These Olympics are killin' me! Tonight it's the women keeping me from my Beauty Sleep. Women's Alpine Combined and Women's Half Pipe. Great stuff.
It's hard to believe that it was 50 years ago that Squaw Valley hosted the Winter Games! I missed all the celebrations they've been throwing this month. But don't think this Golden Anniversary isn't important in my life.
I'm writing tonight, and I live in Truckee, and I work in the Ski Industry because those 1960 Winter Olympics happened at Squaw. It's funny how life works out.
My father's firm designed all the utilities for the Olympic Village built for the Games at Squaw. A couple years later, they designed the Sewage Treatment Plant for Salt Lake City, and my father was tasked to be the Supervising Engineer for it's construction. While in Salt lake for two years, us kids went to private school, so we wouldn't fall behind when we got back to the Berkeley, CA schools upon our return. At that time, Berkeley's schools were top notch, some of the best in the country.
While attending the private school, we learned to ski. Skiing was one of the physical education options during winter semester. When we returned to California, we kept skiing. Dad didn't ski, but he wanted us to be happy, so when he took us skiing, we went to Squaw so Dad could chew the fat with some friends he'd made up there while the Olympic Village Project moved along.
Back in 1960, Squaw had similar snow troubles to Vancouver's. Squaw didn't have any snow seven weeks before the start of the games! Luckily, on February 11th, a storm blew in and dumped 65 inches at the base in two days! The Games were saved, and Squaw became known worldwide.
I'd like to see a two day/five foot storm next week, but I don't think it's in the cards.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Suffering For My Art
Well, Craft...
I paid the price last night, alright! One hour of Nap Time does not a full night's sleep make. (Sometimes I think I'll never learn)
So here's how it all shook out...
As I trudged up the Shop Road I heard my guys exclaim: "Dave's here!" Strange I thought, I'm supposed to be here... as it turns out, the Boss gave me the night off...and forgot to let me know!
Cool I thought...my suffering will be at the DaveCave, fighting to stay awake while working on my music collection project! Swing Shift was still on the Mountain, so the Graveyard Crew chewed the fat while waiting...looking at the Situation Board, I noticed two of our cats were already down.
Swing Shift started arriving at the Fuel Dock, and they trickled in...every one of them looking crestfallen and stressed...Not Good...
As they spun their tales of woe, I reconsidered my plan to take the night off. My cat was on the Board as down, and I quizzed the operator who downed it. Same tiller electrical problem that's been plaguing her for the past two weeks.
The other cat on the Board had a life-threatening hydraulic leak at the stinger, and the Graveyard Mechanic was enjoying his weekend...so my fate was seemingly sealed...
OK, Spring wasn't false today, the Hero Snow had morphed into Swing Goo/Grave Porcelain...I had to stay...the Guys were starting way out in the weeds, I have the patience to keep ahead of the electrical gremlins with my tiller, and the crew needed me to edit the Work Orders into something realistic...and attainable. (Let me say here that my Boss is still in training...he means well, but there's no substitute for experience) The Work Orders were of the "Most Optimistic Ever" variety, and the Swing Guys let the Orders psych them a little too much...
I did a little mental inventory, and found a cat for everyone...provided I was in my BR350. I made a mental deal with myself...I'll run her long enough to get the Guys onto a positive plane, do all the leftover Special Projects, finish the Ramp Work, edit the Orders, and when I can't keep the eyes online...I'll call it a night...and the Sow's Ear will be as close to Silk Purse territory as possible.
So confident was I of my Plan, that I left my lunchbox and backpack in the Locker Room, and armed with my trusty iPod and MiniMag flashlight, rumbled off into the night. It took reality just twenty minutes to disabuse me of said Plan...and I returned to the Shop, fetched my stuff, refueled my steed, and got down to business.
The Psych had been in full effect apparently...more than an hour of details didn't get taken care of by swing...so I did 'em, and edited some more.
About an hour and a half in, my tiller quit. Less than five minutes of fiddling with the wiring, and she was good to go, and the problem was diagnosed a little more finely. It didn't even hiccup the rest of the night.
Now my real fight began...my eyes wanted to close so badly! I was almost delirious, and the hard snow wasn't helping...grinding along the Flats at Full Slow Ahead is the textbook definition of Highway Hypnosis...I was doomed...once the nodding off began in earnest, I pulled up and took a 15 minute cat nap. That did the trick...for about 30 minutes...then I handed off the Great Wide Open of the Flats and went to some North Facing Tree Trails for relief...not much there either...
About 0330, one of the BR275 utility cats gave up...auxiliary hydraulic leak...an hour later back-up cat number two goes down...coolant leak with overheating. More editing...
I caught a little relief when the pre-dawn color began to silhouette the trees, and we ended the show on time, and without further drama.
The edits of the Work Orders tallied out to about 25 percent of the list...just reality...I told the Boss to use the results to keep making the case for leasing our fleet to the Big Boss.
I had enough life left in me, that I did some grocery shopping on my way home. I got a full day's sleep today too!
I paid the price last night, alright! One hour of Nap Time does not a full night's sleep make. (Sometimes I think I'll never learn)
So here's how it all shook out...
As I trudged up the Shop Road I heard my guys exclaim: "Dave's here!" Strange I thought, I'm supposed to be here... as it turns out, the Boss gave me the night off...and forgot to let me know!
Cool I thought...my suffering will be at the DaveCave, fighting to stay awake while working on my music collection project! Swing Shift was still on the Mountain, so the Graveyard Crew chewed the fat while waiting...looking at the Situation Board, I noticed two of our cats were already down.
Swing Shift started arriving at the Fuel Dock, and they trickled in...every one of them looking crestfallen and stressed...Not Good...
As they spun their tales of woe, I reconsidered my plan to take the night off. My cat was on the Board as down, and I quizzed the operator who downed it. Same tiller electrical problem that's been plaguing her for the past two weeks.
The other cat on the Board had a life-threatening hydraulic leak at the stinger, and the Graveyard Mechanic was enjoying his weekend...so my fate was seemingly sealed...
OK, Spring wasn't false today, the Hero Snow had morphed into Swing Goo/Grave Porcelain...I had to stay...the Guys were starting way out in the weeds, I have the patience to keep ahead of the electrical gremlins with my tiller, and the crew needed me to edit the Work Orders into something realistic...and attainable. (Let me say here that my Boss is still in training...he means well, but there's no substitute for experience) The Work Orders were of the "Most Optimistic Ever" variety, and the Swing Guys let the Orders psych them a little too much...
I did a little mental inventory, and found a cat for everyone...provided I was in my BR350. I made a mental deal with myself...I'll run her long enough to get the Guys onto a positive plane, do all the leftover Special Projects, finish the Ramp Work, edit the Orders, and when I can't keep the eyes online...I'll call it a night...and the Sow's Ear will be as close to Silk Purse territory as possible.
So confident was I of my Plan, that I left my lunchbox and backpack in the Locker Room, and armed with my trusty iPod and MiniMag flashlight, rumbled off into the night. It took reality just twenty minutes to disabuse me of said Plan...and I returned to the Shop, fetched my stuff, refueled my steed, and got down to business.
The Psych had been in full effect apparently...more than an hour of details didn't get taken care of by swing...so I did 'em, and edited some more.
About an hour and a half in, my tiller quit. Less than five minutes of fiddling with the wiring, and she was good to go, and the problem was diagnosed a little more finely. It didn't even hiccup the rest of the night.
Now my real fight began...my eyes wanted to close so badly! I was almost delirious, and the hard snow wasn't helping...grinding along the Flats at Full Slow Ahead is the textbook definition of Highway Hypnosis...I was doomed...once the nodding off began in earnest, I pulled up and took a 15 minute cat nap. That did the trick...for about 30 minutes...then I handed off the Great Wide Open of the Flats and went to some North Facing Tree Trails for relief...not much there either...
About 0330, one of the BR275 utility cats gave up...auxiliary hydraulic leak...an hour later back-up cat number two goes down...coolant leak with overheating. More editing...
I caught a little relief when the pre-dawn color began to silhouette the trees, and we ended the show on time, and without further drama.
The edits of the Work Orders tallied out to about 25 percent of the list...just reality...I told the Boss to use the results to keep making the case for leasing our fleet to the Big Boss.
I had enough life left in me, that I did some grocery shopping on my way home. I got a full day's sleep today too!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
False Spring?
Tonight I'm going to pay the price for not following my own "ironclad" sleep rules this "weekend"...by weekend, I mean my one night off. I worked Sunday night for the President's Day holiday.
Monday night, I fell asleep around 1AM...and didn't wake up from my nap 'till 0430...woops! With the blinds drawn, I've been toiling away in the DaveCave all day trying to get some fatigue goin' so I could fall asleep...alas, I was still wide awake when the alarm clock chimed it's intention to wake me up. I did manage an hour or so of nap time...too little, too late...
I watched a little TV Weather at noon. One of the weather people even uttered the phrase "False Spring" before going on to allude to a return to stormy weather next week...it figures... SturgeUrge is coming up to the Lake for his annual Timeshare Ski Week, and we've penciled in Tuesday next for a little Ice Fishing down at Boca Reservoir. I'll give in on the Ice Fishing however, if we get a solid return to winter weather!
We had some Spring-Like temperatures over the weekend, and the Hero Snow Regime clearly was on it's way out. I think Sacramento hit 70F this afternoon, while it almost made 50F on my Mountain.
Even though it's five weeks until Spring arrives, I fear these few days of Spring-Like conditions have induced a bit of the "Spring Fever" in yours truly...I feel that swell in my chest, and I have been smiling my goofy smile most of today. I spent all morning reorganizing my music collection and listened to some favorite old Blues albums. Buddy Guy...A National Treasure! The "Sweet Tea" and "Blues Singer" albums are both masterpieces.
I felt the buzz from across the country too. I heard from SturgUrge, Sister Sweetly, BajaBabe, and KirkVallus over the weekend, and lots of Old Friends are crawling out of the Facebook woodwork of late, too...may be a Spring Fever Pandemic on tap?
I for one am rooting for a return to Winter! The Eastern Seaboard got plenty of snow this week. Now it's our turn out here in the West! I don't want to see the Squeaky Snow's Swan Song just yet! Put me down for six more weeks of Winter! (a belated hat tip to Punxsutawney Phil!) I don't want to start earning it until Trout Season Opens!
Monday night, I fell asleep around 1AM...and didn't wake up from my nap 'till 0430...woops! With the blinds drawn, I've been toiling away in the DaveCave all day trying to get some fatigue goin' so I could fall asleep...alas, I was still wide awake when the alarm clock chimed it's intention to wake me up. I did manage an hour or so of nap time...too little, too late...
I watched a little TV Weather at noon. One of the weather people even uttered the phrase "False Spring" before going on to allude to a return to stormy weather next week...it figures... SturgeUrge is coming up to the Lake for his annual Timeshare Ski Week, and we've penciled in Tuesday next for a little Ice Fishing down at Boca Reservoir. I'll give in on the Ice Fishing however, if we get a solid return to winter weather!
We had some Spring-Like temperatures over the weekend, and the Hero Snow Regime clearly was on it's way out. I think Sacramento hit 70F this afternoon, while it almost made 50F on my Mountain.
Even though it's five weeks until Spring arrives, I fear these few days of Spring-Like conditions have induced a bit of the "Spring Fever" in yours truly...I feel that swell in my chest, and I have been smiling my goofy smile most of today. I spent all morning reorganizing my music collection and listened to some favorite old Blues albums. Buddy Guy...A National Treasure! The "Sweet Tea" and "Blues Singer" albums are both masterpieces.
I felt the buzz from across the country too. I heard from SturgUrge, Sister Sweetly, BajaBabe, and KirkVallus over the weekend, and lots of Old Friends are crawling out of the Facebook woodwork of late, too...may be a Spring Fever Pandemic on tap?
I for one am rooting for a return to Winter! The Eastern Seaboard got plenty of snow this week. Now it's our turn out here in the West! I don't want to see the Squeaky Snow's Swan Song just yet! Put me down for six more weeks of Winter! (a belated hat tip to Punxsutawney Phil!) I don't want to start earning it until Trout Season Opens!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
There Goes Maverick's
We had a great night last night...all things considered...we lost a winch cat again. A brand new cable made a bird's nest and tore off the level wind mechanism.
On the bright side, I got to climb some seriously steep stuff that I haven't groomed in a few years!
I enjoyed the sunny morning so much, that I forgot to watch the Maverick's Surf Contest webcast! When I awoke tonight, I watched the 6 O'clock News to get the story, and there was a different Maverick's story. Not only were the waves big out at the Maverick's break, but on the beach as well! The story was about the three "Rogue Waves" that pummeled the spectator beach! Thirteen injured, three seriously. The News Broadcasts I watched didn't show one second of the contest...maybe film at 11?
While I was surfing the internet to find some Maverick's Video, I found out that the America's Cup is on! I haven't found any TV coverage yet, either. Please God, help Larry Ellison win the Cup and bring the America's Cup Regatta to San Francisco Bay! What's up with the schedule there? Who thought it was a good idea to go up against the Olympics and the Daytona 500?
On a weather related sports note. The Olympic Alpine Skiing events scheduled for today (Sat) were postponed due to snow and fog...Lindsay Vonn has another day to recoup.
It got warm this afternoon on my Mountain, we'll see if there's any Hero Snow left tonight!
Be good to your Valentines today!
On the bright side, I got to climb some seriously steep stuff that I haven't groomed in a few years!
I enjoyed the sunny morning so much, that I forgot to watch the Maverick's Surf Contest webcast! When I awoke tonight, I watched the 6 O'clock News to get the story, and there was a different Maverick's story. Not only were the waves big out at the Maverick's break, but on the beach as well! The story was about the three "Rogue Waves" that pummeled the spectator beach! Thirteen injured, three seriously. The News Broadcasts I watched didn't show one second of the contest...maybe film at 11?
While I was surfing the internet to find some Maverick's Video, I found out that the America's Cup is on! I haven't found any TV coverage yet, either. Please God, help Larry Ellison win the Cup and bring the America's Cup Regatta to San Francisco Bay! What's up with the schedule there? Who thought it was a good idea to go up against the Olympics and the Daytona 500?
On a weather related sports note. The Olympic Alpine Skiing events scheduled for today (Sat) were postponed due to snow and fog...Lindsay Vonn has another day to recoup.
It got warm this afternoon on my Mountain, we'll see if there's any Hero Snow left tonight!
Be good to your Valentines today!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Musings
It's funny how things work out sometimes. Take last night. I woke up to get ready for work, and as always, i watched two local weather reports. 10 O'Clock News on KOVR Channel 13 and the 11 O'Clock on KCRA Channel 3. Radar and satellite views were bereft of precipitation...both Weathermen said there wouldn't be much to speak of...if any.
So, imagine my surprise when I had to throw the pickup into four wheel drive to make the last half mile up the Old Highway twenty minutes later!
There were barely any flakes falling, and the pavement was mostly that...pavement.
The swing shift guys reported that it rained (or more accurately, misted) for a few hours after sundown, and it turned to flurries after 10PM...they added that the grooming was great.
Well, it snowed all night! I was in disbelief! Where did this come from...why didn't it light up the local radars, and why couldn't the meteosats image it? Stealth System?
Anyway, it didn't amount to much...except lousy visibility...I still climbed everything I wanted to. We knocked out a big list even though we had to down two cats overnight...including a winch cat.
We were off the Mountain right at 8AM, and I was enjoying the Sun on my face in front of the grocery store before 9AM!
Barely enough snow to measure, but it did bond nicely with the frozen rain on the Old Highway's pavement, taking the excitement out of my drive home. In town, the roads were wet, but offered plenty of traction.
Waking up tonight, the Olympics were on the tube. Sadly the Games are of to a deadly start. A Luge competitor from Georgia (the former Soviet State, not our Southern State) was killed in a training accident. On the positive side, after scratching for snow leading up to the Games, Mother Nature is kickin' in with a system that'll postpone some of the Alpine Speed events. Good for injured Lindsay Vonn! I watched the telecast for a while before I switched to the local TV Weathercasts...shouldn't be any surprises tonight! They said beautiful weather for the foreseeable future!
I'm down with that! Maverick's in the morning...webcast begins at 7AM
It's On
Weather Everywhere...
The 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest is a Go! Surf's Up Saturday February 13th, 2010
High clouds and cool today at Daytona Beach, FL. I watched the NASCAR Twin 150 Qualifiers on SPEED. First time I've seen a stocking cap on a racer in the Post Race Interview...I read somewhere that lots of the exotic reptiles in Florida's Everglades are dying from the cold...feral South American Pythons dying in droves ...Iguanas falling from trees...orange juice futures going up...
Look at the 24/7 Cable News Stations. They're Wall to Wall with the NY/DC Winter Storm story. New title? "Snowmageddon" I heard that this week's storms have deposited 60 inches of snow on Washington DC...normal Seasonal Snowfall in DC is 15 inches!
From the Dallas/Ft Worth NWS Office:
"...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM SNOWFALL FOR FEBRUARY 11TH SET AT DALLAS FORT WORTH...
Through 7 PM CDT...Dallas Fort Worth Airport has recorded 7.9 inches of snow. This breaks the greatest snowfall on record. The old record is 7.8 inches set on January 15, 1964 and January 14, 1917. This also breaks the 24-Hour Snowfall for February which was 7.5 inches...set on February 17, 1978 and February 25, 1924. Obviously....this shatters the record Daily Maximum Snowfall for February 11th...of 1.4 inches which was previously set 1988. With the snow continuing...
The snow total will increase. An Updated Record Event Report will be sent later this evening."
...Except Here
The wind buffeting the DaveCave woke me a little after 6PM...getting outta bed I looked outside...no precip, just wind. Looking again around 9PM, there are a few flakes sitting on the front deck now, but more deck than snow showing...not a flake is falling either.
The Reno AFD dubbed these systems "Brush By Systems" because they're brushing by just to our North. Looking at the Mountain's webcam showed a little new dusting, nothing measurable, though.
How much would I like to see 6-12 inches tonight or tomorrow? Words fail...
The Reno AFD says partly cloudy and dry for Fri/Sat/Sun and cloudy Monday. I looked at Sacramento's AFD, and they are a little sunnier: Sunny Fri/Sat/Sun, and partly cloudy Monday.
About Last Night
Man I struggled last night...I paid for screwing up my sleep schedule over my weekend...Big Time! We had an operator who didn't show, but one of the A-Team answered the call, came in on his night off, and flat out got 'er done before some cats went down. My cat ran fine...with a new rookie in it. I was in our newest Bison-X...man those Bisons flat out fly!
I got back on my favorite trail again, and flew right up it, though I wasn't rolling a blade-full in front of me. Turned out perfect...considering how much trouble I was having keeping my eyes open!
Come on up for President's Day Weekend, it's gonna be Epic! Mostly sunny and plenty of great snow!
The 2009/2010 Mavericks Surf Contest is a Go! Surf's Up Saturday February 13th, 2010
High clouds and cool today at Daytona Beach, FL. I watched the NASCAR Twin 150 Qualifiers on SPEED. First time I've seen a stocking cap on a racer in the Post Race Interview...I read somewhere that lots of the exotic reptiles in Florida's Everglades are dying from the cold...feral South American Pythons dying in droves ...Iguanas falling from trees...orange juice futures going up...
Look at the 24/7 Cable News Stations. They're Wall to Wall with the NY/DC Winter Storm story. New title? "Snowmageddon" I heard that this week's storms have deposited 60 inches of snow on Washington DC...normal Seasonal Snowfall in DC is 15 inches!
From the Dallas/Ft Worth NWS Office:
"...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM SNOWFALL FOR FEBRUARY 11TH SET AT DALLAS FORT WORTH...
Through 7 PM CDT...Dallas Fort Worth Airport has recorded 7.9 inches of snow. This breaks the greatest snowfall on record. The old record is 7.8 inches set on January 15, 1964 and January 14, 1917. This also breaks the 24-Hour Snowfall for February which was 7.5 inches...set on February 17, 1978 and February 25, 1924. Obviously....this shatters the record Daily Maximum Snowfall for February 11th...of 1.4 inches which was previously set 1988. With the snow continuing...
The snow total will increase. An Updated Record Event Report will be sent later this evening."
...Except Here
The wind buffeting the DaveCave woke me a little after 6PM...getting outta bed I looked outside...no precip, just wind. Looking again around 9PM, there are a few flakes sitting on the front deck now, but more deck than snow showing...not a flake is falling either.
The Reno AFD dubbed these systems "Brush By Systems" because they're brushing by just to our North. Looking at the Mountain's webcam showed a little new dusting, nothing measurable, though.
How much would I like to see 6-12 inches tonight or tomorrow? Words fail...
The Reno AFD says partly cloudy and dry for Fri/Sat/Sun and cloudy Monday. I looked at Sacramento's AFD, and they are a little sunnier: Sunny Fri/Sat/Sun, and partly cloudy Monday.
About Last Night
Man I struggled last night...I paid for screwing up my sleep schedule over my weekend...Big Time! We had an operator who didn't show, but one of the A-Team answered the call, came in on his night off, and flat out got 'er done before some cats went down. My cat ran fine...with a new rookie in it. I was in our newest Bison-X...man those Bisons flat out fly!
I got back on my favorite trail again, and flew right up it, though I wasn't rolling a blade-full in front of me. Turned out perfect...considering how much trouble I was having keeping my eyes open!
Come on up for President's Day Weekend, it's gonna be Epic! Mostly sunny and plenty of great snow!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Here Come Maverick's
Well, the buzz about the Big Ocean Swell arriving this weekend has made it to the Mainstream Media Outlets. San Jose's Mercury News broke the story Wednesday evening on it's website. The Surfing Sector has been all over the story of course.
The Maverick's Surf Contest may be held Saturday, provided the forecast pans out...and the contestants vote to go for it!
I wondered what the rest of the week's weather for the High Sierra looks like, so I looked at the Reno AFD and forecast. Lot's of clouds and chances of snow showers, but nothing concrete yet.
I won't pull your leg, we sure would like some fresh snow going into President's Day Weekend! Nothing beats the promise of freshies to prime the pump!
The Maverick's Surf Contest may be held Saturday, provided the forecast pans out...and the contestants vote to go for it!
I wondered what the rest of the week's weather for the High Sierra looks like, so I looked at the Reno AFD and forecast. Lot's of clouds and chances of snow showers, but nothing concrete yet.
I won't pull your leg, we sure would like some fresh snow going into President's Day Weekend! Nothing beats the promise of freshies to prime the pump!
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