Stuey learns about ice

Stuey near the top of Pyramid last Saturday

Last weekend Stuey and I took the dogs up Pyramid.  It had rained hard on Friday night, but I was hopeful that there still might be some snow to ski on.  And there was - barely.  Since then it has been rainy and warm every day, and it looks like the warm weather will continue.  Yesterday we received 2 1/2 inches of rain and the temperature was in the high 40s with heavy wind.  Same weather today, and tomorrow, and the next day . ... A real Pineapple Express - Straight from Hawaii to Alaska.  I doubt there is any snow left on Pyramid.

But on Saturday there was just enough snow left that Stuey got to learn about ice.  I taught him that when it is icy you walk beside the trail to avoid the packed down snow that turns to ice.  Stuey could not seem to understand this and once, after a cry for help, I looked back and saw that he had slid off the trail and almost down into a creek.  But after a few more slips he did learn, and he also learned the difference in appearance between crusty snow (not slippery) and glazed snow (very slippery).

Once at the top I managed to get in a ski.  I learned that Sheba is NOT a ski dog.  She wanted to bark at my heels and I had to go full speed ahead just to keep in front of her.  Stuey took pictures of me at the end of the run where I missed the final turn and wiped out.

Back home both dogs and Stuey went to bed early.  Patrick