Things don't always turn out the way I planned. Last week, I planned to go to the Ancestral Digs for my three day weekend. A simple trip really, see my Mom, do the monthly church luncheon, continue straightening up the garage, and haul some straggler tools back up to the DaveCave. There's still plenty of chores in the queue at the DaveCave, and my tools help make quick work of them.
About mid-week, the forecasts began to favor a stormy weekend. I still felt kinda tired, so I begged off the familial responsibility, and formulated "Plan B" Two areas needed my attention: One...Get all the AV stuff hooked up and answering remote control commands. Two...finish the installation of the laundry stack and reclaim some of the lost pantry space. Throw in a load of laundry and a Super Bowl, and it was looking like a full weekend!
Sunday afternoon, my alarm roused me in time for the coin toss, and the game was pretty enjoyable (considering that I didn't have a team on the field) I watched the whole game without getting out of bed...no chips&dip, no pizza, no adult beverages. The game never got off a simmer, which the conventional wisdom had never considered...wasn't Super Bowl XLIV supposed to be a firepower-laden scoring fest between the two high powered offenses?
Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints...they ain't Ain'ts anymore. Woops...then I pulled my first dumb stunt of the weekend...I slept most of the night! I got up at 0330...close enough I thought...
Monday I got after my list. An hour to do the grocery shopping, and then I got down to the serious business of knitting with audio cables. All the components are doing their jobs now. I edited several hours of programming that was clogging the DVR's Hard Drives, and burned four new DVD's for my library. All 5.1 speakers are online, and only one chore remains on this front...I have to update the Onscreen List of the 400 CD's in the CD Jukebox. This will provide me with hours of enjoyment over the next several days...
Where was that snowstorm Monday? MIA totally!
Tuesday I finally made the pizza...Sausage, Olive, and Mushroom with fresh mozzarella and smoked provolone...cold pizza this morning for breakfast, too!
There's bright sunshine streaming through the window blinds at the DaveCave this morning...the storms all went south...with this week's forecast.
As it stands this morning, we're looking at decent weather right through the President's Day Weekend. Let's hope this forecast holds up!
There was some buzz from the Surf Weather Sector about huge swells for the Holiday Weekend, but that too is looking like a fizzle. The Maverick's crowd was all abuzz once again, but it's just another simmering pot today.
Finishing up my laundry/pantry project should get my body clock well and truly reset to Graveyard today...wrestling a heavy laundry stack and restocking a half ton of canned staples and cleaning products should wear me right down to a sleepy nub.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
I've Still Got It
No, not the flu!
Last night I enjoyed the trifecta. Finally a whole shift in my favorite BR350!
New Seat-check...
New Heater Blower-check...
Stereo Antenna Works-check!
I forgot my iPod, and the pack was hard enough that CD's would skip every time you'd get your groove on, so an evening of jazz on the local NPR station was just the ticket.
The latest wave of snow gave forecasters fits and found it's way into the High Sierra somewhere to the South of my Mountain. Swing Shift did yeoman's work, given the number of "Special Projects" that were front-loaded into the Work Orders. Even with all the Non-Grooming stuff on their list, they got plenty of grooming done due to the Hero Snow, and everyone was smiling and laughing at Shift Change.
I spent a half an hour doing my own "Special Project" before getting back on my latest favorite trail project.
Yesterday's snow was just deep enough that this trail gave up a long gone thrill...Freefall! This is the trail right under a chairlift, with lift towers, a dearth of trees, and a building complicating winch grooming. We've rarely groomed this trail over the last three seasons due to the low snow conditions, because there's a gnarly rock outcropping just downhill from the lift tower...right where you lose traction in soft snow!
Tuesday night, I groomed right up this little steep...with a roll of snow in my blade and running Down Pressure...right up the three Skier's Right Passes where the freefall starts!
Back in the days before Winch Technology finally matured, we free groomed everything, and on snow nights and a day or two after, groomers would be sliding down trails all night! Not the best results, but Boy! What fun we had! Even at HyperSpace speeds, there are skills that help the operators make good corduroy with the smallest berms left behind.
Today with almost half of our shifts running winch cats, these thrills are almost verboten. On my little favorite trail of the week, there's three passes that have a little spot- two machine lengths long that offer this experience today. You get a slide of 6-8 machine lengths before the compression at the bottom of the steep slows you down to traction speed again.
How does an experienced groomer pull off a slide without making things worse? It's all a matter of timing.
As you groom your way down to the steep spot where you expect to loose it and slide the cat, you dial back your speed to full slow ahead. You're clicking the sticks in and out of neutral detent, and tapping in extra Up Pressure to catch your spillage. The trick is to slide the sticks full forward just as the slide begins...while simultaneously losing the Up Pressure. As you rocket down the trail, the newly weighted tiller compacts the snow enough to keep the spillage from making too much berm. While you're at it, you need to keep the tractor on the pass, and inline with the adjacent passes! When you get back to controlled flight, you tap the Up Pressure back in, and go about your business.
Done right, this is one of the most satisfying things groomers do. A little off on the timing, and you'll have to let it set up for an hour or two, and come back and do it all over again. The second time around, you're usually in deeper when the slide starts, so you aren't carrying as much snow in the tiller box, so chances are better that you'll win.
The A-Team is in on swing tonight, so I'm looking forward to another shot at those three magic passes!
It's been too long! Last night I didn't nail it until my third pass...then perfection!
Last night I enjoyed the trifecta. Finally a whole shift in my favorite BR350!
New Seat-check...
New Heater Blower-check...
Stereo Antenna Works-check!
I forgot my iPod, and the pack was hard enough that CD's would skip every time you'd get your groove on, so an evening of jazz on the local NPR station was just the ticket.
The latest wave of snow gave forecasters fits and found it's way into the High Sierra somewhere to the South of my Mountain. Swing Shift did yeoman's work, given the number of "Special Projects" that were front-loaded into the Work Orders. Even with all the Non-Grooming stuff on their list, they got plenty of grooming done due to the Hero Snow, and everyone was smiling and laughing at Shift Change.
I spent a half an hour doing my own "Special Project" before getting back on my latest favorite trail project.
Yesterday's snow was just deep enough that this trail gave up a long gone thrill...Freefall! This is the trail right under a chairlift, with lift towers, a dearth of trees, and a building complicating winch grooming. We've rarely groomed this trail over the last three seasons due to the low snow conditions, because there's a gnarly rock outcropping just downhill from the lift tower...right where you lose traction in soft snow!
Tuesday night, I groomed right up this little steep...with a roll of snow in my blade and running Down Pressure...right up the three Skier's Right Passes where the freefall starts!
Back in the days before Winch Technology finally matured, we free groomed everything, and on snow nights and a day or two after, groomers would be sliding down trails all night! Not the best results, but Boy! What fun we had! Even at HyperSpace speeds, there are skills that help the operators make good corduroy with the smallest berms left behind.
Today with almost half of our shifts running winch cats, these thrills are almost verboten. On my little favorite trail of the week, there's three passes that have a little spot- two machine lengths long that offer this experience today. You get a slide of 6-8 machine lengths before the compression at the bottom of the steep slows you down to traction speed again.
How does an experienced groomer pull off a slide without making things worse? It's all a matter of timing.
As you groom your way down to the steep spot where you expect to loose it and slide the cat, you dial back your speed to full slow ahead. You're clicking the sticks in and out of neutral detent, and tapping in extra Up Pressure to catch your spillage. The trick is to slide the sticks full forward just as the slide begins...while simultaneously losing the Up Pressure. As you rocket down the trail, the newly weighted tiller compacts the snow enough to keep the spillage from making too much berm. While you're at it, you need to keep the tractor on the pass, and inline with the adjacent passes! When you get back to controlled flight, you tap the Up Pressure back in, and go about your business.
Done right, this is one of the most satisfying things groomers do. A little off on the timing, and you'll have to let it set up for an hour or two, and come back and do it all over again. The second time around, you're usually in deeper when the slide starts, so you aren't carrying as much snow in the tiller box, so chances are better that you'll win.
The A-Team is in on swing tonight, so I'm looking forward to another shot at those three magic passes!
It's been too long! Last night I didn't nail it until my third pass...then perfection!
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.
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!
"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.
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!
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?
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?
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