Monday, March 16, 2009 Yesterday it snowed at our house. Big fat snow flakes until the lawn was once again completely covered in white. That got me to thinking that maybe, just maybe ski conditions might be good up on nearby Mt Baker. Besides, last weeks black eye from snowboard lessons with Dave is nearly healed, so this morning after coffee I headed up the hill, where I found the parking lot less then half full and snow falling hard. After gearing up and purchasing my ticket, I began to worry that maybe there is too much snow falling, visibility would suck and I had made a mistake. That concern was quickly forgotten. From the top of Chair One, I headed directly off toward Chair 8. With my board floating through a foot of untracked powder, I made gentle carving turns until I got to the steep then I raced for the chair. Visibility at the top of 8 was a little tuff, but doable and I enjoyed run after run through the deep soft conditions. Snow fell hard most of the day, gusty wind kept the snow tracks full and each run felt like the “first man on the mountain”. Temperatures were ideal for powder snow and staying warm while riding back up was a bit of a challenge. My chair mate on one ride up Chair Five was a grey beard who told me he has been boarding for three years but because of his surfing background he really is “in his element.” “Year one” he told me “I broke my shoulder, year two I broke my arm.” “This year” he continued “I knocked out my two front teeth”! Jeeze, I sprained my ankle once, I mumbled under my breath. As we got off the chair he shouted “follow me! I got a great route thru some trees”. He went left and I…… snuck back to chair 8. The trail groomers must have had a tough go in the morning as most of the run under chair eight was a narrow track where the machines had piled snow off to each side in a long furrow, or jump depending on your outlook. Racing down slope I would hit the furrow, get some air, (keep in mind I am attempting to learn how to jump) land in deep powder, bank a sharp turn and over the furrow the other direction back out on to the track. By mid day this fun was over because the furrow was lost in new and wind blown snow. Not to worry; however, the half pipe below chair One saw a lot of me on this fine day. On one, very memorable run, I dropped into the pipe and hit the far side lip perfectly getting my best “jump” so far. Oh my Gawd did that give me a rush. Snow just kept piling up and it was still coming down hard at the end of the day when I headed for home. As soon as I arrived, I phoned my instructor, Dave, just to let him know it was an absolute day on the mountain. An hour later I received a text from Jonathan, inviting me to a few days riding in Tahoe. That is a big explanation point to a great day.

Family Sledding Day - Very Nice

We took a break from Skiing and Snowboarding to spend the day at Granlibakken Ski Area, and had a blast!

Newlyweds Meghan & David Terrorize the Slopes

Go'in solo, Meghan, with the brakes on!

Hey YOU Look-Out!!!!

Too Late!

Looks like more trouble ahead

Jason disembarking or.......?

Good lookigg duo!! Lunch Break

Lana explaining the rules! When I say whoa I mean ....go?

One fun group of family.

Josh leading the pack.

Uncle Jonathan closing the gap This is Teamwork

Father & Son Contemplate their First Sled Trip Together

It looked easy

And, just so we remember!

Snow, Christmas, Tahoe & Rain

Snow is falling and on Christmas Eve we receive even more. Enough more snow to obliterate any evidence of yesterdays shoveling efforts; let alone efforts from my earlier endeavors to clear the walks. There is enough new snow at dawn to hide the previous accumulations from my shovel and snow continues to fall all day. It is too much, and we are forced to change our Christmas plans. We must now travel south to Meghan’s instead of her to us and leave for Tahoe as soon as the

presents are open instead of the day after Christmas.

Thonnie and I load the truck with all of our presents, clothes, and ski gear arriving at Meghan and David’s late in the day. Melissa is already there waiting on us, having caught a ride with a four- wheel driving friend! We all settled in for the evening, worrying over travel plans and highway conditions. Up early in the morning we have a great Christmas and leave early in the afternoon after all the packages are open. We reach Salem, Oregon after dark and check in to a comfortable motel room for the night. Meghan has been watching the movie Christmas Story and wants Chinese dinner. Oriental Cuisine is apparently rare on this holiday night so we settled for burger at Denny’s! Late Friday we reach Reno and spend the evening with Jim and Carol Grieve – Lana parents. They are very gracious and their company is always enjoyable. Checking into our Tahoe cabin Saturday afternoon we settled into the business at hand – family and skiing / snowboarding. Sunday was a rough start for all, as conditions were icy; however, the following days were super with clear skies and great snow conditions. We had a blast. Four-year-old Josh stole the show by getting on a snowboard for the first time and mastering the chair lift on day two. Nine year old Trevor is a pro who says “the steeper the better”. One week later with weary bodies and sad hearts we checked out of the cabin early Saturday morning and headed for home. Blessed with clear roads and good weather we pulled into Meghan’s driveway about 1AM January 4th, eighteen hours and couple dozen stops after setting out. Following a good nights sleep, Thonnie and I finish our drive home where we discover fresh snow on top of the accumulations mentioned above. With the truck in four wheel drive we barely get to the house. I shovel the walks clean, and unload the truck while Thonnie gets busy in the house unpacking. After a very comfortable night in our own bed we wake up to another inch and a half of snow on top of my cleaned walks. Unbelievable; more snow than we have had (at home) in three decades! We spend Monday cleaning up the house, relaxing and wondering if we were going to get a break from the snow………Tuesday morning we do and it isn’t good. Torrential rain falling, a foot of old snow on the ground and I mean torrential rain falling! We four wheel out of the driveway through deep slush, go to town in order to run some errands and pick up groceries. Shoppers with their hoods up and heads down are all racing for the nearest cover. The rain is coming with a ferociousness that stirs a foreboding in ones sole. We complete or errands and drive home watching in amazement as the rain continues unabated. At home, we no longer require the trucks full capacity to approach the house until we reach the point where our driveway is now washed out. The damage is minimal but the amount of water in our field is astounding. We watch TV before going to bed and fall asleep listening to the rain fall. Wednesday morning we awake to the same sounds. Outside there is still snow in the yard, despite heavy rain all night. At 10 o’clock I leave for an appointment in town and catch the radio news. The economy, the president elect and the world’s wars are all forgotten this morning as every station covers the consequences of the weather. First there are 13 flooding rivers, moments later it is more than a dozen and almost in the same breath dozens of rivers are overflowing their banks! The residences of Orting are ordered to evacuate. A couple of police officers are stranded after rescuing a motorist. Streets are flooded. There is three feet of water over the road in Bellingham at the mall. All mountain passes are closed. Interstate 5 is flooded and closed. I want to drive around and take pictures but after shooting a couple frames of Swans in a flooded field, my battery is dead.

At home I change camera and shoot a few mere frames.

The rain is supposed to taper off tonight and the freezing levels come back down from today’s 7000 foot mark. Bert January 7, 2009

Zion with Josh & Trevor - September

By now most of the family is guessing that Zion National Park is one of my favorite places to visit! OK– it’s true Zion is one of my favorite places..... I fell under the spell of the area years ago during one of several road trips through the SW and cemented my affection for the Park during a climbing trip in 2007. Since that time I have been eager to introduce anyone willing to this wonderful area, and this year we were privileged enough to take Josh and Trevor with us. One on one time with them meant so much to us as Grandparents, and the parents Jason & Krissy assured us they enjoyed their home alone time! Hmm! A mere 2 1/2 hour drive from Las Vegas, it is an easy drive to an area that will provide the a level of adventure to suit any taste, from simple sight seeing to Big Wall multi day climbs and canyon trekking, this place has a lot!. For the pure arm chair observer the park operates a shuttle service from the town of Springdale to all points of interest in the park. Bus tours are also accompanied with and ample commentary from the drivers. Ridding the shuttle busses provides the unexpected pleasure of meeting and conversing with people from all the corners of the world.

New Granddaughter - June

Natalie was born to Jonathan and Lana on June 23,2008 6:39Am at Summelrin Hospital in Las Vegas Nevada. Weighing nine pounds and thirteen ounces.!!! She is their second child and the fourth grandchild (our first granddaughter) for Thonnie and Bert. AND SHE IS BEAUTIFUL.

Big brother Nathan with our door stoper ceramic cat.

Bert

Road Trip in May

All caught up with work, Thonnie and I decided to go visit our moms and friends in the Rocky Mountains before proceeding on to Nevada for a visit with our grandchildren. Taking the most direct route to Rawlins, WY we arrived May 1 and spent a couple days visiting with my Mom, brother Casey and his wife Fiorella. We had not met her before and we really like her. Casey is building a new home in the hills at the edge of town and is busy as always. Grandma Carol is working - of course! She leaves home at 6AM, seven days a week to open the doors at Aunt Christine's laundromat. New machines, lots of repairs and several tons of laundry keep the entire clan busy. Moving on we spent a day and night with Grandma Dee, who is looking good, feeling good and is on a mission to enhance her life through positive change! I for one really enjoyed visiting with her. Uncle Mike had the day off so I accompanied him to Wall Mart on a tool buying excursion! Our next stop was Colorado Springs to visit Ray and Nancy. Nancy who is always good company, sees the brighter side of life and makes me laugh often. Ray, who is also good company, is also a talented artist and has an extensive collection of Anazazi art and artifacts. He kept me enthralled with his knowledge of these bygone peoples and their modern relatives during our visit. As an additional highlight we drove out and toured the fog shrouded Bishops Castle. One mans accomplishment with wrought iron and stone. AMAZING! From “The” Springs we drove west over the mountains through Breckenridge shooting photos from the car and onto I70 Westbound after a lunch stop in Mountain town of Frisco . One of many cabins in Friscos cabin museum. Dropping in to Las Vegas through the steep sandstone canyons—we arrived late and exhausted from the day. During our visit we attempted to divide our time between Jason and Jonathans families and really enjoyed our visits with Krissy and Lana. (not forgetting to mention the grandkids). During our stay Trevor skipped class and we took a day trip to Zion National Park with him. We had a grand time walking the trails and wading in the Virgin River. Upon our return, he excitedly told his parents about the days great adventure, confirming what I suspected all along..................he is one great kid!

Home - November

Home is a great place to be, especially after, three weeks on the road.

Thonnie is well. Her puppies are busy and growing. Sophie

I was surprised that our yard had not started fall coloring; however, that changed by weeks end.

New maple tree in the front garden.

Flowers on the porch still displaying great color.

Wyoming - October

Sunset at I-84 off ramp to Poverty Flats Road. On my way to Wyoming.

After three weeks of working with Casey on his construction project, we finished up and I packed my clothes; said my goodbyes, kissed my Mom and left Rawlins headed toward home on

Fishing after work in the Little Snake River.

Hwy 287 at 10AM on Friday Oct 17. With typical sunny and cool; yet comfortable High Divide fall weather I barely started my journey toward home before stopping to photograph a symbol of the arid west – an abandoned wind mill, stopped again to explore an interesting rock outcrop. At Muddy Gap, which is a jumble of decrepit buildings on one side of the highway and a poor excuse for a mini-mart on the opposite shoulder, the highway bends NW towards home. Inside the store, I looked around, bought a jug of water and asked about the posted job opening. Apparently they are serious about hiring some help so I immediately jumped back in the pick-up truck headed north. Not far away is the historical area of Split Rock. Acknowledged by a stone marker, the area appears to be a rock climbers paradise; although, without any climbing equipment I sped on past, promising myself a return trip. A few miles further on I pulled off the highway again to watch some Wild horses, take more pictures, and then continue several miles to an overlook of

The shadow of a "jet trail " in the atsmosphere above the Wind River Basin.

the immense Wind River Basin, alongside Hwy 135.

Holy WHATEVER!!!..................................................................................................................................

If this place doesn’t take your breath away, you suck!

Down in the Basin, I stopped for coffee in the wonderful town of Riverton and exited the area through the Wind River Canyon. The canyon is a deep, steep slice through 500 million years of Wyoming geological history and a dream come true for a rock hound. I have been to this canyon once before. During that visit I drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic, while gawking at the immense canyon walls and almost killed a family of four in a VW Bus. This very canyon, where those people got a clear view of “the end of the rainbow” while veering out of my path is the same spot where my wife, and I simultaneously shit our pants, while gett'n religion.! All that excitement while casually driving thru the extinction of Dinosaurs at 55mph! And although this return trip was inspired by John McPhee’s book Annuals of a Former World, I kept my attention to the road . Wow this place is something…..Anyone born near hear must be a geologist…. it’s got to be the law!! I took lots of pictures, touched lots of rocks and continued on in the dwindling daylight toward a motel in Deer Lodge, Montana. Nestled in a beautiful mountain valley, the twinkling lights of town magically entice as one descends from the heights along the twisting mountain highway. Day one ended with me comfortably nestled in a cozy room not the least bit exhausted as my day involved very little exercise and an over abundance of panoramic stimulation. In the morning I grabbed a cup of coffee from an charming woman at the local Kiosk and drove Highway 78 north through beautiful ranch scenery back-up by mountains dusted with early season snow.

Absorbing the views I continued enjoyably on my way to Livingston, Montana. I drove through the town, simply because I had not been there before and I stopped at a Fly Fishing sport store. After renting the required equipment, I spent the day along the banks of the Yellowstone River teaching myself the art of fly fishing. Unexpectedly I had to relearn some of my forgotten skills—I practiced and eventually perfected my ducking techniques, which involve more than just a head drop. One must actually bend the knees using considerable abandon, and at full throttle. I also practiced searching through the weeds and dead tree climbing. All of which culminated in a wonderful day in one of this nations most scenic areas. No fish! On the road late in the day I spent a comfortable night in Missoula. Starbuck after three weeks! Yeah! Great coffee to start my day; although, yesterdays Kiosk Coffee was pretty good. ( The lady was so attractive).

Montana is draped in fall colors and the drive toward home was very enjoyable. Cottonwoods and Tamarack showing off seasonal colors

Birthdays

Birthdays: January 1, 1964 Jona Evanson --- January 2, 1932 Grandma Dee --- February 28, 1992 Cousin Sarah --- April 7, 1973 Krissy --- April 19, 2004 Josh --- June 23, 2008 Natalie --- July 26, 19??-Late John Hubert --- July 31, 1981 Melissa --- August 02, 1952 Thonnie --- August 18, 1983 Lana --- September 9, 1970 Jason --- September 15, 1973 Jonathan --- October 10, 1983 Meghan --- November 8, 1930 Carol Alameda --- December 11, 1958 Uncle Casey --- December 11, 1970 Cousin Becky --- December 29, 1948 Christine --- December 30, 1949 Bert --- December 31, 1950 Debbie --- March ???????????

WEDDING - July

Wedding Day Meghan & David Draszt Family—November 2008 Surrounded by family and friends, Meghan tied the knot with fiance, Mr. David Draszt,on July 26, 2008, during a memorable wedding ceremony and reception. The couple chose an Arlington area outdoor facility for the location and Pastor Ray Van Winlke to perform the service, which he did extremely well. After months of preparation, endless conversations about dresses, flowers, catering, etcetera, countless expeditions to the areas shopping centers, and some rather enjoyable turmoil,guests gathered from far and wide to partake in the celebration. David's grandparents, cousins friends and relatives alike , traveled from Montana to attend. Meghan's’ grandmothers Delores Hubert of Elizabeth , CO. and Carol Alemeda of Rawlins ,WY made the long trek to her wedding, and her brothers with wives and children, arrived from Nevada. Meghan’s Aunt Jona and cousins Tony and Becky traveled from Lake City, Minnesota; however, the record for distance traveled belonged to Great Auntie Ione from S. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Although, not enough can be said in this short correspondence, the wedding was an absolute splendid event with Grandma Dee dancing up a storm during the reception , as just one of the many hi-lights!!!! With the couple jetting off to Hawaii for a honeymoon , most of the family stayed in town for an extended visit during which time we relived the ceremony many times over. For Thonnie and I this will have to be the highlight of the year!!! Bert Melissa & Meghan with Grandma Carol Dave with Mom & new Mom ttp://meghananddavid.medcalfphotography.net/ for more wedding Pics - This lady did a great job!

Whitehorse

Bill Blankinship, Steve Brochied and I hike to Lone Tree Pass on Whitehorses Mountain near the town of Darrington in Snohomish County Lunch break after 1500 feet of elevation gain. We are in no hurry! Steve and Bill as we leave the forest and head for the only lone tree, we see, for which the pass is named

We reach the pass in good time - less than 1000 feet per hour, rest look around and descend. Bill set the downhill pace and walked us into the dirt!

Zion CLimbing

Tom Lewis posted additional photos at the link below, check them out! http://staff.washington.edu/tnlewis/Zion%2007-05/index.html

Picture to the left is a climb named Prodigal Son, which Tom and I climbed. The two climbers on the wall are at the top of Pitch One and Two.

View down from pitch two.

Various pictures of Tom climbing and Belaying.

or walking! I am loaded with gear and ropes as we head down Angles Landing trail following our summit on day two.

Belows is the trail hand rail! Yes, I said trail handrail!

Jack Lambert at the base of a route near Spaceshot.

In other words we are off route!

Misc scenery below. Zion National Park is a phenomenal place to visit, hike, climb, photograph, or whatever! The adjacen small town of Springdale is an added treat with pleasant people, good restaurants and great great micro brew!

Grandma Thonnie, Nathan, Trevor, Josh Melissa

Josh & Trevor

Melissa and Thonnie

Josh - well behaved little boy!!!