East Coasters say the reward for their harsh winters and summers are the beautiful falls and springs. Out in California, the change of seasons isn’t indicated so much by colorful explosions in the trees, as it is by the shift in what we do outdoors.
The forecast does not bode well for my last group outing this Sunday on Mt. Tamalpais, with our hike leader warning that the trek will be canceled altogether if the weatherman even mentions the word “lightning.” … That’s OK. With the countdown officially on for my move to Baltimore, I’ve already turned my attention from picturesque hikes that end with the sun melting into the Pacific …
How our all-day hike south of Big Sur ended last month ...
… to the frosty slopes of Tahoe!
View from the lift at Kirkwood Ski Resort on Thursday ...
Granted, Californians are still weather wimps. Since returning from Baltimore, where my one-day house hunt all over town was graced by early-season snow fall (see previous post), I’ve watched a veritable blizzard of comments on Facebook about the quaint frosting that folks in the Bay Area discovered on their lawns and windshields last week. But all I felt was 30 seconds of hail.
Now, this is snow:
The powder was quite yummy on (and under) my board ...
I rallied two other friends and my cousin to join me for one last hurrah on the mountain. It was early-season snow up there, too. But four feet of fresh pow over the previous two days, temps in the 30s, and pretty much just us at the resort (the beauty of being jobless and able to board on a weekday) made for awesome riding conditions. Good friends made the whole day feel downright warm — as did the Irish “antifreeze” in our flasks ;^)
Adios, Tahoe ...
Looks like you’ll miss California Mike – me too. But Baltimore will be fabulous also I am sure you will make it a good time. What an adventure.
Here’s a link to my blog:
http://helenpitt.wordpress.com
You’ll see some former Crittenden folk have been in touch.
Happy 2010.
Helen