SNOWBANK 2009.

Driving to the top of Snowbank Mountain every spring is a long-standing family tradition! Every year, the road (which is plowed year-round for access to the radar dome) is re-opened to the public on May 31st. If you drive to the top of Snowbank shortly after the road opens, you will find a HUGE remaining wall of snow cut by the snowplow! As sort of a mighty celebration for the arrival of SUMMER, we, as a family, drive up the mountain for a final look at winter's dreary snow. Every year we arrive to a different size of snowbank and certainly to different weather conditions! Some years we have snowball fights in the sunshine and pack up some of the snow to be used to make a batch of homemade ice cream back at home! Other years we have arrived to find snow still falling from the sky! We faithfully drive to the top of our mountain though, regardless of the weather! This year was certainly no exception. With a giant THUNDERSTORM looming over the mountain, Mom, Dad and I made our annual trek to the top!

THE SNOWPLOW CUT MARKS INTO THE TREE AS IT PASSED!

LOOK AT HOW DEEP THE SNOW GETS!

HAD I NOT STOPPED FOR A THOUSAND WILDFLOWER PHOTOS,

WE MIGHT HAVE MADE IT TO THE TOP BEFORE THE STORM HIT!

ALAS, WE DID NOT!!!

SNOWBANK 2009

AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE TRADITION . . .

CARVING YOUR NAME IN THE SNOWBANK!

TESS

MOM AND DAD WORKING ON THEIR TRADITIONAL MARKINGS

ON A BETTER DAY, THERE WOULD BE A GORGEOUS VIEW OF THE VALLEY!

BUT IT WAS PRETTY MISERABLE UP THERE IN THE CLOUDS THAT DAY!

A STILL FROSTY BLUE LAKE

AND THE VALLEY OF WHICH I AM SO FOND!