Sandpoint Reentry

The trip from Nanaimo to Sandpoint went smoothly with good roads all the way - a bit of a traffic jam near Everett being the only hitch. We caught the 5:15 AM ferry, entered the USA at the Pacific Highway crossing, and arrived in Sandpoint at 4:15 PM. The early start allowed us to drive during daylight hours, once the two hours on the ferry were done.

The kayaks were unloaded from the car top and stowed in the garage, probably until late April - ditto for the bikes. The house needs a bit of cleaning and the sidewalk some shoveling. After settling in slightly, we headed to Spokane for a visit. There I abandoned Eli for a few days and will pick her up maybe Thursday, but if the skiing gets really good, she may be stuck there until April..

The slopes at Schweitzer are recovering from the rain-triggered climax avalanches with the current series of storms. Yesterday's skiing was rather good with about 7 inches new and some of the advanced terrain starting to open e.g. Whiplash, Australia. I may go up again tomorrow; about a foot of new snow is forecast. Reality may temper that e.g. fewer inches, rain, etc. The 20 or so inches washed away by the rains has been restored, but not the 5 feet lost on some slopes via avalanche. At the moment it is 32 Fahrenheit in town and snowing, perhaps sincerely..

We expect company (Audrey and Dominique) by the weekend. They are hoping for some good skiing. We'll do our best.

Richard
2007.12.18