Feeling good

I just blogged about seeing Clark's Nutcracker. I also posted that comment on Facebook and received this comment from a former student: I remember my dad pointing out a Clark's nutcracker to me for the first time when we were camping in Oregon. I think the whole point of the trip that was several days and many hundreds of miles was to find a three-toed woodpecker. That's a good memory with good timing too, as today would have been his birthday. Thanks Lee!

Skiing observations

I have been skiing at Heavenly Valley the last four days with one to go. The snow has been good and the legs are trying to keep up. Part of the draw of skiing for me is being in a beautiful place and enjoying nature and the scenery. The view from the top of the mountain is breath taking, many times I will just stop in the middle of a run when I come to a particularly scenic spot, and there are plenty of scenic spots on the mountain. Wednesday Lake Tahoe was as blue as I have ever seen it. Of course I left the camera home. Today at the bottom of my favorite run two Clark's Nutcrackers greeted me from just a few feet away. I've heard them many times and keep looking for them as I ride the chairlift but this is a first time close up sighting in at least three years. Tuesday morning as I ate breakfast three coyotes walked by the house. As my friend Nick says, they own this place, they were here before we were. We are just renting from them. As I rode the first chairlift of the day there was a lone coyote track in the snow following the chair line. Last whenever I take the Canyon run I think about the bear that was in a tree a couple years ago. Of course good weather makes all this possible, when it is snowing, windy and cold, well then skiing just becomes an endurance contest.