Do you remember Smila who had a “Sense of Snow?” I loved the book and movie about her, and the way she could interpert subtle changes in the snowy region where she lived, that other people couldn’t see or understand.
I unlike Smila, can make no sense of snow.
In fact, I am mildly afraid of snow, oh heck, make that more than mildly.
My fear comes from growing up in Southern California where there is no snow worth speaking about, and traveling regularly to ski various mountains since I was young. Mammoth in the Sierras has more snow than many high mountain ranges.
There is more snow averaged over the years in Mammoth than the Rocky Mountains. Here is the snow looking out the SECOND FLOOR kitchen window in our rented condo unit today.
Here is the snow resting against our second floor balcony’s sliding glass window. This is a moderate amount of snow for Mammoth in that we have not yet reached 300 inches. In seven winters over the past 45 years, Mammoth has received well over 500 inches of snow, and up to 668! Mammoth averages over 300 inches each year. The snowiest European Alps on average get approximately 380-400 inches of snow, while Andermatt in Switzerland gets around 480 inches a year.
I know all this because I am married to a professor of biostatistics who loves to ski.
Here is the ski route out from our condo to the lifts. I get intimidated with snow because unlike Smila, there are a lot of things I don’t know about it, like how to build a snow cave to survive overnight when I get lost on the come-back trail after the lifts close. I often get lost on the come-back trail as the sun starts to set. Once, years ago, I got lost and didn’t find my way back till well after dark.
I have always skied with guys, first my brother, than boyfriends, husband, son, friends of them, and so on. They always ski better than I do and I focus on keeping up and not breaking my bones. When we are on summits, with whipping winds blowing freezing snow-needles into our faces and practically zero visibility, they get strangely hyped up.
“Awesome,” they say.
“Shit,” I think.
“I can’t see anything and I know it’s steep. I’m dumping them after this run and going alone.”
I do this, and then I get lost on the come-back trail.
Skiing with young guys is particularly fun. “No black diamond runs unless you ask me before.” I emphasize.
“No problem,” they say.
We get down a particularly nasty run and I say, “That was horrible. I don’t ever want to do that again.”
“Look at the bright side,” they say, “You just did another black diamond.”
“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
I clearly am not as brave as Eleanore Roosevelt. I don’t want to do something scary everyday. Once a year is quite enough for me, thank you Eleanore!
Cheers to you from the stunning, snowy, and sometimes scary Sierras~
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These are wonderful shots of snow, WOW! Cindy you are good. 🙂
Thank you Ranu. The good news is that it finally snowed in the Sierra, although Southern California is still in drought conditions.
You make snow look beautiful and inviting. That is an amazing accomplishment, when I know exactly how bone-numbing cold it can be.
It can be down right scary, and beautiful too, I agree with you!
Not to mention dangerous.
That too unfortunately.
skiing is something I am not inclined to try, but I am fine with snow. Now ice, that’s another story, These pictures are breathtaking. Enjoy your self and don’t get lost 🙂
hugs,
Linda
The problem with snow is the ice that is often lurking especially when you are skiing!
Oh my gosh, I have so many wonderful memories of playing in the snow. By the sounds of it, you need to find a group to ski with who is more in keeping with your level of comfort. Skiing in fear is no way to enjoy the experience, trust me, I have been there. Skiing within your comfort level, on the other hand, leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment & the sheer joy of enjoying a magical winter day. Brave you are Cindy!
I get the feeling of accomplishment everytime I survive a day on the slopes! 😉 😉 I really do enjoy the challenge of skiing with my husband and son even though I do get scared. I probably would get bored otherwise!
Excuse my language, but DAMN. That is a LOT of snow. It is beautiful though. Biostatistics… I didn’t even know that was a thing. Very cool. I am not afraid of snow, but I do know that snow can be very destructive. Too much of it on a roof of a building can bring a building down in no time.
I learned too late that is it excellent to pursue an advanced degree in a subject that basically most of the world doesn’t understand. It gets rid of all those pesky corrections the rest of us are forced to suffer through….. 😉
Whatever works lol
I want to be there.
Not to ski.
But to be.
I love this post.
Yes. Smart person. Being in the High Sierras just after a major blizzard is heaven on earth.
😀
Mammoth is truly a fairy tale! Beautiful photos, Cindy.
It does look like a fairy tale and best of all there are no crowds, yet!
That’s a lot of snow.
Good to see it after two years with next to nothing. They still need more though and SoCal is way too dry~
LOL you slay me, love your presentation….I’ll let you do the skiing darling and read about your adventures.. I loved your stats.. I’m married to someone not unlike your hubby, don’t you just love the way the numbers fall off their tongues, it is never just its a lovely sunny day, you get the whole barometric picture and more.
A math head is fun to live with because his cognitive strengths are the diametric opposite of mine and visa-versa, so one of us usually has some idea what we’re doing in any given scenario……. Note, I said, usually! 😉
Beautiful winter pictures! And the story about skiing is awesome!
Awwww, thanks.
Wow! That was incredible for the snow that deep or I would say that high. The is over 50′ high. That could easily bury a two story house. I like how smooth looking on the roof though. It just bags for some one to jump in. On the other hand, if you see snow pile up all the way up to the top of the window outside then I would be so scare!
Nice pictures!!!
Mammoth amazes me with the snow accumulation. Now there is so much powder now, that the danger is hitting an ungroomed area while going fast as it just stops you too abruptly. Also when walking a groomed trail you have to test the snow before you step or you could fall into a drift. It really is stunningly beautiful though, with the sunshine and the bright blue skies.
Wow…Amazing photos!
The biggest bummer about Mammoth is the hordes of crowds during holidays and weekends. Right now the mountain is practically empty, but as we approach the weekend that will change.
Oh I know that fear of snow. And the thrill of it! Never did do a black diamond though.
Alison
I am so glad you validate my fear of snow Alison. When it is especially intense, there is something primal about it, that raises the hair on the back of my neck. All those years of evolution, saying, “get somwhere warm!!” 😉
I was shoveling a mere 12-14 inches off the driveway yesterday. It was enough.
Shoveling, scraping ice off the windshield, sliding your car in ice, trying to start the car in Jackson Hole with a windchill of -50. Snow and winter can be daunting…… I know you know this much better than I. I only visit the snow to get scared once or twice a year! 😉 🙂
Quite a different post for you, Cindy! I am impressed with your skills. The photos make it look like fun. Be careful out there!
I try to balance being one of the boys, with a small degree of common sense! 😉
Oh I love love love these!! 💖❄️💖❄️💖❄️
Awwwwww, so kind and thank you so much! <3 <3
We’re in California! Our first winter in the ancient cabin we bought in Blue Jay in 1988 we experienced the miracle March. Looked just like your pictures. We parked our car heading downhill the night before so we could have gravity’s help getting out if it snowed but when we opened the door the next day all that could be seen of the car was the antenna!
Incredible isn’t it! Gives me goosebumps reading it. It brings up a combination of thrill, amazement and fear in me! But I keep coming back, because there is nothing else like it! It’s good you found the antenna, otherwise you would have to wait for the thaw to see if your car had been stolen.
I can imagine your call to the police.
“Our car has disappeared!” you say.
The police,”Yours and everyone else’s ma’am. Call us back after the spring thaw if you still can’t find it.”
You are so funny! Not to mention clever! “-)
Awwww, you are very kind! <3 <3
Wow! What fantastic images Cindy, and yes, a bit intimidating. I’m only a cross-country skier so the downhill slopes are unimaginable to me. But, I would sure love photographing this!
I want to try snowshoes tomorrow. There are so many massive drifts all over the mountain, I want to rent some and take my camera and explore. I will carefully mark my path though, and not with breadcrumbs, although that would give me some great bird shots! 😉
We had 31 inches of snow in one day, and I complained. I won’t any more. ☺ Beautiful pics, Cindy.
That is a lot of snow! I wish we would get some at The Holler~
That is a lot of snow… Beautiful snow captures! What a winter adventure you had, Cindy.
Reminded me the ski adventure we had in Colorado. 🙂
Colorado is so beautiful. Telluride is amazing. The one that sticks most in my mind was Jackson Hole with my brother eons ago, when the windchill hit -50F. My husband who I didn’t know then was there at the same time, and he says he remembers me from the chair lift and a conversation I was having with a ski patrol guy about the danger of out of control skiiers. It is a very small world.
Cindy, I can understand your nervousness about snow. But your photography is beautiful. Your photos would enhance the tourism industry.
Oh, thank you first for understanding my nervousness, and second for such a lovely compliment. Very thoughtful of you~
Your welcome, and you should think about it. ;o)
Now that’s how I like to see snow. In nice, beautiful pictures! Hard to believe there is none outside my window right now. Here in NE Ohio we seem to have entered the Twilight Zone. Sixty degrees today! (But the cold shall return tomorrow…)
Laughing, yes I can relate to enjoying snow in photos! Have you ever seen the Northern Lights where you are? I hear they can be seen every decade or so. My husband saw them in
Shaker Heights over Lake Erie.
I haven’t seen them. Then again, I haven’t really looked for them. 🙂
Might be interesting to see them. I never have, and want too.
You are right to be scared. My husband just this weekend, while snowboarding in Tahoe with my son, got off-trail and soon found himself lost in the endless wilderness. All I can say is thank god for Search and Rescue professionals that tracked him down. It could have ended very badly. The Sierra Nevada do not trifle with the inexperienced and many pay for their mistakes with their lives. I thought I was grateful for my life before, but my gratitude has grown manyfold after this sobering event.
Yes. How terrifying for you Eliza, and for your husband and son.
I am so sorry, but very glad that both were found and all is okay. My son got seriously lost once too. Ski patrol was looking for him. He found his way back on his own but, it was terrifying. I can well imagine how frightened you all were. You, your husband, have my full empathy and understanding and gratitude that he is okay. Skiing has many dangers that shouldn’t be minimized. and son
Thank you, Cindy. Believe me, we have renewed appreciation for the gift of our lives. It is a sobering experience to say the least.
Pretty to look at but I don’t want it in my back ward….a little tad allergic to snow lol
I can fully relate……Achoo! 😉
lol
I don’t fear snow but the older I get the more I begin to dislike it. However, all that snow makes for a very scary scene!
It does. I fear it because I am a visitor to it. I am not a local, born and raised with it, and I know this, so it makes me wary of it.
aaah…growing up in the 60’s and 70s in New York fun in the sun was replaced by snow 4 months a year.
Sounds like happy memories!
Beautiful pictures, but I am quite happy with a no-snow winter in my part of northeast Ohio! Counting my blessings every day it has stayed east of me!
Yes, I can well understand your gratitude!
Perfect snow photos! Brrrr
It is nippy, but it is bee-yut-ee-full!
It is beautiful! LOL. .❄❄❄Stay warm. Bleasings and peace.
<3 <3
That is a LOT of snow!
Yep, it surely is! If only it would rain at The Holler~
Wow! I love snow – but that’s too much!
It is quite a bit isn’t it. Driving up and down the steep, windy hill to the condo was an experience!
That’s fearsome big snow, and your photos capture it beautifully. I grew up in Maine and here the snow is not only “recreational” as it is in the Sierras. It’s the maddening damn stuff you have to shovel just to get to work, and the friggin’ stuff that makes roofs cave in. On the other hand, if you’re a kid, it’s a wonderland of snowballs, forts, and coasting downhill. I was on the competitive women’t ski team in High School—everybody then was a skier, and I think it’s an exhilarating, glorious sport….but I like more civilized ski slopes—the kind where you don’t get lost going up and down— and camaraderie rather than scariness. You can’t very well ski with a walker, though, so my days on the slopes are over. I enjoyed your “Nonsense of Snow” very much!
I absolutely am not even a bit surprised you were on the competitive ski team Cynthia. I can easily see you skillfully racing with the same grace and style that you write. What a wonderful way to grow up, and how much better is skiing everyday for a young girl than going to the mall or hanging out on facebook? You were fortunate of course, but it must be very frustrating to be limited now by a bloody walker. At least your incredible mind is free to fly, ski, write, and do whatever it wants to do. Hugs and friendship are flying from my mind to yours Cynthia, from the snowy Sierra peaks to the winter drifts around you in the east.
Yikes, that’s lot of snow! Great images, Cindy!
Basically three doors in the condo are incapacitated by snow drifts. Only one door can be opened!
OMG: Sounds frightening and absolutely wonderful at the same time! Just visiting, I’d love to be in this experience. Is it very cold? How long is the snowy season in Mammoth, I wonder. The photos are great, I can feel the crisp air and my fingers are almost blue from the work outside. Enjoy the rest of your stay!
Best regards from Norway, the snow is already gone, sad to say … 🙁
You nailed it perfectly Dina, “frighteneing and absolutely wonderful at the same time!” I remember skiing Mammoth in a bathing suit top and jeans when I was young in late May. Skiing is usually still good here through late spring. I can’t believe the snow is already gone in Norway in early February. I am sure you will enjoy the sunshine my friend. Be well~
Oh my gosh Cindy. I have a similar outlook about skiing with my friends too! There I am huffing and puffing about a mile behind them during the whole run (while risking tumbling down some steep slopes because I’m not as skilled as they are – and they would NOT know if I dropped off the face of the earth at that point)… and, when we get to the end, they ask, “Want to go again?” while I give them a withering glance.
Had fun showing these pictures to my mom today, since recalls similar levels of snow out in the Midwest where my parents lived prior to moving out here. Take care out there Cindy! ~Lynn
Yes, love that bit, where they race ahead of you down a black diamond, and you wipe out, badly. Some stranger helps you. They have no idea. Ask, “What took you so long?” And then, “Let’s do it again!”
The next morning your so black and blue it looks like you went through a washing machine, which you essentially did! 😉
grrrrrr……. 😉 😉
Waaaaay to much snow! Not in a million years.
A woman who understands is a treasure beyone worth! <3
🙂
Holly mackerel! It is a gorgeous spot though …
It is gorgeous with the blue skies and pristine snow. I would appreciate it if it didn’t blizzard anymore though for a day or two though!
Great pics, Cindy. I’ve lived in states all my live where there is always some snow during the winter months, and in California when we lived out there in L.A. 1966-1970 we went up to Big Bear Lake to see snow and play in it. We had plenty in Mo. (K.C.) when I lived there as a teenager, and here in Colorado, my home state and birthplace. But, it is good when we get enough here to keep the mountains saturated enough through winter for the runoff to help keep away drought and wild fires.
Yes, this snow is a God send for California. The Sierra snow pack is critical for California and they still need a lot more, but these big storms have helped a lot. Spring and summer will now look more normal in Northern California. Southern California is still hurting though. We had two small storm cycles and are still in serious drought. I wish the storms would drift a bit south!
You may not be as brave as Eleanor, but you are far braver than I am! I’m not fond of snow, but I am even less fond of hurtling downhill at break-neck speeds. 😀
Yes, both seem sort of counter intuitive don’t they!!!! 😉 😉
Yes! LOL!
It is really beautiful … Yet reminds us of the power of Nature. Great photos and commentary Cindy. ❄️❄️❄️I loved the Smila book too!
That was a lyrical book. So pleased you read it. And yes, Mother Nature’s power is awesome!
You are brave Cindy. I love snow but over 600 feet I don’t know.
If I can fall into it, and it is way over my head, that is a bit daunting to me……
I could imagine. It’s frozen water you could drown.
Amazing scenery. It makes me long for my days near Lake Tahoe. I love the snow.
Lake Tahoe is gorgeous. We went skiing there the Christmas before last, but the drought made the conditions so poor. Now it is innudated with snow.
I was OK with the beauty until you got to the photo of your second floor balcony. I wouldn’t be able to handle this much snow. I have to get out walking around or I’m not happy… 😐
I have to walk around too. And I did today. Tomorrow I am getting snow shoes! 😉 The drifts are a tad spooky and I like exploring for photos.
Cindy, getting lost on a snowy trail after dark is downright scary. I’m glad you lived to tell the tale. Your condo and the view are gorgeous, but boy that is a lot of snow.
Getting lost in this situation is terrifying. Just read Eliza Waters comment about her husband who got lost yesterday off trail in Tahoe. With this amount of snow, things get serious, fast.
But the snow is incredible. I am here with it and loving it more than ever because California has been slowly drying up, and watching this over the past few years is very painful. So now, with this over abundance of snow, I am finally grateful. It means life for the trees, plants and animals in Northern California. Now we just need rain in Southern California which is still drying up. Thank you for your sensitivity.
Snow has a way of disorienting us, since it distorts the natural landscape. It can completely bury a landmark, making it harder to find your way. The cold lowers our body temperature if we are out in it too long. One must really have their wits about them. I hope Eliza’s husband is ok. Any word?
That photo of the snow against the patio door is unbelievable! And that is coming from someone from Canada. 🙂
Awwww, thank you! Means a lot! Smiling…..You get serious SNOW!
I hear you about the skiing. I totally gave it up because of not being as able as the rest of the group. ..oh, and breaking my wrist on the mountain. That said, I think the snow is beautiful and like it. Looks like you are making the best of it. We live I Bend, OR…skiing Mt Bachelor is one of the reasons my husband wanted to live here. I’ll settle for the beauty and some snowshoes! Have fun!
This is what I want to do! Snowshoe! I will ski tomorrow morning. But I really want to do, is walk through the woods on snowshoes and take photos, and I want to rent snow shoes for the afternoon. I know little about this. Can you give some tips about what I should avoid. I am serious. Like how do your determine what snow is safe to walk on with snow shoes?
Can’t say I am an expert at all. As with anything, use common sense and don’t stray too far from places where there are people (though I love the solitude of it). Take your cell phone. Poles can be helpful. If the snow is very deep andlight, even snowshoes will sink down. Ask about where to go. Even if you are on a show shoe trail, the views can be stunning. May e they offer a group snowshoe to get the hang of it…not hard, but different. They offer on our mountain free, including snowshoes, I will stop now. Let me know how it goes!
I have the snow shoes so off I go! Thank you for the tips, they are very helpful!
It does look gorgeous but I wouldn’t want to be there. I don’t ski. All I can say is take care Cindy.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
You are a wise man David. <3
What a wonderful post, Cindy! Such beautiful shots – but much easier to look at them on the iPad than than have to grapple with the reality of those conditions!! I get scared if we have a bit of ice outside the front door lol!
Laughing, I don’t much like that either! 😉 😉
Very beautiful post Cindy 😀
Untouched snow is beautiful, but it doesn’t need to stay for so long time…
I would be so nice to be able to control such things! 😉 😉
What amazing snow. I have been to high mountains in winter in Switzerland but never had so much snow on the second floor. IT looks beautiufl but cold with those beautiful icicles. I would love walk around there and have fun in the snow… not scary.
It is beautiful and I am glad you are not scared of it! Cheers to you~
Just wonderful…
Awwww, thank you Ernst & cheers too~
Wonderful!!! Snowy and sunny, just perfect! 🙂
THe conditions are truly ideal, tons of snow, sunshine and no wind!
I love that area! It’s SO beautiful. LOL. Looks almost like the little town I grew up in 😉 I hope you’re having a good time..in between the scary stuff.
I thank you and it is so lovely especially with no crowds!