It's 4:31 at 10,450Ft- wind speed 30 mph, gusting to 45 mph
- 16 degrees F
- visibility, poor
- light, flat
It's snowing currently, the sun is setting and I am anticipating a blistery Wyoming night on Rendezvous Mountain.
Radars tell us a storm is churning to the West of us... a foot and a half expected by Monday. RPK 2 tonight and a 7:00 X-car. Mmmm... the smell of sulfur in the morning and the dynamite blasts to bring up the sun.
The wind is telling stories of the past; the stories that dwell in this Hole. Moran to Hoback, with the Snake winding down the center. Teewinot, The Grand, Middle and South, Cloudveil, Fossil, Buck and Owen. My Great Horned Owl peaks are enveloped in weather, but the stories are told through the cracks of the shack. There are stories of persistence and perseverance. Every living creature in this valley fights for survival in this Arctic/Alpine desert. There are stories whispering through the windows of pain and joy, of victory and defeat, along with secrets of those that mill about below the wisdom of the mountains.
As we approach Winter Solstice, I am drawn back to the reality of nearly 200 inches of snow falling upon us during the interim of winter. Christmas is around the corner and the festivities abound, with Santa repelling form Car 2 of the Tram and into the village commons. I now sit quietly at the top of the world and listen to the radio chatter of Ski Patrol, as they sweep the mountain of any overnight guests.
