Paradise Found

More Dam Pics

2009-06-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

The top 2 pics are of the dam with Phelps Ck forcefully going over the dam. The creek is almost 2' higher than what it normally runs when it isn't melting out due to the very warm temps we have been having. The water is clearing up daily and lots of oxygen in the water. just being up there and listening to and seeing the power of the creek when it is flowing like this, seeing all of the gravel in spillway and hearing the rocks which sould like bowling balls underwater is a powerful reminder of what it can do. Below the main spill is nothing but large boulders and bedrock that have been cut and carved over the years by this creek but at this time you can't see it because of the quantity of water flowing over and down the creek right now.
This pic is of the inside of the spillway/aquaduct the bright side is the spillway which supplies the water through steel screens with only 3/32" holes to keep the fry from entering the aquaduct and making it to the powerplant, this past winer it had 3-4' of ice on top of what you see here and why the powerplant froze up this past winter during the -10 nights, it froze faster than I could clear the screens so no power for 7 days. the spillway was 80% full of gravel and rocks when we got up there so had to pull the boards to lower the water level and get the rocks moving then assisted using a shovel to keep the gravel moving back into the creek, there was very little sediment it in, the screens are running down the middle. the darker side is still water that feeds the aquaduct which runs 9900' to the settling tank to get the debris out of the water and let rocks and gravel settle to the bottom of the tanks then send it on down to the powerplant to make power for the houses.

The lower photo is looking up at the dam from the road, below the dam is bedrock and boulders that have been carved by the poser of the running creek, this creek is not glacier fed. Above the dam and around a bend is a very beautiful tropical looking waterfall and several pools which are nice holes for cut throat trout to hang out in. This upper section of the the creek only cut throat trout are found and about 1.5 miles downstream below a 30' waterfall you will only find Bull trout because they eat everything else. Just above the upper waterfall is Spider Meadow but very few have ever experienced this area, once they have they always want to return.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Peace

forest Flowers and Buck Big Red

2009-06-03T11:08:00.000-07:00

I have been asked where the forest flowers are in my photos tht I have posted lately since most have been of the river & creek while rising and waterfalls around here. These are a few of the flowers we have seen while out on our morning hikes, the top flower I'm not sure what it is called i believe it is a bulb plant with a pretty yellow flower that hangs upside down, it found in various areas aound here.
The next photo is of Trillium which are some of the first flowers we see here they love acidic soil for sure and pop up quite quickly after the snow melts, likes shady areas mainly it seems to me and grows all over the flrest floor.

As they get older more mature they turn to the purple color which gets quite deep purple which you see in the next photo.

In the bottom photo is some of the many deer that show up during the day to take their turn at the salt block I put out about 10 days ago and it will be gone in another 3-4 days. It's hard to tell from this shot but the deer in front is a year round resident buck i call Big Red and he already has antlers double the length of his ears and both sides are already forked and the left side rear is starting to split to fork again and it is just June 3. Each year he is a wonderful looking big massive buck with very wide 4x4 and he is extremely wiley and out smarts the hunters each year. He stays here during the winter and never migrates out towards Fish Lake like many of the the deer do.

We actually drive the truck in to Trinity yesterday it's still muddy in a few places but drying nicely aith a couple of snow spots left, it's nice to have y truck home from the garage after 6 months makes going & coming a little easier now.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Peace

First Visitors to Drive into Trinity

2009-05-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day with a nice breeze and good friends. After going for our morning hike and checking the flow of the river and creeks we got home and had an email from friends telling me they were going to come up and hike in to visit. When we came home on Thur we parked down at Little Giant TH and the barricade was put up due to a couple of snowdrifts still lingering and some very soft muddy spots in the road to give it a chance to dry out. Jeff had helped me move vehicles on Thur and knew where we parked which is 4 miles away and they planned to park there and hike in, but instead they figured to see just how far they could drive, well they drove all the way in without tearing up the road and showed up at the gate, very cool.
Jill decided she wanted to not only be the first to drive in to Trinity but the first into the pond which is normally 42-48 degrees in the summer but due to all of the melting snow and shallower water in the pond it was a little warmer. Jill gets the award for not only being the first into the pond this year but she went in twice so I could film it also, she's such a trooper, while Jeff, Johnny & I watched. We had such a great day just having them visit and showing them around and showing them all of the water flows happening right now due to the much warmer temps we have been having. While we were walking around with all of the dogs chasing critters we heard another dogs bark and as were walking to the spillway from the tailrace to show them how it was flowing over we ran into a couple of hikers with their dog, they had come to the same place and found out they could not get past it due to the water flow being rather high. I let them go around and up the road to the trail simply because they had stayed on the trail and didn't just go on their own, they respected private property.
While were out looking around I showed them where the deer had been tearing up the salt block that I just put out last week that was almost 50% gone. Every morning more and more deer show up to enjoy the minerals and socialize or fight whichever you want to call it. Lots of very healthy doe and some really nice bucks already with antlers taller than their ears and forked. The old trailer we are sitting on is from when the mine was running and the sawmill was in full production, we made some guesses of what it was for but aren't really sure, notice the wood spoked wheels they are in great shape for being over 90 years old and buried under lots of snow each winter. We figured it was for hauling logs because of the many leaf springs under it for large loads. Top photo is of Jeff, Johnny & I.
Bottom photo is Jill, Johnny & me with a better view of the powerhouse in background. This is the beginning of the camping and hiking season now that the gates are open with just a barricade up for a few more days anyway.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too. Peace

Constantly Changing Chiwawa River

2009-05-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

This top photo is the newest channel cut by the river, it has been working on this for a couple of years but up until this year this was only a bypass and the major channel of the river went right by Trinity and the Buck CK Trail. This nes channel cuts through the trees closer to James CK and then back around and into the old channel here by Trinity it's where it joins back into it.. It appears to be a fairly deep channel without a rock base like that we normally see it have, now all of the gravel bars are just sitting there huge areas bigger than a couple of football fields with only a trickling of the river along it. If I had my knee boots on I could have gone to get a closer look at this channel but that will be another journey.

This photo show just how much snow is still on the trail in places over 3+' in several shady spots along the trail, also a large tree blocks some of the trail, will have to get cut I just wasn't into cutting it today was enjoying the view and being out with the dogs.
This next photo is the spillway at the lower end of the tailrace, just where the Buck CK trail crosses the stream to continue on to the mountains. This spillway is being slowly removed to allow for a more natural flow making it easier for salmon & dollies to get there from the river. This is just above the confluence where the tailrace and river meet and about 500 yds from the Phelps CK logjam and confluence. If the Forest Service and those in charge of powerplant relicensing get their way and finally make up their mind this spillway could be taken out of action due to rerouting the tailrace back closer to the houses joining the spillway from the front creek and all of that tying into the old creek bed which hasn't been used for
thousands of years. Now the tailrace has been there for over 90 years working just fine and the fish continue to come up it into the pond even though they were spawned in Phelps CK it is the same water they just stay in the river a little longer, they want all of this done for the Dolly's and their breeding beds. It sounds all well and good but it definitely is one of those things that should use scientific data to base their decisions on instead of personel preferences, all of the Big Dolly's are hanging at the waterfall pool about 1.60 miles upstream, not down at this lower end...

This bottom photo is of the gravel bar that was where the river used to be, now it is big enough for several football fields long and wide yet totally hidden by the alders when hiker's are on the trail. I might just have to set up a tent and all out there and build a firepit it's far enough from anything but rocks with the river at either end. Well the alder is so stinking think that without loppers or a chainsaw you won't get through and what makes many of these places not accessible in summer . One nice thing though today did not see any bugs or mosquitos during any of our hikes lately which is a very good thing. Now if the beetles and moths would go away instead f killing off so many trees each year. Looking up and down the valley and seeing the destruction those bugs cause makes me sick, fortunately there are too many other good things to enjoy here.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too, Peace & One Love

Getting warmer waters rising, snow melting

2009-05-19T02:54:00.000-07:00

The top photo is the gauge by the foot bridge on Phelps CK and since Sat it has come up almost .7' and still rising. We checked it yesterday afternoon and it was very dark and murky but not muddy which usually means lots of debris in the water which isn't good for the screens at the dam or settling tank, and can shut the plant down.

The next photo is Chiwawa River @ Phelps CK campground, the bend and Peace is doing what she always does she's looking for the dipper birds that live along the river, the sing and she goes after them without a care. All of the dogs use trees like bridges or highways through the trees, they are true mountain dogs, and love the snow.

The next photo is all 3 of them doing what they do best and that is hunt, not sure what went into the hole in the rocks but Peace is excavating which she is very good at, those big paws can move some dirt, whatever it is it won't get past the 3 of them. It's their favorite past time and they don't really care what it is as long as it runs or flies they will chase it.

This bottom photo is at the auto bridge at the gate, looking up stream of Phelps CK, in the last week it has come up almost a 1' with most coming since the temps went over 70 on Sat & Sun and the nights have stayed warmer than what they have been lately. The afternoons the water is murkier and darker but in the morning it is clearer. This afternoon we heard the tale tale sounds of rising water in the creek, it sounds like bowling underwater from the massive boulders that roll along the bottom, rocks you or I can't lift without help and they are easily pushed down the creek, and the noise alone is becoming defining if you are close. It's a sure sign that spring has arrived at Trinity.
We found out Paradise, hope youfind yours too. Peace

Late April Snow Showers

2009-04-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

This morning while the dogs and I were out hiking and checking out the melt out progress along the river and creek the sun was out shining bright. This afternoon around 3:30 we started getting snow coming off the mountains, but instead of it just being blown by strong winds the sow oved into the valley. These are some of the shots I took while it was happening and still is happening but I wanted to get this posted while it was happening. This is the latest storms we have had while I have lived at Trinity and is one of the things that makes living in the mountains so very special.

If you love the snow as much as I do then enjoy these few shots and if not and you are seeing snow then just send it this way where it is very appreciated... I like the cooler temps that allow for the snow instead of rain which would really make things difficult for getting around.

We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Peace

Paradise from the Front Pond

2009-04-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

Many of my friends and people I meet think that I must be crazy to live in the middle of nowhere as they call it, just because I'm not in town or have a store down on the corner, closest one is 23 miles away. At first I had to get used to it by making sure to get what I needed while in town or being able to do without it until the next journey out. Sometimes it isn't the easiest especially for someone with very bad knees and shoulders but then I go outside and look around me and see the wonderful majestic mountains surrounding me and the beautiful landscape that changes often.

These photos were taken from the front pond actually the south side of the pond looking back toward Buck Mountain and the Chiwawa's in the top photo. The middle photo is looking back from the front pond toward Fortress Mountain & Massie Ridge and the bottom photo shows Massie Ridge and Chiwawa Mountain with Red Mountain. When I get up each morning and look out and see those mountains all around me and no traffic to contend with especially right now during the meltout I am grateful to live in such a wonderful place, fact is I can't see living anywhere else.

Most of my friends that make it here want to stay but just can't break away from the rat race, and I don't even know what that is. Living here is slow paced most of the time unless I'm trying to keep up with the dogs on one of their outings. I think it is wonderful to have such a place to live and enjoy everyday and the only thing that could possibly make it better is someone to share it with all the time, my dogs are great and they do have their own language but it is still a guessing game as to what they want at times. It's nice to have someone to talk to while exploring all around the place we call Paradise.
We found our Paradise, hpe you find your's too. Peace

What a Difference a Day Makes

2009-04-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

These are phots I've taken the last 2 days to show just how fast the creek & river are rising due to the really warm temps and fast melting snow. The top and 3rd photo are of the bend at the Phelps CK campground showing how high the water was today and how high it was yesterday around the same time .

The 2nd photo is of the creek just in front of Trinity at the auto bridge, showing melting snow and rising levels. The creek is still fairly clear but getting muckier each day. Loosing almost 18" of snow since the weekend on our gauge and seeing the river rise almost 1' since yesterday is making for a very interesting meltout. It's supposed to be cooler tonight with the possibility of some snow overnight at 3000' would be nice but will really suck if it is rain here. Hopefully the temps will cool down and slow the melting process some. The advantage this year is that what snow we did have was much wetter snow and when last measured had almost 43-44% density which is much better than what we had last year.

Now that these logs and snow are under water now or melted I will be using the last photo to show the difference of the rivers depth and flow daily but at the rate we are going it won't even be visible after a couple of more days, that is unless the temps cool down alot over the next few days. I've already had friends cancel coming out yesterday on snowmobiles due to the lack of snow between Alder Ck where hey would have to launch and Chickamin flats which is 8 miles up the road. From Chikamin to Trinity there are a few dirt spots but should still be passible for a while but it is really going to depend on what the weather has in store for us.

If things keep up like the last couple of days we could have some really severe flooding so we are praying for cooler temps even during the day it would be a blessing right now, it has been much worse at this time other years with water flowing everywhere, while we still have 2-4' of snow on the road but just one step too far off the road you sink to your knees.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your too. Peace

Meat Friday & Gibbs Organic Farm visit

2009-04-13T05:25:00.000-07:00

This past Thur the dogs and I headed into town, me riding the ATV with them running the 23 miles to the garage, then on to Leavenworth & Wenatchee to run errands. This was to be the longest time away from Trinity since we parked the truck at the garage in Dec. We went out to visit friends and attend Meat Friday at Ryan & Sarah & Holt Walker's. Since we went to visit our friend Grant and wanted him to go with us we had to wait for him to get off work at Steven's Pass before heading to eat meat. Before we could leave though we had to check on the new bull calf that was born just before Grant got home, having just being born 15-30 min before hand, he's a good looking and very strong calf.

We were a little late getting there and not alot of people but tons of different meat dishes, anyone that didn't get full it was there own fault. Got to see old friends we haven't seen much lately and some new friends we hadn't met before, and even got to meet our neighbor's at our garage the Loomis'. We had a wonderful time and had plenty to eat even having lunch and dinner the next day from leftovers we took home.

Grant and I worked at the farm to get things ready, harrowing the hay field along with other chores around a farm while Grant sprayed his trees. We kept watch for the calf and as the day got longer he got stronger.

When we went out originally we we had planned to come home Sat but it was warm in town and thought we would put it off until Sun or Monday giving the snow a chance to set up so not so soft for the dogs that they punch through and get hurt. Easter morning I got a phone call from a friend telling me that he just saw it was already 45 @ Trinity yet only 38 in Leavenworth which when checked again the last update from the webcam was at 2:45 on 4/11 and normally when that happens it means one thing, the plant has dropped/ shutdown, meaning we had to pack and head home immediately so we did. The closer to Trinity we got the wetter it was and not the best for travelling on snow. We headed in from the garage around 11 and after almost 2 hours arrived home to find 4" of new snow in a mix or rain & snow from Chikamin to Trinity. This was a great weekend with friends, just cut a little short.

The best thing was when we got home the plant was still up and running and it was just the computer froze up which was a pleasant surprise. All in all a great weekend and the dogs got to all the stores that have doggy treats in town.

We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too...Namaste'

Skate Skiing to Trinity

2009-03-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Rob & John started out to Trinity around 6am from the Fish Lake Sno-park skate skiing to Trinity and arrived 2 hours and 22 min later, a very quick trip for 23 miles on skis. I got an email from Rob earlier this week about them making the run out here since the trail was getting groomed one last time for the season. It was raining at the time and we got over 1" of rain that day, yesterday morning I emailed him to let him know how wet the snow was after our morning hike. He said they were coming as long as it got groomed wo we both wanted colder temps than 33, we got it 23 overnight due to clear skies. This morning couldn't have been better for them the road was groomed and freezing temps set it up nicely making for a fast trip. I had coffee on for them and the dogs let me know they were here. We had coffee and visited for a little while while they warmed up some, but since the sun was getting higher and higher fast they headed out after their snack and coffee to have good snow on the way back instead of soft snow, it really slows them down. This is the 2nd year for this trek and they couldn't have had a more beautiful day for it, who wants to join them next time. It's an adventure with a cozy resting place with a hot cup of coffee and happiness in the middle of the mountains.

We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Playing in my Backyard

2009-03-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Since yesterday we've had over 18" of snow fall here and today several friends came out for skiing, snowmobiling & brunch. It was a great day it puked snow and for the first time since mid Jan this is the most snow at one time we have gotten here. Sometimes it was snowing over 2"+/hr of beautiful POW. Everyone had a great time and the dogs really loved it, at time all you could see of Bear was the top of his head but they just love the deep POW to play in, but then again don't we all. We are now over 6' on our gauge and that is a good thing.
Even though we have held what snow we have had here never getting lower than 3.5' it just wasn't adding up do to warming and settling before it got to 4' and then today we finally went over 6'. I've always liked the snow and seeing everything white in the trees because it is so clean and beautiful but until it stopped snowing I never realized what kind of impact it caused. Most people that know me know I'm very laid back and never let things bother me, take everything in stride but when things started turning white again I realized I was feeling depressed due to the lack of snow especially during the middle of winter, now that it's snowing I feel revived and much happier now. I love the snow and the mountains and getting to live here is the Bomb, just can't see living anywhere else.

I feel great now and have enjoyed sharing this wonderful place with my friends, if you love snow and wintersports of any kind you can find it here, most only visit but my dogs and I live here always, what could make life better... that is another story...
Get out and enjoy these beautiful surroundings and the POWPOW, it does a body great.

We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Namaste'

Skiing Miner's Playground

2009-03-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

This morning Ivan and I snowmobiled down to the campground and went to a run I have been watching for over a month since the conditions are such that I could walk anywhere without lots of new snow. This morning we found POW everywhere we went, crossed the river over a tree/snow bridge. The dogs of course showed the way since it is something they have done often chasing the dipper bird. The photos aren't in order since the top photo is of the trip end getting ready to go have breakfast.

The next photo is of Ivan skinning up the mountain in some wonderful POW with bear along for the trip they are about 650' above me at this point and headed up another 500-600' before making his run down. What made this trip so cool is that it is a Virgin run no one has skied it until today and it is just one of several I have found since living here, and one that calls to any skier or snowboarder.

The next photo is another of Ivan on his skinning up the mountain, it definitely was a good workout according to Ivan and I was envious I wasn't getting to make that run also but next year I will be if I have to do it on a ski bike. According to Ivan the snow was in great shape, even with all of the icy conditions we had the new snow is bonding very well with very little sluffing at all but plenty of give making for great action on the skis, tis was an east facing slope about 120 yads across with some trees bordering both sides and some in the middle but plenty of room to move around and pick your lines.

The bottom photo is just as Ivan started up the mountain on the way to a first run giving him the honor of naming it so he called it Miner's Playground and with skinning and skiing he totaled about 2500-3000' in about 1.75 hours. When we left the house this morning around 8:45 the sun was poking out a little but you could see the snow coming in and the entire time Ivan was climbing up the mountain the snow got harder and harder I had over .5" of new snow on my pack before he started skiing down and I had a hard time picking him out up there due to all of the snow. Just as he told me he was switching over to skiing and removing skins I looked around and saw blue skies a around with just the snow around Ivan becoming less and less, by the time he started down it was clear and sunny making for the perfect beautiful run ending up at the river close to our tree/snow bridge. These were perfect conditions for being outside and playing in the snow. Even though neither of remembered to set our clocks ahead this morning it was a good skiing weekend for Ivan and snowmobiling for both of us in some wonderful POW 12-18" in places. The only thing that could have made this a better weekend was that it lasted another 2-3 days. There are so many great runs and with the latest snow we've gotten 18" in last 11 days, all you havve to do is pack your skis on your sled and get your butt out here I'll show you where to play and there are no crowds to deal with, you could even name your own runs.

We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too. Namaste'

Dam icicles & fresh Bear tracks

2009-02-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

The other day Bob, Peggy & I along with the dogs went up to the dam , it was a beautiful sunny day and 20 degrees so we decided to head to the dam before it got too warm. On our way there we did a couple of repairs to our road and the bridges we had built out of snow we made it. While we were at the big slide repair and while watching the dogs checking things out I noticed some tracks I knew weren't the dogs, even Peace's big feet were no match for these tracks, they belong to a very early bear that is confused by this weather and lack of snow so he's already moving around. I went out Tues morning to meet Bob & Peggy at the garage I thought I saw some tracks that looked like bear tracks coming this way but knew it was just too early for them to be moving and so thought we might just have a very big wolf out here, well after seeing these tracks on Thur I realized I had seen bear tracks.
While going to the dam and climbing almost 800' elevation from my house we found almost 1' of POW. These are just a few photos I took while at the dam and on the road to the dam. The top 2 photos are icicles from the dam that are getting bigger everyday. The 2 lower photos are of the bear tracks that were on the road to the dam. The dogs went a little crazy wanting to find him, it really kept them busy and got Peace to stop looking for the dipper bird to chase.
The conditions out and about are really great for being able to really go anywhere and if you are looking to do some backcountry touring either snowmobile or skiing you really can't ask for much better conditions. The Phelps Creek TH road is clear and has 2-6" of POWder and closer to the TH almost 10-12", even though the base is great it isn't as frozen as it had been so makes for great exploring. Since we have seen temps in the 40's each day the afternoon's are better for snowmobiles especially since the trail is very hard and icy in some places, but ice scratcher's help greatly, late afternoon's you might post hole in some places as the snow softens late afternoon, as soon as the sun goes behind the mountains though the snow is quick to firm back up. These are the things that make living here so great, everyday is something different, spending time with my dogs watching them enjoy life, the only thing that would make it better is having someone to ashare it with.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Peace

New Snow & Artist Conch babies

2009-02-16T08:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday when we went hiking it was starting to snow lightly and as the day progressed the snow got heavier. We had quite a few snowmobilers & friends come visit some we haven't seen since Peace was 8 weeks old and Bear & Lillie weren't even here yet. Our friends Dan, Jen, Jake, Jared, Allan, Chris, and some friends of their's came out riding and have helped me out in different situations over the years, it was good to see them.
The top photo was taken during the snowfall yesterday, the middle photo is this morning after the snow stuck everywhere.

The bottom photo is actually a fungi commonly called an artist conch, as you can see it grows in and on dead trees and what you are seeing is the fruit of said fungi, which after growing and covering the outside of dead trees people remove them, dry them out and then use them for a canvas for paintings and other art work, some we have found are over 15" across. The photo is of the bottom side of the fruit which is just starting to form but will be solid off white and dries to the texture of an artist canvas. I have found them all over out here in many different sizes and shapes some only possible to see when there is 10-12' of snow because they are so high in the trees/snags.
I'm not an artist, I can't even draw stick figures without a ruler or template but I do have a good eye I believe and see lots of possibilities with them from their beginnings like the photo to those that are multi-faced or 1' across, so until I learn to draw, I might just have to collect them for friends that are artist like Amanda & Rusty Gibbs and see what we ca come up with together.

I am grateful for the new snow and hope to see another 2' or more of snow so that it won't be so dry this summer. Everyone that has been here during the winter & come out here this winter are shocked to see so much of the buildings out here at this time of year, we are usually buried in snow and basically live in an ice cave for 3-4 months with only a way out and a couple of places to look out front and back. I normally have to climb up and then down to get to my porch 4-5' and usually getting i the powerhouse means climbing down 10-12' just to get inside it, this year I made steps in Jan and haven't had to dig another thing since which has been nice for sure but it's not good for keeping the fire danger down. Get out and enjoy the beautiful POW, get some fresh air, and enjoy the natural beauty all around.

We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Ice Wall, River & Spot Satellite Messenger

2009-02-13T22:22:00.000-08:00

This top photo is of one of the ice walls formed from all of the water coming out of the mountain above the river. It's one of the places the dogs like to go run especially Peace & Bear because it is where the dipper bird hangs out and he likes to get them to chase him and they like chasing him. The next photo is the river just below the ice wall and the log jam at the confluence of the Phelps Creek and Chiwawa River, nice hole for the fish to hang out.
The bottom photo is a self portrait with my newest peice of safety equipment my Spot Satellite Messenger. Living out here and doing most of my traveling and hiking alone with my dogs I've been limited in what I can do because of being so far out here and being alone, especially having bad knees and shoulders, this is such a beautiful area and because of that beauty I find it hard to stay inside but have felt limited in where I could safely go up to now, usually I would just email a friend to let them know i'm going hiking and to where or if I'm going out to garage or snowpark, then call once there and when I'm heading back home, with an email once safely home, always with the understanding that if not heard from in 2-4 hours depending on how I'm traveling to call 911 because there was a problem.

Well with the Spot tracking messenger I can let people know where I am in realtime on google maps by turning the tracking mode on, I can also just check in to let them know if going out and if I'm OK even if my power is out now, a nice back up to have. I can send an OK or tracking message with GPS coordinates of where I am or where I have been for 24 hours or longer if I reset it again. If I'm out now and have a problem mechanically or physically but not a real emergency then I can send a help message with exact GPS coordinates and then if it is a real emargency I can send a 911 message which ties me in to the geos emergency worldwide service and will inform the authorities closest to me and get emergency teams dispatched to where I am using GPS coordinates. I believe this will give me an added sense of safety & security whenever & where ever I choose to go now with pretyped messages for check in or help depending on what I'm doing. You can find out more about it at www.findmespot.com if you are interested especially if you love the outdoors as much as I do and live as remotely during such crazy weather times like we have been experiencing. I purchased mine from Rescue Essentials for $149 and it came with the tracker option included via coupon for 1 yr a 49.95 value, then had to purchase yrly service plan for 99 and also got $100K SAR insurance for anywhere in the world for $7.95 and then repair or replacement insurance for 17.95 total of 135 for total service including tracking and unlimited checkin & help, I thought this wasa very good deal since they retail for as much as $169, but shop around there are deals, I'm happy with Rescue Essentials and their customer service is 1st class thanks Jorian, find them at www.rescue-essentials.com
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too.

Making a Snow Road on way to the Dam

2009-02-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

This past Monday Bob and I went to see just how bad the road to the dam was, and this slide and one other small place made it difficult to get past. This area slides every year never fails to let go and normally by this time of year we haven't been able to get to the dam for over a month or two. A few weeks ago when it was raining and we were getting wet snow I thought for sure that the whole face of the backside of Phelps Ridge had let go and slid, well I was wrong. The owners had gone up there a week before and told me they had to do some digging to get by on snowmobiles because of the slide area letting go as usual.
As we got up to the settling tank we had no difficulty getting there and were feeling good about getting up to the dam but we had to do some cutting and digging to make it level enough to get past on the ATV. We found it to be gorgeous going up there and we even found several natual ski runs across the creek. They are accessible from the Phelps Creek TH and by doing a little skinning you can get over 2000' of verticle skiing done and end up at our road across the creek. We had a great time getting there and seeing all of the beautiful snow and ski runs normally cutoff during this time of year.

We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too.

Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race 2009 @ Trinity

2009-02-01T18:56:00.000-08:00

This weekend was the annual Cascade Quest sled dog race and we had 4 Purebred 6 dog teams, and 12 6 dog teams plus a 12 dog team that wasn't racing just a practice run. The teams started getting here around 6:15pm last night and last team arrived at 9:05pm. It took a while to get the dogs fed and settled in for the night so it wasn't real quiet for a little while after they arrived but once they got full and laying down for the night it got fairly quiet until about 4 am when someone must have been moving around and within a moment all 108 dogs outside started singing in harmony with my 3 dogs joining them for a moment. The dogs outside continued singing until they finally restarted the last leg of the race at 8:30 am.
This was the largest group of 6 dog teams in the last 5 years that I have been here for the Cascade Quest. This year we had a completely new crew here except for us and Dr Ty Johnson the Trinity vet not only for the race but also for my dogs and cat also. It's nice having a vet that makes house calls to Trinity and this year he brought his daughter Haile who is 8.
Haile got to meet Emma Porter a first time musher to Trinity who made here first snow run, night run, & overnight run all in one race, but she isn't new to Trinity. For the last 4 years she has come up here as part of the crew here during the races with her dad Tom. This year Tom ran the sporting class team race while Emma ran the 6 dog staged race.
This year the trail was fairly fast due to the conditions we have had the last 3 weeks with very cold nights and warmer days so we were expecting some of the times records to fall this year. We had a great time, had many returning mushers and dogs some with different teams and owners along with some new mushers to this class race who did very well. Not sure how things finished today at the Rec club but should know in the next couple of days. If you haven't had the chance to witness the superb atheletes in action you should check it out. Once the mushers start putting the harness and booties on the dogs the switch goes on and the dogs are ready to run, it's a beautiful thing to watch.

Now even though we had all of those dogs here the only ones that didn't enjoy it were Peace, Bear & Lillie because they were put on house arrest and lockdown while all of the other dogs were here, just didn't need them wanting to play with all of the tied up dogs, it wouldn't have been a pretty site.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Peace

Ice Formations upstream Phelps Creek

2009-01-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning when we went for our morning hike we headed upstream on Phelps Creek and found it to be colder that heading downstream towards the Chiwawa River. It's quite easy to get there now because the alder is buried under the hardpack snow and there are ice bridges everywhere, some cover the creek completely. Peace, Bear & Lillie love getting out and hunting, following scents to every tree the find, and playing chase and having fun.
I'm also curious about the forecast we have been having for this week, I keep seeing fog forecast but we haven't seen fog or anythig else but beautiful blue skies with a few clouds on occasion. It has been about 4-8 degrees colder than being forecast for the nights which is causing moisture to be pulled from the snow and beautiful hoar frost on the surface of the snow, to me it looks like beautiful snow feathers some alsmost 3/4" tall and the dogs love to eat it as they are walking & playing. It looks like the cold temps will get colder through the weekend with Sunday down to possible -2. When hiking around we hardly leave footprints even in the hoar frost. It's been great to be able to go any direction we want each day without fear of post holing or the snow dropping out from under your feet, no need for snowshoesbut some good ice cleats don't hurt.

The water temp of Phelps Creek usually stays between 42& 47 year round until we get into single digit temps, upstream is not as open as downstream therefore it stays colder because of mountains on both sides, not as much sunlight reaches it at this time of year and it is why we are seeing the great ice formations in the creek, I think they are beautiful, hope you like them too.

I am really enjoying having the snow set up so well so early in the winter and I've been taking advantage if it and using it as part of the rehab on my knee. I go walking everyday with the dogs to exercise and keep my knees stronger, it's just very confining when it is so deep and POW with no bottom makes it much more dangerous, you never know if it will hold you or not. Becasue the snow looks like big white pillows and is uneven it makes for good therapy, helping me to strengthen both knees, up & down, crossing creeks, side hilling to get some places and inclines that challenge me without being so dangerous, each day we do a little more. Every morning we go out for a 1.5-2 hour walk and exploration, checking out places to ski and snowmobile that aren't usually accessible and then come in for brunch, which also helps the healing I normally don't eat but once a day. After brunch and a slight rest we head out again for another hour or so, everytime heading a different direction, I'm finding it to be great therapy and fun at the same time.

If you like being outdoors and hiking this is the time to get out and enjoy it, no snowshoes necessary, pack a snack and water and a good walking stick of choice and get out and enjoy. For those that like winter camping there are plenty of snowpits readily available from treewells and fallen trees that will protect you and give you a warm place to sleep.
No need for trails since you can literally walk anywere you want without having alders and vine maple everywhere to hinder you. Jump on your sled, grab your dogs or friends and get outside and enjoy this beautiful winter weather, it'll do you some good.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too. Peace

Exploring with Ivan on Snowmobiles

2009-01-20T23:22:00.000-08:00

This winter I've been taking it easy letting my knee heal after surgery in August, all I've done as far as riding has been the tracked ATV just to keep the snow packed down and making it easier to get around. After the snow settling down and becoming hard packed and I do mean hard, I've been walking with the dogs and checking out places to ride that usually aren't accessable this early in the year, checking out ski runs and places to snowmobile that no one ever rides through the trees.
Today my friend Ivan came out to ride with me and just have some fun in the snow before he heads to Jackson Hole and then on a cruise. We rode down to the horse camp and Phelps Creek campground riding through the trees getting off the trails and making our own way and exploring some new ski runs that need to be named. We found many places on both sides of the river to ride and play lots of mid sized jumps and getting to ride along the river was a great feeling. The dogs had a great time chasing us and hunting anything that moved or the scents left by the martens and other critters we all got some good exercise. The morning started rather cold 14 degrees and Ivan got here at around 9:15 after a chilly 30 minutes ride out here, we had some coffee and caught up some but we had to get out in the snow and all. We headed out to the campground to look at some ski areas that need to be skied and enjoyed, we just need about12" of POW th really make it nice riding.

The places we went in the summer aren't accessable because of all of the mountain alder everywhere but now the snow is just deep enough to hold it down and the snow is hard enough it won't pop up and hit you, and we had 3-4 X's as much area as in other previous years to ride and the nice thing is you can't get stuck, it's a great feeling, and allows you to be more daring, it was wonderful and so much fun. With the 20 degree temp swings everyday into the teens at night and up to mid 30's to 40 during the day also cause some of the biggest snow feathers I've ever seen and each day the become larger, when you walk across them you hardly leave tracks across it. Today was a wonderful with a great friend & adopted family member and even though I will feel it tomorrow it was worth every little ache or pain, it was a big part of the healing process, being outdoors surrounded by the natural beauty all around is very magical.

We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Peace

Hiking up James Creek

2009-01-17T19:43:00.000-08:00

Today started out foggy here in the valley, but you could see blue skies above, so I knew it was going to be a nice day for a hike with the dogs. Yesterday we walked down the Chiwawa River snowbanks to the Phelps Creek campground, the snow is hardpacked enough you don't need snowshoes or have to worry about punching through and post holing. These are the conditions usually not seen until late Mar, early April after the snow basically has stopped falling but before the melt out. It's the time to go snowmobiling and not have to worry about getting stuck, you can go up hills and all normally impassable because the snow snow is so soft and deep POW.
Once we stared out we walked up the river until we found an area to cross on snow, not a downed tree and then we walked as far up the west side of the river as far as we could without going up the mountain just yet. The dogs had a great time chasing snowshoe hares, squirrels, and the martens across the snow. Since last Easter when some friends and I hiked up there in white out conditions so they could ski while walking the ridge above the creek and looking down on the creek I've wanted to hike it. It is almost impossible in the summer because of the mountain alder being so thick only deer and small creatures and my dogs can get around through it, I haven't tried but know those that have to their painful regret.

Today was perfect but almost dangerous, it was 18 when we started out, the hoar frost looked like diamonds, you could see how high the river had been running because of the mud on the ice & snowbanks, and the alder were buried and held down by the hard packed snow that is almost ice due to wet snow and rain last week and the 20 degree temp swings each day, warming to 40 and down to 18-20 overnight. I didn't have to worry though I had my ice traction studs on , they are great best I've had or needed being here. Today though we walked up the creek from the bottom up either walking beside or right up the middle on the snowpack. We found several small snow sides not big but slides none the less and because they are basically frozen now made nice stairs for climbing up once we got to the bottom of the waterfall, the dogs and I investigated as much as felt safe. We actually were standing right below where Grant, Ivan & I took a breather last year just before they skied down, one of the slides was at 3 Dog Run which we named last year after the dogs took off and ran to the bottom and back up again. These are just a few of the photos to show how gorgeous it was there today, you can see more on the web album online. Today's hike was a blast temp was 25 when we returned 2 hours later, the snow was just starting to get soft enough to see where we had been. The only thing that would have made today better would have been to have someone to share it with.

We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too. Peace

Old Friends Remembered

2009-01-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

The snow here is very firm with 23 degrees, you can basically goo anywhere because the snow is compact, more like springtime conditions than what you would normally expect for mid-January. No new snow and lots of sunshine and plenty of early morning Alpenglow.
I often get asked about the wolves I shared Trinity with for a couple of years, so here are some photos of Kaia & Nashaba, thanks Ted and everyone else.
This is the time to get outside and enjoy what snow we have. Peace

Are You Kidding Me !!!

2009-01-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

I normally keep a pretty close eye on several different forecast to get a good idea of what the weather is supposed to do, but then I also watch what is going on around here at the same time. The forecaster's missed this by a mile, it was supposed to be in the mid 20's last night, instead it stayed above 40 all night with crazy winds some over 30 mph. It has made the snow very slick and glazed, from firm to soft and we are now below 4' on the gauge. The road here was groomed last night and if it had gotten as cold as forecast would have set it up nice, since it is so warm I don't even want to go out walking around much due to severe risk of post holing which is something I prefer to avoid, evenn the dogs are having difficulty with keeping their footing and sliding around, it is funny though. In just over a month we have gone from lows of -9 to now highs of 49, making it very hard on the water supply for summer. Like I've said the macro-climate here at Trinity is so very different from anything you will find in this area, Fish lake is at 36 with 1mph winds and Steven's Pass it's 32, yet it feels like I went to sleep and woke up and it's late April the snow is dirty with debris fom the trees, the snow is melting due to the strong winds and if you are walking in this snow wear snowshoes or sink, the advantage is I can go just about anywhere on my snowmobile and not have to worry about getting stuck in bottomless POW. If this keeps up we will not have any snowpack by the time April gets here which reminds me of the first winter I was here, I hope we don't have a repeat. This continues to be a crazy winter and everything that normally takes 5-6 months to happen here has now happened in one month.
We found our Paradise, hope you find yours too. Peace

Beautiful Day @ Trinity

2009-01-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and the snow was firm but not frozen like it was yesterday, and for the first time we could get to the foot bridge without punching through post holing. Now that the temps have gotten warmer the ice dams are melting somewhat revealing the creek a little more everyday. The dogs love it too, they can go anywhere they want which means they can hunt without having to snowplow to get to the smells and have fun playing in the snow without getting wet. Bear found something he liked in the snow by the foot bridge digging as deep as half of his body as you can see in the photo of him, Lillie likes to belly slide on the snow, Peace was out hunting somewhere else. I was able to drag around Trinity and even started getting things ready for the sled dog races that will be happening in the next few weeks, it's called the Cascade Quest. With all of the snow we have had I haven't been able to keep it knocked down and with the rains the snow is like Big pillows of snow, not very even and so it will take some work to get it ready for the dog teams. I hadn't been out there very long and the temp was hovering around 32 so that it was firm but still soft enough for the drag to cut the snow down some without being so hard it does nothing. That only lasted about 45 minutes and then it warmed up and got very soft so that I went from barely making a mark to cutting a 10" trough, so I decided it would be better to stop before I messed up what I had done already. The rest of the day we kept an eye out for any sledder's that might make it out this far but so I could find out what the road south of here was like, probably not passable due to slides and possible downed trees. There is always tomorrow and with the warming trend expected this week I'll only be able to drag early in the mornings and only if it drops below 30 at night. We'll just have to see what happens and hope they groom this week all the way out here then for sure friends can come in to visit without difficulty. All in all today was a beautiful day and the dogs had a blast gettting to go places thaty haven't been able to for a while. The marten has been around here causing Peace to go a little nuts, once she winds something she wants to find it no matter how far away it is or where it has gone. I believe Peace would be great at an extreme obsticle course the way
she, Bear & Lillie travel through the woods, they are all bushwackers, I don't think she would find a closed course very challenging, especially since she uses downed trees as bridges and highways through the woods, deer trails, the creek and river to get around in the brush, and she just loves to run, not bad for a Lab/Rott/St.Bernard mix but she has the heart and soul of the wolves I've had, she just stays closer to home. Well that will be someting else to write about another day. The snow and rain is gone but the winds are picking up getting stronger keeping the wind chimes singing their songs which I love to hear, but it also knocks the snow down compacting it even more.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Peace

Icicles a Favorite Toy

2009-01-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

Most of us are thrilled when we see big icicles hanging off of buildings and windows and all but my dogs could care less when they are hanging around here, but once they fall it's a different story. They can not go outside without grabbing one before coming back inside which is OK but can be a surprise if you happen to be walking in your socks sometimes.
Today it started out snowing around 8 and we had friends coming out to visit and they were leaving the snow-park @ 9:30. They got here around 11 and were soaked because it had been raining Fish Lake and half of the way in here but the whole time they were here it snowed about 3" in about 5 hours but that turned into rain within 20 minutes after Ivan & Sam left. We had a great visit and they brought in some needed supplies of ice cream, 1/2n1/2, & milk.
With these warming temps and now the rain all of the snow that has been piling up on the roofs is starting to slide off & building up around the houses which is helping to insulate things but most of all there are icicles everywhere and not one time can any of the dogs go out or come in without picking up one to fight over. It's another of the many things they do to entertain me everyday. If you haven't met Peace, Bear & Lillie in dog you are missing out, even though at times it seems chaotic with them they each have very definite dogalities and are a pleasure to be around. They have never met a stranger either 2 or 4 legged and they are my best friends. It's such fun to watch them playing in the snow, playing keep away or tag using a branch that has fallen, it just doesn't matter to them. After spending $100's on toys for them the ones they like best usually can be found on the ground while they are out playing, keep it simple is even true for them.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your's too. Peace

Meet Gizmo the Cat

2009-01-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

This is Gizmo the Cat he's lived here at Trinity with me almost 4 years, the longest of any animals that have lived here with me. Since most of the photos I take are when we go walking and include the dogs I was asked why I never had photos of Gizmo so here they are. The top photo is when Gizmo met Sadie thePine Marten who came up on the porch one morning looking for something to eat. The next one is of Gizmo in his favorite place to sleep and look outside the window to see what is out there. The bottom photo is where he was thinking about attacking Bear or possibly looking for a place to lay down with them. Gizmo is not like most cats in that he isn't afraid of the snow and if we go outside he usually follows to see what the dogs are doing. Gizmo si also a pretty good hunter until it comes to mice and he would rather play with them and then let them go but not until the damage has been done & I find them a few days later. I'll try to do better to show all of the animals including Gizmo in future post.
We found our Paradise, hope you find your too.