SNOW????

[Orestes Munn]

My shoveling is so dialed-in, I'm ready to go tag an overpass in Pyongyang.

[The Red Lady]

Six....hours....of snow shoveling, no breaks. Ack! To my best calculations that is about 1,900 calories - 400 calories for the two beers I drank. When we got to the end of the driveway and broke through to the street I think I must have felt a little like the guys digging the Chunnel. Sad part is, they still haven't cleared our street yet. After all that work I'm still not sure I'm going to make it to work tomorrow.

[slap]

We got 20 inches in Bowie, MD. The snow plows were by twice, once Saturday late afternoon, and again on Sunday around 1am. We live at the bottom of a short cul-de-sac, so the plowing is always terrible and they pile up the snow in front of the mailbox. Of course, the mailman won't deliver mail unless the mailbox is clear.

[kimbottles]

Susan and I have been viewing all of your pictures from the snowy east with amazement. (It sure reminded us as to why we live in the PNW.)

(I will move the FRANCIS furnace posts to the FRANCIS thread.)

Carry on.

[Orestes Munn]

Yeah, not looking forward to tackling the icy berm from the plow at the edge of the street and I have no idea how I'm going to hack out a parking place for my vehicle when my wife brings hers home from work, but it'll all melt eventually and then we'll go sailing.

[Slick470]

Mostly dug out and the street in front of our house is in OK shape. I could probably get to work but no guarantee that I could park when I get there. Plus, schools are closed so I'll be home until they open up. I think we ended up around 24 inches. Hard to tell for sure due to the drifting.

Unfortunately deadlines don't move due to snow so I'll need to work some from home.

Oh and I'm really sore today.

[TheOffice]

About 30 inches of snow in Annapolis. Luckily, when we get over 6 inches of snow, the association ploys the driveways. That, and the boat slip a block away are amazing!

Still had to shovel the walk and the deck so the dog could relieve himself, but that was minor compared to what could have been.

Joel

[LarryHoward]

Mostly dug out and the street in front of our house is in OK shape. I could probably get to work but no guarantee that I could park when I get there. Plus, schools are closed so I'll be home until they open up. I think we ended up around 24 inches. Hard to tell for sure due to the drifting.

Unfortunately deadlines don't move due to snow so I'll need to work some from home.

Oh and I'm really sore today.

I hear you. St Mary's County Pubic Works is saying 1541 of 1543 roads have hes at least a first pass with plows and, although the State and County employees have the day off, we're pretty functional. The Naval Air Station is a different story. "Critical" employees only and still not functional so effectively 22,000 federal employees are on admin leave and my techs can't get to their on base work site. The expectations to meet Friday's delivery won;t change.

[Orestes Munn]

Took the cutting spade out today. Attacked the mountain range thrown up by the plows, hacked out an on-street parking place for when J's car comes back from work, and did four cars for elderly neighbors, all of whom were out there busting their humps, too. Its now been about 12 hours of shoveling and, strange to say, I sort of enjoyed it.

[Tim Ford]

I found out what 30 inches of snew is good for!

Outside, grilling some tender spring chickens, wherever you turn there is a custom made BEER HOLDER that keeps the beverage seriously chilled.

so there ya go.

[Orestes Munn]

I found out what 30 inches of snew is good for!

Outside, grilling some tender spring chickens, wherever you turn there is a custom made BEER HOLDER that keeps the beverage seriously chilled.

so there ya go.

I did the same thing while shoveling the neighbors. Mmmmm.

[SloopJonB]

Don't any of you ski?



Sorry.

[BeauV]

Do any of you use one of these (see picture below) and just melt the stuff. Or, is the air temp still below 32° ?? At my Dad's cabin we used to link this to a long hose on the natural gas pipe and the snow was gone really fast. (Not NOT NOT a good idea if the temp is below 32 as you make an ice lake - ask how I know!)

[Ajax]

Don't any of you ski?



Sorry.

Skiing eats into my winter boat maintenance and money.

I'm sure the the 3 main local lodges are thrilled to finally get some decent snow though.

[The Red Lady]

Don't any of you ski?

Sorry.

Going snowboarding tonight! Almost three feet of fresh powder is too good to pass up. Best way to get rid of cabin fever!

I have two seasons, Sailing and Snowboarding

[Slick470]

Don't any of you ski?



Sorry.

Yup, but not recently and the skiing I have done on this coast has been a bit of a let down. Having little kids and a wife who has only been once has put a damper on skiing as a priority, but I used to go to Colorado at least once a year to get in a few days of real mountains.

[Tucky]

Glad all you Chesapeake folks are coping. Two feet would be a big storm even up here but all the mechanism's for dealing with it are in place, both personally and governmentally, so there isn't the same stress. I like it in the way the NYTimes article pointed out- it just stops you with beauty.

What I don't like up here is mud season. What you all will have gone through in a warm week or two on your way to cherry blossoms up here consumes all of March and most of April. We generally think we are through with snow by April 1 but aren't properly until May 1, and the large piles where shopping centers put their snow and where Portland puts it can stay a cold brown mess through Memorial day. Last year we had a lot of snow and some apple trees in a median strip where Portland had piled snow were trying to bloom while snow was still packed underneath them- it was interesting to watch the blossoms low on the trees not make it when the tops were in full bloom. Thats the time of year I wish I was down your way- I grew up in Cincinnati. about the same latitude as DC.

[The Red Lady]

Yup, but not recently and the skiing I have done on this coast has been a bit of a let down. Having little kids and a wife who has only been once has put a damper on skiing as a priority, but I used to go to Colorado at least once a year to get in a few days of real mountains.

It's true that most of what we get within an hour of Baltimore is mostly glorified hills, but it's enough to get a quick fix. In two weeks we are headed out to Park City to get in some quality mountain time. We have a sailing friend who lives out there in the winter and teaches skiing to kids, so we will shamelessly be taking her up on a free place to crash and lift ticket discounts. Sailing friends are good

[kimbottles]

Sailing friends are the BEST!

[BeauV]

In case any of you on the East Coast haven't tried it. Head to Alta, just outside of Salt Lake City. I like it a LOT better than skiing in CO.

I've done a fair bit of both, and it's the difference in the drive time that does it. From the SLC airport to Alta is 20 minutes. From Denver to Vale is over 2 hours without snow! More like 3 hours with snow. My experience is that SLC airport is open a lot more of the time in the winter than DEN. Alta isn't any good for boarders, but right next door is Snow Bird and they love boarders there.

http://www.alta.com/

Currently 88" snow pack at mid-mountain and this year so far they've received 251". Average year they get over 300" of snow, most of that powder.

One of the locals dropping into a small hill off of Supreme:




My Marine son getting the goods in a run called Gunsight:




Same son speeding down the face of Devil's Elbow:

[Slick470]

Beau, while I agree that a shorter drive would be nice. I actually love the drive from Denver to any of the mountains on the west side of the pass.

My office used to do yearly trips (before my boss started having back issues and the economy started getting wonky) and the destination of choice was Aspen. So, yes, we'd pass pretty much every other decent mountain on the way. But the drive was always amazing. In college we'd take a week or so over winter break and spend a day each at A-basin, Breckenridge and Keystone, and then finish up the week in Winter Park.

What can I say, I love a good road trip.

[BeauV]

Beau, while I agree that a shorter drive would be nice. I actually love the drive from Denver to any of the mountains on the west side of the pass.

My office used to do yearly trips (before my boss started having back issues and the economy started getting wonky) and the destination of choice was Aspen. So, yes, we'd pass pretty much every other decent mountain on the way. But the drive was always amazing. In college we'd take a week or so over winter break and spend a day each at A-basin, Breckenridge and Keystone, and then finish up the week in Winter Park.

What can I say, I love a good road trip.

I can relate to that. My son and I will do Silverton someday (when my back works again). I'm really looking forward to it. That and some good back country where there are NO PEOPLE!

[Tucky]

Saw an article about these Maine folks who went down to Annapolis for the storm and made a little money and a few friends. Neat Move- any of you folks see them?

http://www.ellsworthamerican.com/featur ... r-blizzard

Mainers become plow kings of Maryland during superstorm
It was a close call for those of us living in Maine two weeks ago when we were narrowly spared what was being touted as a "real deal superstorm" in the form of winter storm Jonas.
While many of of us living in the state were happy to be spared the crippling wind, ice and over two feet of snow that hit parts of New York City and Washington, D.C., four enterprising Mainers saw a money-making opportunity, according to The Ellsworth American.
Devin Sprague, the owner of an Ellsworth landscaping business that doubles as a snow-removal company in the winter, along with Darby Higgins, Josh Palmacci and Cody Sprague, loaded a trailer with all the tools of a true-Maine snow removal outing and hit the road – 700 miles of road to be exact – and headed to Annapolis, Md.
After hunkering down in a hotel for the weekend as the storm raged outside, the four-man team emerged from their man cave looking for anyone and everyone that was snowed-in.
The search didn't last long as residents and businesses alike were quick to pay around $60 to have their driveways plowed and upwards of $400 for larger snow removal projects after the group went door-to-door and posted on Craigslist offering snow removal.
The new plow kings of Maryland were also offered food and lodging from residents and the chance to stay free-of-charge at a Best Western hotel after plowing its parking lot, the group stayed in the region until midday Tuesday.