1/5/18 Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

Seats, table, and entrance

I took the 5th off (I didn't tip off Carrie because I was substituting and decided not to take work that day) and skied back to the same spot as the day before.  I was happy to find that the snow set up well overnight and was rather firm.  I started by cutting in the space for some legs between what I envisioned as a table and two seats.  I cut out large blocks and set them aside for later.  After cutting out the first layer from top to bottom, I started in on the next layer.  I cut out one large block and my vision changed.  I no longer saw seats sitting separate from the table but more like seats with back rest as the seated would face the creek.  This was quite the realization, and my work became easier and I felt more confident in the seats being sturdy.

Snow wall

I cut out the first seat and sat in it to check durability, width, and depth.  I was almost right on for the first attempt, having to make some minor adjustments.  The next seat went in quickly due to the practice building the first.  After testing and adjusting the second seat, I leveled off the table.  Next, I cut the entrances to be appealing to the eye and have some consistency.  Lastly, I took the numerous snow blocks I had and built a little wall on one side of the table and seats.  More than anything, it was for purely aesthetic reasons.  That, and it was fun to build (and much easier to shape than rock).

Upon finishing, I snapped some photos and skied out of there and back up to the main trail.  From there it was an easy ski back to the trailhead.  My excitement grew along that ski out.  I really hoped no one would stumble upon my work and destroy it, intentionally or not.  To help prevent that I had walked in my final ski tracks from the day earlier between the trail and the creek in hopes of deterring others from skiing down that way.  I still had a couple days, and a lot could happen.

Finished product

1/4/18 Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

A nice spot right on Rattlesnake Creek

Sometime in the previous week and one half I decided that the weekend of January 6th and 7th would be the weekend I would propose to Carrie.  After running my plan by a trusted female friend, I decided to set it into motion on the 4th.  I set out in the afternoon, after teaching, and headed back to the Rattlesnake.  I turned off at the first trail that leaves the main stem trail heading toward the creek. My goal was to find a good spot a little off the trail but near the creek.  Eventually I had taken every trail near the creek within the first mile and one half from the trailhead.  Before heading up the hill to the main trail, I decided to check the last little loop that heads down toward the creek and then switchbacks up to a spot only 100 feet from the end of the other side trail.  Once I made the first descent I came to some flats and saw some old tracks heading through the snow toward the creek.  I skied through the old tracks and came to a nice platform above the creek.  I took off my skis, walked through the drooping brush and came out right on an open spot on the creek.  I had found my place.

Snow pile in its infancy

I took my avalanche shovel out of my pack and began scooping snow into a large pile.  I knew that the snow was not deep enough or consolidated enough for what I had planned, so I piled snow from a large area around me.  After some time and effort, I had quite an area cleared of most of its snow and a large pile of snow ready to set up overnight.  I looked around at the creek and surrounding terrain and was pleased with the spot.  I looked at the cleared area and pile of snow and was pleased with my effort.  I put my shovel away and climbed up the small rise to my skis.  I stepped back into the skis and skied back to the trail and then followed the remainder of the trail, up the switchback, to the main trail.  From there I skied happily back to the trailhead.

Snow pile ready to set up

12/30/17 Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

Jake, Rhian, and Sophie

On the 30th, Carrie and I went out with Jake and Rhian and their four-month-old daughter, Sophie, for her first ski.  Granted, she wasn't skiing, but she was out there for the first time on her father's chest.  It was a lovely day and we skied up the main stem trail to Trail 515.1 and skied that down closer to the creek until it met back up with the main trail.  From there we turned around and skied back down the main trail.  It was a pleasant three-mile trip, and Sophie did great!

12/29/17 Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

Viewpoint on Rattlesnake Creek just past Fraser Creek

On the 29th, I headed out again into the Rattlesnake.  This day was even warmer and wetter than the previous day.  I started out on the main stem trail and decided to stop at the viewpoint over the creek just past the Fraser Creek bridge.  Since the snow was a little sticky, I decided to turn around here.  On the way back, I turned onto Trail 515.7 in Poe Meadow.  This trail took me right down to the creek and one of my favorite spots.  I stopped here briefly to take in the sights and sounds of the creek and then carried on through the loop back to the main trail.  After ascending the large hill, I turned in on the shortcut to Trail 29.1 and took that trail to the junction with Trail 29.2, which I took back to the main trail.  Back on the main trail, I had a pleasant, but wet, ski back to the trailhead.

12/28/17 Rattlesnake National Recreation Area

A warmer, wetter day than the previous ones

Ever since the first ski of the year I have wanted to ski all the way out to the Franklin Bridge, eight miles from the trailhead and about three miles past the end of the grooming.  On the 28th I thought I might make it out to the bridge.  When I started skiing, however, I realized that this would not be the day to ski that far.  The weather was a little warmer and the snow was a little slower, and I knew it would be a lot more work in the sticky snow than I cared to put forth.  I decided pretty quickly that I would ski the Wallman Trail.  These would be the perfect conditions for me—the snow would be slower, giving me the chance to ski down the far side of the loop.  I figured I could still walk the steep sections I couldn't ski but by the end of the day, I never had to take off my skis.

Mountain lion track crossing the trail

I took the trails down near the creek initially to test the snow off the main track.  It was certainly slower, but I love skiing those creek trails and enjoyed myself thoroughly.  Back on the main track, I headed up the trail for a short time before turning off the trail onto the Wallman cutoff, Trail 29.2.  There were some recent ski tracks under the fresh snow and the going was pretty easy.  When I made it to the Wallman Trail, 29.1, I found it was less tracked.  People had been up the trail, but it had been some time.  Eventually, the tracks were completely snowed in and I was breaking trail, following the occasional animal track here and there.  As the trail steepened I followed what seemed to be a large canine or feline track.  It was difficult to tell until I came upon a spot under some trees where the snow had been partially blocked from filling in the tracks and the animal had crossed the trail from the downhill to uphill side.  Here, a couple tracks made it clear that it was pretty fresh mountain lion tracks.  Once it crossed the trail it never followed or crossed the trail again.  A little further above, I crossed fresh moose tracks as well.  It felt quite wild.

Top of the climb on the Wallman Trail

I worked my way through the couple switchbacks and the final climb to the highpoint in the trail.  I had hiked the trail that summer with Carrie and we had stopped at the top for a lunch break, and on this day I decided to do the same.  It was certainly warmer than the previous days and quite wet.  My hat was dripping water from the bill from just before lunch until the end of the ski.  After enjoying a nice lunch sandwich and some water, I stepped back into my skis and began the descent into Spring Gulch.  I was a little worried and cautious about the descent.  I am not the most graceful when it comes to cross country ski descents, but I felt quite comfortable the whole way down.  The snow was the perfect consistency for my abilities, and I was gliding down the mountain while maintaining some control.  The switchbacks themselves were steep and slow going, and I came across a steep section right above Kench Meadow where the trail was blocked by snow-strained brush.  In this location I had to side step down through the worst past the brush until I could ski again.

At Kench Meadow the decline lessened and the snow began sticking to my skis.  Between the meadow and the Trail 517/Trail 517.1 junction I had to stop a few times to knock snow off the bottom of the skis.  It was more annoying than anything and I struggled through this section until reaching Trail 517.1.  This trail had been tracked earlier in the day and I had a much better time skiing the last stretch back to the main stem trail.  From there I made it easily back to the trailhead.