It's Monday of Week #2 and with the consistent weather pattern it is definitely Groundhog Day #7. It was our typical pre-4:30 wake-up call and on the road shortly after 5 AM.
When we first pulled into the Timberline parking lot it was fairly windy which usually means it will be nukin' at the top of the Palmer. Oddly enough, the further up the mountain we went it actually became calmer.
It was an absolute classic Mt. Hood day, clear in every direction and light winds. The snowpack was soft enough that we didn't have to salt for the 1st set.
It was clearly evident that everyone took advantage of the well deserved break over the weekend and both athletes and coaches were firing on all cylinders for Day #1.
It was great to see many of the Week #1 campers who stayed for Week #2 start to fully hit their stride and in most cases have significant breakthroughs right out of the blocks today.
Buck Hill mom's Ellen George & Kari Servais hiked from Timberline Lodge
to the top of the Palmer and then back down. Job well done!
to the top of the Palmer and then back down. Job well done!
It's starting to get busier on the snowfield and the liftlines are getting a bit longer. Regardless, the training is great and the racers are getting plenty of runs. We stayed up later than normal and then headed down to get a start on getting skis ready for tomorrow.
The afternoon was spent tuning skis, doing boot work and setting up test skis for Tuesday.. With a little luck we may finish up before 9 PM.
The above average temp's and sunny days have enabled the three of us to enjoy our one single respite of the day - dinner; in most cases outside at many of the great local (and reasonable) restaurants in the Welches area. BBQ at the Skyway was the call for Monday night.
This certainly is one of the stranger photos to ever hit the blog. Since they did not keep their room clean and up to Sarah's standards Rosie Hust & Maddie Dekko had to do handstands in the Salmon River with their ski boot shells on. My guess is their room is now spotless.
Walking back from the nightly meeting a deer was unfazed by the beehive of activity at our condo; and literally passed no more than 10 feet from our driveway.