled some hot spots from the Caughlin Ranch Fire that burned into Reno on November 18th. Reno Fire Dept doused the little hot spots in no time. Originally, it was another blast of high winds that caused the Caughlin Ranch Fire in the first place.
As the coffee began to course through my veins...doing it's magic, my curiosity began to reach cat-level, so I clicked around the local webcams, weather stations, and PWS pages. In total, since the winds brought the snowmaking-friendly tempeartures the crews were able to make snow fourty hours straight, and overnight for a couple of days. Temps raised above freezing about the time I started dripping this morning's pot of French Roast.
So snowmaking looks to be a long grind this week...it's that watched pot thing, I'm afraid. Snowmakers are earning it while groomers are payin' their dues. The blocking ridge isn't going anywhere for the next week, and the forecasters don't look more than a week ahead anyway.
Tic...Tic...Tic...Tic...Tic...
Damage-wise the Tahoe Sierra got off easy. The blustery winds became hurricane-strength Santa Ana Winds in SoCal and really tore things up. Even the Big Valley suffered worse than the mountains. Sacramento TV News was full of fallen trees on cars and houses.
So where does all this wind come from? Well, there's a huge Blocking Ridge parked on the Pacific Coast. This ridge of high pressure causes all the storm systems spinning out of the Gulf of Alaska to travel up and over the ridge before diving down in to the Rockies. The wind is from the system's western edges, the dry side of the low.
The winds rekindled some hot spots from the Caughlin Ranch Fire that burned into Reno on November 18th. Reno Fire Dept doused the little hot spots in no time. Originally, it was another blast of high winds that caused the Caughlin Ranch Fire in the first place.
As the coffee began to course through my veins...doing it's magic, my curiosity began to reach cat-level, so I clicked around the local webcams, weather stations, and PWS pages. In total, since the winds brought the snowmaking-friendly tempeartures the crews were able to make snow fourty hours straight, and overnight for a couple of days. Temps raised above freezing about the time I started dripping this morning's pot of French Roast.
So snowmaking looks to be a long grind this week...it's that watched pot thing, I'm afraid. Snowmakers are earning it while groomers are payin' their dues. The blocking ridge isn't going anywhere for the next week, and the forecasters don't look more than a week ahead anyway.
Tic...Tic...Tic...Tic...Tic...
Friday, December 2, 2011
Citizens Of The World!
We're all La Niña's Children now!
I noticed that the World Cup Ski Races in Val d'Isère scheduled for December 10-11, have been cancelled due to a lack of snow, and rescheduled for Tuesday-Thursday December 6-8 at Colorado's Beaver Creek.
@Liftopia linked a story about Swiss Ski Season's Start Stalled By Snow Shortage.
Here atop the High Sierra, we're woefully short on natural snow so far this season as well. Weather so far has not favored snowmaking, either. It's been the better part of two weeks now since the fans and guns ran around the clock. Wednesday I saw a couple of fans making snow at Boreal, but a look at Boreal's Webcam at 4PM showed they'd already shut down. My 2PM-ish view showed some wind...the snow looked like it was heading into the trees between trails. The nearby PWS showed peak wind gusts were into the 40mph-50mph range, on top of 18mph-20mph steady winds at the time. High Wind Warnings are up all night.
It's funny...after reading the AFDs from Reno for snowmaking, and Monterey/SFO for Tomales Bay Crab Fishing forecasts, I remembered my "new tool" for North American Precipitation Prediction, Europe-Asia Snow Cover. I wrote about it earlier in June. I took a look and a picture is worth a thousand words...
Today's picture shows Europe almost devoid of Snow Cover.
Last year looks a lot fatter...as was our early season snowpack.
Here they are side by side...
There's many more data points to look at but geez, NOAA doesn't make it easy to correlate all the different ocean oscillations that matter.
Big winds with cold temps finally visited the Tahoe Sierra Thursday, and snowmaking crews went to work. NOAA's Remote Data was impressive...big winds and diving temps. Ski season will begin in earnest sometime...sooner than later is my wish.
I noticed that the World Cup Ski Races in Val d'Isère scheduled for December 10-11, have been cancelled due to a lack of snow, and rescheduled for Tuesday-Thursday December 6-8 at Colorado's Beaver Creek.
@Liftopia linked a story about Swiss Ski Season's Start Stalled By Snow Shortage.
Here atop the High Sierra, we're woefully short on natural snow so far this season as well. Weather so far has not favored snowmaking, either. It's been the better part of two weeks now since the fans and guns ran around the clock. Wednesday I saw a couple of fans making snow at Boreal, but a look at Boreal's Webcam at 4PM showed they'd already shut down. My 2PM-ish view showed some wind...the snow looked like it was heading into the trees between trails. The nearby PWS showed peak wind gusts were into the 40mph-50mph range, on top of 18mph-20mph steady winds at the time. High Wind Warnings are up all night.
It's funny...after reading the AFDs from Reno for snowmaking, and Monterey/SFO for Tomales Bay Crab Fishing forecasts, I remembered my "new tool" for North American Precipitation Prediction, Europe-Asia Snow Cover. I wrote about it earlier in June. I took a look and a picture is worth a thousand words...
Today's picture shows Europe almost devoid of Snow Cover.
Here they are side by side...
Big winds with cold temps finally visited the Tahoe Sierra Thursday, and snowmaking crews went to work. NOAA's Remote Data was impressive...big winds and diving temps. Ski season will begin in earnest sometime...sooner than later is my wish.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Juicy
I just love leftovers from Thanksgiving! Today I had a turkey sandwich on whole wheat for breakfast. I almost drooled the Homer Simpson donut noise...it was that good!
I snacked on some dark meat around four in the afternoon, and enjoyed a reheated turkey dinner with a new batch of braised brussels sprouts for dinner. (Thanks Sister K!) Even after sitting in a Ziploc bag for 24 hours in the garage refrigerator, the breast meat was so juicy...not to mention yummy!
Perfect Turkey Hints:
Here's the trick I use to insure a succulent turkey breast every time I roast a bird...it's all about orientation...I owe it all to Fine Cooking Magazine. I lifted the tip from one of their email newsletters in 2008. Save the link for Juicy Roast Turkey, bookmark it, you'll never roast a whole turkey any other way ever again!
Here's the secret: Roast the turkey upside down for the first hour in the oven! That's all there is to it! I know it sounds a little daunting turning a hot slippery turkey over after it's been roasting for an hour in a 325°F oven, but it's a snap...oven mitts on each hand with a wad of paper towels, and it's over and done in under 20 seconds!
I learned a new trick when turning yesterday's bird. I don't stuff the bird, I make my Cornbread and Italian Sausage Stuffing on the stovetop and finish it in the oven, so I just grabbed the bird by the body cavity and with a lift and a twist of the wrist, it was breast side up for the duration!
Here's another tip to insure a great roast turkey...buy a decent bird to begin with! I swear by Sonora's Diestel Turkey Ranch. I've never bought another turkey since the first Diestel I tried. I get mine at Lunardi's Market in Walnut Creek. Safeway has 'em too. I buy a fresh one, not frozen. They taste like turkey!
Stuffing Recipe Hints:
I prefer to use mild sausage, but I fatten up the pinch of crushed red chilies.
I prefer red and yellow bell peppers to red and green...the stuffing is much brighter without the unripe (green) bells. (I don't taste 'em later if they aren't in there either)
If you make the cornbread from the linked recipe, halve the salt.
I use white spelt flour instead of white wheat flour in the cornbread...originally because the Siskyou Wing of the family thought they had a problem with wheat gluten. When it turned out they were A-OK with the gluten, I kept using the spelt for it's extra nutty flavor.
After all was said and done, I managed not to succumb to the Turkey Coma...in fact I was still goin' strong when the 11 O'clock News came on. I watched KCRA3's newscast, and they had some footage from Sugar Bowl of holiday skiers sliding down the slopes. Except for the overcast and the flat light, it looked for all the world like late-April snow...I mean slush! The reporter doing the story said it was more springlike than holiday weather...that was one juicy looking trail!
Don't think I wasn't paying attention! I looked at the remote sensors, I didn't see enough cold temps to make snow going back for a week at least, and the last blast of cold-enough temps was accompanied by very high winds.
Looking ahead, the forecast isn't promising...I even looked at Sacramento's AFD (maybe the Chamber of Commerce-Style forecast might feature a glimmer of hope!) Reno's AFD concured, a Blocking Ridge builds in and temps trend up, up, up for the next week. Oh, and the inversion layer stays.
That's a lot of juicy afternoons on the horizon...maybe the NWS forecasters will have time to answer a phonecall and chat about the forecast models and haw the help fine tune them going forward...
A man's gotta have a dream...
I snacked on some dark meat around four in the afternoon, and enjoyed a reheated turkey dinner with a new batch of braised brussels sprouts for dinner. (Thanks Sister K!) Even after sitting in a Ziploc bag for 24 hours in the garage refrigerator, the breast meat was so juicy...not to mention yummy!
Perfect Turkey Hints:
Here's the trick I use to insure a succulent turkey breast every time I roast a bird...it's all about orientation...I owe it all to Fine Cooking Magazine. I lifted the tip from one of their email newsletters in 2008. Save the link for Juicy Roast Turkey, bookmark it, you'll never roast a whole turkey any other way ever again!
Here's the secret: Roast the turkey upside down for the first hour in the oven! That's all there is to it! I know it sounds a little daunting turning a hot slippery turkey over after it's been roasting for an hour in a 325°F oven, but it's a snap...oven mitts on each hand with a wad of paper towels, and it's over and done in under 20 seconds!
I learned a new trick when turning yesterday's bird. I don't stuff the bird, I make my Cornbread and Italian Sausage Stuffing on the stovetop and finish it in the oven, so I just grabbed the bird by the body cavity and with a lift and a twist of the wrist, it was breast side up for the duration!
Here's another tip to insure a great roast turkey...buy a decent bird to begin with! I swear by Sonora's Diestel Turkey Ranch. I've never bought another turkey since the first Diestel I tried. I get mine at Lunardi's Market in Walnut Creek. Safeway has 'em too. I buy a fresh one, not frozen. They taste like turkey!
Stuffing Recipe Hints:
I prefer to use mild sausage, but I fatten up the pinch of crushed red chilies.
I prefer red and yellow bell peppers to red and green...the stuffing is much brighter without the unripe (green) bells. (I don't taste 'em later if they aren't in there either)
If you make the cornbread from the linked recipe, halve the salt.
I use white spelt flour instead of white wheat flour in the cornbread...originally because the Siskyou Wing of the family thought they had a problem with wheat gluten. When it turned out they were A-OK with the gluten, I kept using the spelt for it's extra nutty flavor.
After all was said and done, I managed not to succumb to the Turkey Coma...in fact I was still goin' strong when the 11 O'clock News came on. I watched KCRA3's newscast, and they had some footage from Sugar Bowl of holiday skiers sliding down the slopes. Except for the overcast and the flat light, it looked for all the world like late-April snow...I mean slush! The reporter doing the story said it was more springlike than holiday weather...that was one juicy looking trail!
Don't think I wasn't paying attention! I looked at the remote sensors, I didn't see enough cold temps to make snow going back for a week at least, and the last blast of cold-enough temps was accompanied by very high winds.
Looking ahead, the forecast isn't promising...I even looked at Sacramento's AFD (maybe the Chamber of Commerce-Style forecast might feature a glimmer of hope!) Reno's AFD concured, a Blocking Ridge builds in and temps trend up, up, up for the next week. Oh, and the inversion layer stays.
That's a lot of juicy afternoons on the horizon...maybe the NWS forecasters will have time to answer a phonecall and chat about the forecast models and haw the help fine tune them going forward...
A man's gotta have a dream...
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Around The Clock
Snowmaking is heating up! The temps have been staying cold in the wake of the cold front that passed over the Tahoe Sierra Thursday evening. It wasn't long after the frontal band swept through that Boreal had their fans and guns lending Mother Nature a hand.
I've been looking in every couple of hours via Boreal's webcam, and Boreal's kept them blowing all day Friday, and into Saturday morning. Every once in a while I'd see a grooming machine working in the frame. I looked at the nearest remote sensor station...behold!
Now at 2:17AM Saturday morning, Boreal has been making snow for more than 24 hours non-stop. This is the first 'round the clock snowmaking session I've seen this season. More natural snow will blow into the region Saturday evening.
Things are looking good going forward...the forecast says they could go full bore/nonstop until Monday afternoon!
I've been looking in every couple of hours via Boreal's webcam, and Boreal's kept them blowing all day Friday, and into Saturday morning. Every once in a while I'd see a grooming machine working in the frame. I looked at the nearest remote sensor station...behold!
 |
| Tale of the Temps |
Friday, November 4, 2011
Winds Of Change
I woke to the twin symphonies of Talk Radio and prefrontal winds blustering outside. I like to start my days with a chortle or two, and the Armstrong and Getty Show always delivers.
It is really howling out this morning! Before I started packing, I looked around the web for some weather intel...Boreal's webcam, nearby remote sensors, Reno's AFD. Wind Advisory this morning, and a Winter Weather Advisory for the afternoon (5PM PDT) Forecasters say the front is dawdling a bit, and the precip is limited at best...mostly right behind the frontal boundary. They say 4-6 inches at the Crest at 1-2 inches an hour.
Another round of snow for the weekend, and unsettled weather 'till midweek. It doesn't look like a season starter, but it should favor snowmaking.
While data harvesting, news of the 2012 AMGEN Tour of California bicycle race caught my eye...I've been waiting months for the announcement of the Route and Host Cities. Regulars will recall what happened last May when the AMGEN was slated to run right through Truckee and over Donner Summit on Old Highway 40. That's right...a May snowstorm forced organizers to cancel Stage 1 from South Lake Tahoe to Northstar, and shorten Stage 2 (My local stage) bypassing the climb over Donner Pass. We did catch up with the AMGEN for Stage 4, enjoying our delayed gratification.
Actually light on Route information, the Host Cities do tell a tale. Not much racing in the High Sierra...in fact-None! Sonora is Mother Lode territory, not high mountains. Burned last year by La Niña's last blast of winter, AMGEN doesn't appear to be taking any chances with lingering winter in 2012. The mountaintop finishes are all in SoCal, though winter could linger there...witness Mammoth Mountain's July 4th closing date this year! Also MIA: Sacramento, Modesto and Solvang.
The snow began falling on Donner Summit right at 6PM. Interstate 80 closed at Drum at 8:15PM Multiple spinouts cited. I escaped it all but a few sprinkles around Vacaville.
It is really howling out this morning! Before I started packing, I looked around the web for some weather intel...Boreal's webcam, nearby remote sensors, Reno's AFD. Wind Advisory this morning, and a Winter Weather Advisory for the afternoon (5PM PDT) Forecasters say the front is dawdling a bit, and the precip is limited at best...mostly right behind the frontal boundary. They say 4-6 inches at the Crest at 1-2 inches an hour.
Another round of snow for the weekend, and unsettled weather 'till midweek. It doesn't look like a season starter, but it should favor snowmaking.
While data harvesting, news of the 2012 AMGEN Tour of California bicycle race caught my eye...I've been waiting months for the announcement of the Route and Host Cities. Regulars will recall what happened last May when the AMGEN was slated to run right through Truckee and over Donner Summit on Old Highway 40. That's right...a May snowstorm forced organizers to cancel Stage 1 from South Lake Tahoe to Northstar, and shorten Stage 2 (My local stage) bypassing the climb over Donner Pass. We did catch up with the AMGEN for Stage 4, enjoying our delayed gratification.
 |
| Worth waiting for! Chain controls are already moving up the mountain. |
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Back On the Horse
Change is in the air tonight. The weatherman promises snow later this week. Since Friday the overnight temps have trended up, up, up. About 6PM Tuesday I looked at the remote sensors around Donner Summit. They looked promising...the afternoon highs were down from Monday, and the forecast said cooling overnight pending a cold front due Thursday afternoon.
After dinner I sidetracked myself with some WW2 Documentaries on PBS. Before I realized it, it was after 10PM! I looked at Boreal's webcam...yep, they're back in business...snowmaking-wise. I'm sure they're shooting to reopen Friday.
All this nice weather has been seductive...I've been soaking it up...luxuriating even...at the DaveCave. I've got a day or two of chores to be ready for the season, so I'm guilt-free. However, I did miss a big deal down in the Inland Valley.
When SturgeUrge and I go sturgeon fishing, most of the time we launch at Martinez and fish the Mothball Fleet (MBF) on Suisun Bay.
The National Defense Reserve Fleet has been one of America's retirement villages for America's decommissioned warships since the end of World War Two...and a great sturgeon fishing hole. Most of the MBF ships are troop ships, freighters, tankers and oilers. The fleet gained a distinguished fighting veteran in the spring of 2001, the battleship, USS Iowa.
Launched in August 1942, the Iowa was the first of four Iowa Class fast battleships built in New York and Philadelphia's Naval Shipyards during WW2. The Iowa was the only Iowa Class battlewagon to serve in the Atlantic.
After her maiden shakedown cruise, and two weeks of maintenance, the Iowa ferried President Roosevelt to Casablanca, the first leg of FDR's journey to the Tehran Conference with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.
After the Atlantic voyage, the Iowa sailed to the Pacific Theater. USS Iowa fought her way through the Pacific from January 1944 all the way to Tokyo, seeing action in the Marshall Islands, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Guam, Saipan, the Marianas, Truk, The Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Iowa survived Typhoon Cobra that devastated Task Force 38. TF 38, seven fleet carriers, six light carriers, eight battleships, 15 cruisers, and about 50 destroyers, was slammed broadside by the typhoon during their attempt to refuel at sea.
Three destroyers capsized and sank with nearly all hands, while a cruiser, five aircraft carriers, and three destroyers suffered serious damage. Almost 800 sailors perished and 80 were injured.
Iowa reported zero injured sailors as a result of the typhoon, but suffered a loss of one of her float planes, and damage to one of her shafts. The damaged shaft required Iowa to return to the US, and she arrived at San Francisco on 15 January 1945, for repairs. During the course of the overhaul Iowa had her bridge area enclosed, and was outfitted with new search radars and fire-control systems. before returning to action.
Iowa's sister ship, the USS Missouri was the site of Japan's formal surrender on Tokyo Bay, Iowa entered Tokyo Bay a day later.
Seen from the water in a small skiff, Iowa is very impressive. To this day you can see the typhoon battered plates of her hull. Low slung and 887ft long, she looks fast even at anchor. Iowa's 16 inch main battery still looks lethal.
Iowa ended up at the MBF after San Francisco's Board of Supervisors passed on berthing her on the San Francisco waterfront as a floating museum. In September 2011, the USS Iowa was awarded to Pacific Battleship Center for placement at the Port of Los Angeles, after some rehab at the Port of Richmond.
Here's what I missed: Last Thursday and Friday Iowa began her journey. Thursday's very high tide was perfect to move her from the fleet and under the three Benicia Bridges. She spent Thursday night side tied to the Subaru Wharf in Benicia before her tow to Richmond on Friday's high tide. Iowa draws 37ft, and Richmond spent a good part of Summer dredging it's Inner Channel.
Iowa will be in Richmond into January. We'll get down there ASAP...while there's still some halibut stragglers still haunting San Francisco Bay!
After dinner I sidetracked myself with some WW2 Documentaries on PBS. Before I realized it, it was after 10PM! I looked at Boreal's webcam...yep, they're back in business...snowmaking-wise. I'm sure they're shooting to reopen Friday.
All this nice weather has been seductive...I've been soaking it up...luxuriating even...at the DaveCave. I've got a day or two of chores to be ready for the season, so I'm guilt-free. However, I did miss a big deal down in the Inland Valley.
When SturgeUrge and I go sturgeon fishing, most of the time we launch at Martinez and fish the Mothball Fleet (MBF) on Suisun Bay.
The National Defense Reserve Fleet has been one of America's retirement villages for America's decommissioned warships since the end of World War Two...and a great sturgeon fishing hole. Most of the MBF ships are troop ships, freighters, tankers and oilers. The fleet gained a distinguished fighting veteran in the spring of 2001, the battleship, USS Iowa.
Launched in August 1942, the Iowa was the first of four Iowa Class fast battleships built in New York and Philadelphia's Naval Shipyards during WW2. The Iowa was the only Iowa Class battlewagon to serve in the Atlantic.
After her maiden shakedown cruise, and two weeks of maintenance, the Iowa ferried President Roosevelt to Casablanca, the first leg of FDR's journey to the Tehran Conference with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.
After the Atlantic voyage, the Iowa sailed to the Pacific Theater. USS Iowa fought her way through the Pacific from January 1944 all the way to Tokyo, seeing action in the Marshall Islands, Kwajalein, Eniwetok, Guam, Saipan, the Marianas, Truk, The Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
Iowa survived Typhoon Cobra that devastated Task Force 38. TF 38, seven fleet carriers, six light carriers, eight battleships, 15 cruisers, and about 50 destroyers, was slammed broadside by the typhoon during their attempt to refuel at sea.
Three destroyers capsized and sank with nearly all hands, while a cruiser, five aircraft carriers, and three destroyers suffered serious damage. Almost 800 sailors perished and 80 were injured.
Iowa reported zero injured sailors as a result of the typhoon, but suffered a loss of one of her float planes, and damage to one of her shafts. The damaged shaft required Iowa to return to the US, and she arrived at San Francisco on 15 January 1945, for repairs. During the course of the overhaul Iowa had her bridge area enclosed, and was outfitted with new search radars and fire-control systems. before returning to action.
Iowa's sister ship, the USS Missouri was the site of Japan's formal surrender on Tokyo Bay, Iowa entered Tokyo Bay a day later.
Seen from the water in a small skiff, Iowa is very impressive. To this day you can see the typhoon battered plates of her hull. Low slung and 887ft long, she looks fast even at anchor. Iowa's 16 inch main battery still looks lethal.
Here's what I missed: Last Thursday and Friday Iowa began her journey. Thursday's very high tide was perfect to move her from the fleet and under the three Benicia Bridges. She spent Thursday night side tied to the Subaru Wharf in Benicia before her tow to Richmond on Friday's high tide. Iowa draws 37ft, and Richmond spent a good part of Summer dredging it's Inner Channel.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
That's What I'm Talking About!
Call it Groomer's Intuition, I'm glad I waited 'till morning! Last night was awesome!
The remote sensors and webcams mislead me, so I was expecting the worst. When I parked the parts runner, BahiaBoy was practically skipping down the shop road yelling "SuperHero Snow!" "Two inches of premium Tiller Food on top!"
Everything was running, the grooming was fast, and the seeing was good. A half an hour in, I was streaking uphill, full stick, keying the mic saying: "This is fun!" It went that way all night. We all doubled our output compared to Thursday night.
We totally kicked it and had everything wrapped up a little after 0800. Everyone was elated...old hands just expect the worst at the bitter end of the season. It was Jeweler and ParkGuy's last shift this week, I've got one more this week and the final three starting Thursday.
The weatherman says (and I'm paraphrasing now) a 50% chance of SuperHero Snow tonight too.
Hot Damn!
The remote sensors and webcams mislead me, so I was expecting the worst. When I parked the parts runner, BahiaBoy was practically skipping down the shop road yelling "SuperHero Snow!" "Two inches of premium Tiller Food on top!"
Everything was running, the grooming was fast, and the seeing was good. A half an hour in, I was streaking uphill, full stick, keying the mic saying: "This is fun!" It went that way all night. We all doubled our output compared to Thursday night.
We totally kicked it and had everything wrapped up a little after 0800. Everyone was elated...old hands just expect the worst at the bitter end of the season. It was Jeweler and ParkGuy's last shift this week, I've got one more this week and the final three starting Thursday.
The weatherman says (and I'm paraphrasing now) a 50% chance of SuperHero Snow tonight too.
Hot Damn!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Bait and Switch
Another night that looked bad on paper (read online) turned out better than OK by the time all was said and done.
It's starting to remind me of an LP record skipping...yet another night wherein I go to work already hunkered down as if the Sword of Damocles is freshly honed and zeroing in on my fat, juicy neck!
I woke up to my 10PM alarm and was alarmed to hear the rain blasting my front door like the Big Bad Monsoon was trying to go all Three Little Pigs on my ass. None the less, I got ready for work and headed up the hill at my usual appointed hour.
Sheets of rain and too warm temps greeted me as I dashed up to the driveway. It was warm and wet...big time...I started the Parts Runner, and thought I should run back downstairs and grab my book...I'd probably have time to read it while we wait for the snow level to drop!
Out on the roads, I thought: Not a night fit for man nor beast. Roads were running like rivers and it was way dark. I didn't lock the hubs on the parts runner...after all, the webcams and remote sensors confirmed the high freezing levels.
Well, the webcams and remote sensors weren't 100% correct...I ran into snow on the highway about a half mile from the summit. Pellet-style snow was beating on the windows and sticking to the pavement like so much mini hail. It was slick as can be. I made the last half mile drift-style...very little traction...lots of steering input...a smug smile came upon my face as I crested the summit.
The Groomer's Ready Room was a grim place save for All Star Winch Pilot who was punching out for the last time this season...Vacation Time Baby! It turns out the piste was even worse...somewhere between mashed potatoes and potato soup. Jeweler and I began the slow slog...
Jeweler went high looking for relief, the theory being up top the snow should be colder and drier...not so much it turned out. I went to the bottom of the mountain opting to pound the flats until the snow level fell to the forecast Lake Level. I took a look at the mid-mountain snow stake...less than two inches at 12:45AM, I had to call the Ski Patrol leader at 0400 with the snow total so he could make the Go/No Go Avalanche Control call.
I hunted far and wide for things to do that didn't involve any steeps, so I groomed all our pedestrian paths that were really a mess...all torn up by naked snowcats...I wouldn't want to walk on them. Naked in this context means without tillers...If the forecast delivered, they'd be sweet by morning. Even though the graupel continued to fall, the mercury was taking it's own sweet time to follow suit. Jeweler's CenterX Bison is equipped with an external thermometer which clung maddeningly to 39°F. "C'mon forecast" I rooted!
Around 0300 I drove into our WiFi Cloud and checked my Twitter feed...chain controls were finally up....seems the temps were beginning to go our way...at 0350 my BR350 made a loud BANG! and lost some RPMs and power. The engine temp shot up. I stopped and shut down the tiller...the temp dropped like a stone. I limped the 200 yards to the mid-mountain stake. As I reached for my phone it started ringing. I discussed the night's totals with the Patrol Leader...the stake still showed the same under two inches it had three and a half hours earlier. Even with the robust winds, the call was No Go. I hung up and keyed the mic: "Jeweler, can you come pick me up? I've got a downed cat over here" "On my way" Jeweler came back.
Conditions continued to improve, though the Bison I climbed into had stereo issues that even my iPod and FM transmitter couldn't overcome. My cat's trouble turned out to be a Turbo Boost Hose that came adrift. My cat was back at the shop before we finished the morning re-rolls.
Back at the fuel dock there was a good 4-5 inches on the ground. The final hour or so was weirdly satisfying. Usually re-rolls are just a grind, but this morning, in light of the awful conditions overnight, the last hour was at least a little uplifting. We were all quite chipper once we were out of our cats for the day.
All's well that ends well...there's always tonight...on paper it's looking good!
It's starting to remind me of an LP record skipping...yet another night wherein I go to work already hunkered down as if the Sword of Damocles is freshly honed and zeroing in on my fat, juicy neck!
I woke up to my 10PM alarm and was alarmed to hear the rain blasting my front door like the Big Bad Monsoon was trying to go all Three Little Pigs on my ass. None the less, I got ready for work and headed up the hill at my usual appointed hour.
Sheets of rain and too warm temps greeted me as I dashed up to the driveway. It was warm and wet...big time...I started the Parts Runner, and thought I should run back downstairs and grab my book...I'd probably have time to read it while we wait for the snow level to drop!
Out on the roads, I thought: Not a night fit for man nor beast. Roads were running like rivers and it was way dark. I didn't lock the hubs on the parts runner...after all, the webcams and remote sensors confirmed the high freezing levels.
Well, the webcams and remote sensors weren't 100% correct...I ran into snow on the highway about a half mile from the summit. Pellet-style snow was beating on the windows and sticking to the pavement like so much mini hail. It was slick as can be. I made the last half mile drift-style...very little traction...lots of steering input...a smug smile came upon my face as I crested the summit.
The Groomer's Ready Room was a grim place save for All Star Winch Pilot who was punching out for the last time this season...Vacation Time Baby! It turns out the piste was even worse...somewhere between mashed potatoes and potato soup. Jeweler and I began the slow slog...
Jeweler went high looking for relief, the theory being up top the snow should be colder and drier...not so much it turned out. I went to the bottom of the mountain opting to pound the flats until the snow level fell to the forecast Lake Level. I took a look at the mid-mountain snow stake...less than two inches at 12:45AM, I had to call the Ski Patrol leader at 0400 with the snow total so he could make the Go/No Go Avalanche Control call.
I hunted far and wide for things to do that didn't involve any steeps, so I groomed all our pedestrian paths that were really a mess...all torn up by naked snowcats...I wouldn't want to walk on them. Naked in this context means without tillers...If the forecast delivered, they'd be sweet by morning. Even though the graupel continued to fall, the mercury was taking it's own sweet time to follow suit. Jeweler's CenterX Bison is equipped with an external thermometer which clung maddeningly to 39°F. "C'mon forecast" I rooted!
Around 0300 I drove into our WiFi Cloud and checked my Twitter feed...chain controls were finally up....seems the temps were beginning to go our way...at 0350 my BR350 made a loud BANG! and lost some RPMs and power. The engine temp shot up. I stopped and shut down the tiller...the temp dropped like a stone. I limped the 200 yards to the mid-mountain stake. As I reached for my phone it started ringing. I discussed the night's totals with the Patrol Leader...the stake still showed the same under two inches it had three and a half hours earlier. Even with the robust winds, the call was No Go. I hung up and keyed the mic: "Jeweler, can you come pick me up? I've got a downed cat over here" "On my way" Jeweler came back.
Conditions continued to improve, though the Bison I climbed into had stereo issues that even my iPod and FM transmitter couldn't overcome. My cat's trouble turned out to be a Turbo Boost Hose that came adrift. My cat was back at the shop before we finished the morning re-rolls.
Back at the fuel dock there was a good 4-5 inches on the ground. The final hour or so was weirdly satisfying. Usually re-rolls are just a grind, but this morning, in light of the awful conditions overnight, the last hour was at least a little uplifting. We were all quite chipper once we were out of our cats for the day.
All's well that ends well...there's always tonight...on paper it's looking good!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Wednesday's Parade
Lucky me! Last night turned out fine after looking so bad by the numbers. Yes, it was a grind...pun intended...We finished the truncated list and were done at 8:45 It finally set up hard around 0400 so things turned out fine. When I finally punched out it was starting to snow, which pumped my mood to stratospheric heights given the doom and gloom forecasts of the past few days!
I talked to BajaBabe on my way home. BajaBabe is in California traveling before her season and we're going to have a few days together in early May, and again to watch the AMGEN Tour of California race through Truckee on the 16th.
I didn't even look at the weather before bed and slept like a Saint. Now I wake up and it's raining...raining, raining! This time I did look at the weather. The webcams showed the snowlevels to be way up there as forecast. The AFD and forecasts say the snowlevels will fall to Lake Level by morning.
I'm hanging my hat on that Lake Level meme...back to bed!
Uh oh...I woke to my 10PM alarm and it sounds like the Monsoon's knockin' on my front door. No joy on the webcams or remote sensors either...c'mon snowlevel start dropping already!
I talked to BajaBabe on my way home. BajaBabe is in California traveling before her season and we're going to have a few days together in early May, and again to watch the AMGEN Tour of California race through Truckee on the 16th.
I didn't even look at the weather before bed and slept like a Saint. Now I wake up and it's raining...raining, raining! This time I did look at the weather. The webcams showed the snowlevels to be way up there as forecast. The AFD and forecasts say the snowlevels will fall to Lake Level by morning.
I'm hanging my hat on that Lake Level meme...back to bed!
Uh oh...I woke to my 10PM alarm and it sounds like the Monsoon's knockin' on my front door. No joy on the webcams or remote sensors either...c'mon snowlevel start dropping already!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Oh Crap
Like I don't have enough to do already, now my email account has been hacked. The slime sent boner pill and real estate spam to everyone in my address book. Nine characters isn't enough for a password anymore.
On the bright side, the Giants were winning when I fell asleep, and won it when I woke up again. I'm more than a little troubled by all the injuries I'm seeing so far this season...tonight it was Aaron Rowand who left the game after being hit by a pitch. Man it's a long 162 game season, and when the games really start to count down the stretch, everyone's hurt to one degree or another.
It looks like little solace will be found on my mountain tonight, afternoon highs were nearly 50°F, and at 9:15PM it's still 36°F. The forecast says precip Wednesday, Lake Wind Advisories, and a high 7500ft snow level before falling to Lake Level Thursday. There could be some good ol' Hero Snow this week after all!
On the bright side, the Giants were winning when I fell asleep, and won it when I woke up again. I'm more than a little troubled by all the injuries I'm seeing so far this season...tonight it was Aaron Rowand who left the game after being hit by a pitch. Man it's a long 162 game season, and when the games really start to count down the stretch, everyone's hurt to one degree or another.
It looks like little solace will be found on my mountain tonight, afternoon highs were nearly 50°F, and at 9:15PM it's still 36°F. The forecast says precip Wednesday, Lake Wind Advisories, and a high 7500ft snow level before falling to Lake Level Thursday. There could be some good ol' Hero Snow this week after all!
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