Grouse Hollow Journal for February 21,
2013 by Greg Koelker
"There
are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of
supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that
heat comes from the furnace. To avoid the first danger, one should
plant a garden, preferably where there is no grocer to confuse the
issue. To avoid the second, he should lay a split of good oak on the
andirons, preferably where there is no furnace, and let it warm his
shins while a February blizzard tosses the trees outside. If one has
cut, split, hauled, and piled his own good oak, and let his mind work
the while, he will remember much about where the heat comes from, and
with a wealth of detail denied to those who spend the week end in
town astride a radiator."
Man,
I wish I'd written that, but many of your already recognize it as the
work of Aldo Leopold in his A
Sand County Almanac. If
you haven't read this wonderful book or maybe you haven't read it in
a long time, right now would be a great time. Boring February is a
great time to be taken away in a book, and Leopold's view of the
seasons and living in Wisconsin is a great read to fill that time.
Of course the seed catalogues should be beginning to pile up right
now too, so those of you who are inclined to and are dreaming of
playing in the dirt should have even more to read and study to fill
your time. The
good news is that a month from today, if the sun comes out, we will
probably have some flowers peeking out of the snow, at least close to
the house. The bad news is that it will probably be at least a month
from today if not longer.
Speaking of being
out in the snow, they say the Eskimos have some 200 words for snow.
They say that I have two or three choice words for snow that I am not
allowed to print in this space, especially when the snow blower
breaks down. Out in Colorado, my family has one word for snow –
FUN! A couple of weeks ago, my better-half flew out to the mountains
for a few days and this week she is going to share some of her
memories and thoughts from her journal:
Monday, February 4
After breakfast with
Ben and Tyler (Hauk - our nephew), Mark and Whitney and I prepared
for some outdoor adventuring. We packed water, sandwiches, and
snacks, and loaded snow shoes for Whitney and I. Mark took along his
split board, and I was looking forward to seeing how it worked. He
has been talking about this concept for years, and finally got one
last season. It is a snowboard that splits down the middle. There
are special clasps that hold it together to use it as a snowboard.
When it is split, the bindings adjust so that the two halves function
as skis. In addition “skins” can be used so that you can ski up
the mountain, convert to snowboard mode, and ride back down. (Ben
has been talking about “skinning” for years. Skins on his skis
enable him to reach the back country where he gets the spectacular
photos that he is become known for.) The skins have a very sticky
side that attach to skis or split boards. The adhesive can actually
be peeled off so that the skins can be stowed in a back pack to be
used over and over again. Anyway, I am again reminded what great
physical shape our kids are in. They don't even need a ski-lift to
get up a mountain!
Next, what to wear?
I am not worried so much about fashion (well, a little) as function.
I have good North Face boots for snow shoeing, warm waterproof
gloves, a hat, and a parka with lots of pockets and room for layers
underneath. Whitney loaned me a pair of ski pants. We packed
everything into their Jeep and headed for Vail Pass, elevation 10,666
feet.
Mark parked the Jeep
and we were hit with a cold wind when we climbed out. This is why we
do the layer thing. I have to admit that when my kids take me out on
these “adventures,” my first reaction is often, “I can't do
this.” I've learned to stuff that impulse, because I've always
been so happy and felt so fulfilled that I've let them get me out of
my comfort zone in trying new things.
Whitney led the way,
and we were off. There was a trail left by previous snowshoers, so
the going wasn't too bad – except for the altitude, at least for
me. As we crossed a gulley lined with pine trees, Whitney suddenly
dropped into the snow. I tried to help her up, the snow was so deep,
that neither of us could get back up on top – so we crawled, with
snowshoes. I don't know what Mark was doing behind me because we
just needed to keep going. I think that this was the deepest snow
that I had ever been in! Eventually, we got back up on top of the
snow. When we stopped to rest, Mark showed us something he had
recently learned about how to check snow conditions. He planted a
ski pole on a slight incline and made a circle. The snow fell away
to reveal the top powder layer and the lower “sugar” layer.
(Normally, you have to dig away with a shovel to ascertain the
possibilities of an avalanche – a constant threat in snow country.)
I am impressed with how much Mark and Ben and Whitney have learned
about living in the mountains. They have a deep respect for the
power of nature.
The sky was a
brilliant blue and the views of the surrounding mountain vistas was
incredible. Since looking at the pictures I took, I am struck with
how many cloudy days we have here in the Midwest. Anyway, the hike
down was a breeze. Mark made it in no time on his snowboard.
Sandwiches in the Jeep on the way to Silverthorne were delicious.
The view was so incredible.
The return to Avon
afforded us a spectacular sunset. It had been an incredible day,
almost too good to be true. We stopped to take photos and to try to
absorb more of nature's brilliance.
Ben got off work at
8 and we met him for dinner at the C Bar. How wonderful it was. All
too soon it came to an end. I miss them already but it was good to
get home. I guess that it is the mark of a good trip.
Until next time, get
out – go snow shoeing or skiing or snowmobiling as your chances
allow, or curl up by the fire and find a great book or seed catalog
or boat catalog or fishing lure catalog or fishing lodge brochure or
– well, you get the idea - and spend some time mulling it over and
enjoying working your mind. Enjoy.
