Snow In Literature: The Wood-pile
By Robert Frost
Out walking in the frozen swamp one gray day,
I paused and said, ‘I will turn back from here.
No, I will go on farther—and we shall see.’
The hard snow held me, save where now and then
One foot went through. The view was all in lines
Straight up and down of tall slim trees
Too much alike to mark or name a place by
So as to say for certain I was here
Or somewhere else: I was just far from home.
A small bird flew before me. He was careful
To put a tree between us when he lighted,
And say no word to tell me who he was
Who was so foolish as to think what he thought.
He thought that I was after him for a feather—
The white one in his tail; like one who takes
Everything said as personal to himself.
One flight out sideways would have undeceived him.
And then there was a pile of wood for which
I forgot him and let his little fear
Carry him off the way I might have gone,
Without so much as wishing him good-night.
He went behind it to make his last stand.
It was a cord of maple, cut and split
And piled—and measured, four by four by eight.
And not another like it could I see.
No runner tracks in this year’s snow looped near it.
And it was older sure than this year’s cutting,
Or even last year’s or the year’s before.
The wood was gray and the bark warping off it
And the pile somewhat sunken. Clematis
Had wound strings round and round it like a bundle.
What held it though on one side was a tree
Still growing, and on one a stake and prop,
These latter about to fall. I thought that only
Someone who lived in turning to fresh tasks
Could so forget his handiwork on which
He spent himself, the labor of his ax,
And leave it there far from a useful fireplace
To warm the frozen swamp as best it could
With the slow smokeless burning of decay.
This Week In SeniorsSkiing.com (Jan. 17)
East Coast: Start Us Up. Roll Away Stiff Muscles, Harriet Wears A Cup Cake, New Bindings Old Skis, Mystery Top Hatted Skier, Nordic Gourmet Ski Tours, Good Weather News.
Last weekend, the temperature was 70+ degrees in Boston, a record high for January 4-5. That was not a good thing for resorts, especially lower altitude areas, that are gearing up for the busy MLK weekend and trying to preserve whatever base they have. But, change is coming for the better. Real winter is finally coming to the East and Northeast.
How do we know? Statistics tell us so. There is a metric devised by the National Weather Service called the North East Snowfall Impact Scale (NESIS) which rates snowfalls based on how much has fallen and the area of coverage. It is a similar rating scale to the Fujita tornado rating scale and the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale many of us are familiar with.
Using the NESIS scale, snowfalls are rated, again based on amount and area, from 1 to 5 with an appropriate descriptor for each category:
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- Category 1 Notable
- Category 2 Significant
- Category 3 Major
- Category 4 Crippling
- Category 5 Extreme
Over time, you can look at the pattern of when these different categories of snowfalls occur over the winter. What you find when you plot Category 3-6 storms over time is the following:
NESIS Cat 3+ storm frequency distribution by month, 1956-2019. Credit: Weather Channel
This graph shows that Category 3 to 6 storms usually show up at the end of January and the beginning of February. Which is now.
So, if you’ve been waiting for snow in the East, Northeast, Middle Atlantic, you may be able to finally get out on decent snow cover. Place your bets because this looks like the snow train is a’-coming.
This Week
Nordic Nibbles are happening across the country. Eat and lost weight.
Our Incidents & Accidents this week is by Dave Irons, a noted ski journalist and patroller from Maine. His point: Safety is our everyone’s job. What can you do to avoid problems? Check it out here.
In Ask The Expert, Reader James Davis asks about using new bindings with old skis, the opposite question asked a couple of weeks ago. Those old skis might look fine, but inside…is another story. Here’s advice for James.
By now, you’ve probably been out for a day or two, or even several days of exercise on the slopes. If you are like many seniors, you are discovering some muscle soreness, knots, and stiffness. The way to smooth these normal aches and pains out is by foam rolling. If you haven’t tried this form of self-therapy, you are missing a quick, simple, and effective method for relief. Click here for more.
Our Mystery Glimpse photo this week comes from Peak Resorts. He should be a familiar character that skiers who’ve been around for a while will recognize. We also reveal who the two racers from last week’s mystery picture. For the first time in a while, we had no guesses for those two, so we stumped the readership. Click here to see the Flippin’ Clown.
XCSkiResorts.com publisher and SeniorsSkiing.com cross-country editor Roger Lohr brings us a round up of where you can enjoy cross-country skiing and gourmet food on the same tour. Yes, there are xc resorts across the country that offer delicious food in plein air along beautiful ski trails. Interesting concept: eat and burn calories.
Harriet will pass this badge on to someone turning 80 before April. Credit: Harriet Wallis
Herb Stevens, the Skiing Weatherman, brings good news about the change coming to the snowfields. The winter pattern is settling in on schedule, signaling a comeback for the East and New England.
The best for last. Harriet Wallis, our esteemed and venerable correspondent from Utah, has her 80th birthday party at Alta. Check out her pink, cup cake helmet cover. You have to see it to understand. And she is offering to pass along her “80” badge to a SeniorsSkiing.com reader who will turn 80 before April. Help her celebrate.
Thanks for reading SeniorsSkiing.com. Please tell your friends and remember, there are more of us every day, and we aren’t going away.
Hope this guy has a foam roller.
https://www.facebook.com/Vagueetvent/videos/753540895153044/?v=753540895153044
Short Swings!
AARGH!!!! What follows, unfortunately, is the tale of what NOT to do when renting in Salt Lake City through Airbnb or VRBO.
My wife and I decided to take a place for January through March. We know SLC from having lived there.
The city is a terrific base with easy access to nine fantastic ski areas and more hotel, restaurant, and entertainment options than found in any individual ski resort.
Many have found decent accommodations through the aforementioned Internet-based services. Even if the places weren’t so clean or well appointed, they were there for only a few days.
What a disappointment! Cluttered closets and drawers; grimy bathroom; hooks pulling out of walls; electrical extension cords plugged into extension cords, plugged into more extension cords. And my wife, whose sniffer is more sensitive than mine, swore the master bedroom had the odor of men.
Fortunately, the landlord, a lovely and reasonable man was committed to salvaging the situation. We moved into the much smaller and more comfortable adjacent apartment at a lower rent.
But, the place feels like I’m back in college.
Seeking an alternative to this housing crisis, we found on VRBO a fantastic looking condo at Snowbird for $100 a night, minimum, 30 nights. We grabbed it. Within minutes a fee of $4,380. was posted to our credit card. Seemed like someone had a problem with arithmetic.
After HOURS trying to reach VRBO customer service, someone picked up the phone. He investigated and learned that the condo owner had added a $1000 cleaning fee. VRBO’s fee accounted for the balance. An hour later my wife’s phone rang; the condo’s owner profusely apologizing for our inconvenience and explaining that his HOA wouldn’t allow him to rent the unit.
It took several days to get a full refund.
Speaking with several senior skiers at Alta, I learned than many take three or four month apartment and condo rentals in Sandy, a suburb of Salt Lake City where rentals are about $1000 – $1500 a month, three month minimum. The places are newer than many of Salt Lake’s options and the location is closer to the Wasatch Front ski areas (Alta, Snowbird, Brighton and Solitude).
Remember how my wife thought she smelled men in the bedroom? She was right. The landlord told us his previous tenants – there for several months – were a group of male oil refinery workers. He agreed its time to replace the housekeeper.
Where The Snow IS
Not this deep…yet!
Last Tuesday, Ski Utah, the marketing arm of Utah’s ski industry, announced that Alta and Snowbird got 6’ in the preceding 7 days. North America’s top ten snow magnet to date: Snowbird: 299”, Alta: 290”; Brighton (UT): 271”, Revelstoke (BC): 259.4”; Jackson Hole (WY): 254”; Whitewater (BC): 242”; Alyeska (AK): 237”; Castle Mountain (AB): 227”; Solitude (UT): 222”, and Monarch Mountain (CO): 189”.
Snow Guns Fight Aussie Fires
Thredbo and Perisher Ski Resorts are deploying snow guns to prevent wildfires from destroying their buildings and lifts.
Sugarbush Deal Closes
Alterra closed on the purchase of Sugarbush Resort (VT).
Crystal Mountain Ends Walk-Up Ticket Sales
Crystal Mountain (WA) will no longer sell walk-up lift tickets on weekends and holidays. The area will release a limited amount of online sales and continue to honor Ikon Pass holders.
Your Own Ski Area: $1.25MM
Spout Springs, in Northeastern Oregon, is available for $1.25-million. The area has 250 skiable acres (800’ vertical), 14 runs, two double chairs, illuminated slopes, and two X-C trail systems. It is accessible from Walla Walla, La Grande and Pendleton.
Big Dump on The Big Island
Source: Honolulu Star-Advertiser 1/14/20
Hawaii’s Mauna Kea received 1-2 feet with snowdrifting to 4 feet. The snow fell above 12,000 feet.
Hand Warmer Advice
This, I never knew: When using hand warmers, place them on top of the hand where they warm the blood vessels and keep your fingers comfortable. This advice is from a helpful salesperson at the Alta Ski Shop at Albion Lodge. And all these years, I’ve positioned them against my palms! P.S. Many skiers extend hand warmer use by wrapping them tightly in food wrap for the night.
Documentary Offer Hope while Warning “Humans Have Overrun World”
This trailer for the new feature-length documentary,“David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet,” features Sir David, 93, warning “human beings have overrun the world.” In the doc, he reflects upon both the defining moments of his lifetime as a naturalist and the devastating changes he has seen. Honest, revealing and urgent, he bears witness for the current state of the natural world. The film will be available on Netflix this Spring.
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