Springtime at Squaw

When I opened my eyes Saturday morning something was wrong. Instead of seeing snow and trees out our windows I saw multicolored canopies. Was I at a swim meet? A swap meet? Earl Gray and I walked out on the balcony. Sure enough, there was a canopy city out there and it was growing larger minute by minute. They were so close I could have handed them cups of coffee. But they paid no attention to me, the woman wearing a lime green ski jacket over purple plaid pajamas, looking befuddled. An hour later it became clear: Granite Chief was setting up for a demo day. Still, it blocked my view. I did what came naturally after a very long work week: I went back to sleep.

The kids did not feel like skiing so we lounged around and when Dave came back from racing in the Far West Championships, I ventured as far as the grocery store. The best part of the day was during the late afternoon: Neighbor Ben's 9th Birthday Party at the Papoose Chair! We tubed, made s'mores, drank margaritas, and feasted on gluten free pizza and cake.

The Birthday Boy and his family moved up here this winter. They still have a house in the Bay but he and his younger brother go to school in Donner. The parents and younger sister commute and they have a manny, too. The party guests were an eclectic mix: city friends who spoke of Lick, Burke's and Hamlin; neighbors like us who talked about rockers and renovations; ski team families who talked about the Big Air results; the Birthday Boy's local classmates and their families who compared notes on Summer ski plans for the southern hemisphere, and the Birthday Boy's extended family.

When I opened my eyes Sunday morning it was very quiet. At least I saw snow. But there was no line at the KT chair. Once again I was befuddled. And then I realized that it was because there was no fresh snow. Fresh snow = diehards who get in line two hours before the lifts open to lay the first tracks. My brother and father showed up promptly at 9a to continue the tri-generational skiing we enjoyed two weekends ago. It was a beautiful day of Spring skiing. My brother pushed Tori harder than she is used to and her parallel turns and hockey stops improved. So did her confidence level; I would not have dragged her down some of those black runs on my own!

While there is a lot of snow up here, a record 61 feet this year, it's melting quickly on the lower mountain. Squaw will be open through Memorial Day and while I doubt we'll ski that late in the season, it may be tempting to come back up that last week just to have done it.