A Good Start

A new month, almost a new season....Actually, it is a new season, even though the calendar has yet to catch up. We've been blessed with early snow, and lots of it. I finished the woodpile on November 8th, and at that point, I declared that snow could come anytime. Providence stepped in, and our first flakes fell that weekend. Since then, we've been collecting inches, inches, and more inches.
Here is my classic shot, taken of the lake and sauna from our upstairs window. I took this on Thanksgiving Day. We got between six and eight inches overnight. Paul and I spent the prior evening driving home from Two Harbors. He had gotten a ride to that point, and while I waited for him to arrive, I watched the snowstorm begin. It came with a vengeance, and caused some pretty intense times while we motored up the shore. We had to stop periodically to wipe the heavy wet snow off of our headlights, and at those moments, we could hear the roar of the lake. While standing out there, watching big flakes rapidly fall to the ground, the weather didn't seem so bad. But as soon as we started to drive again, the visibility dropped like a stone. What kept me trucking along was a seriously great set of tires and a good knowledge of the road. Once we reached the Gunflint Trail, the visibility improved and the snow depth increased. We just kept pushing along, and we remembered our big adventure of a few years back. Before leaving Grand Marais, we had called Greg, so he knew that we were on the Trail. If we hadn't gotten home within two hours, he planned to come out looking for us. Fortunately, we arrived in an hour and a half, for a total of four and a half hours of drive time. While I was driving, I couldn't be upset---I am so happy that we are getting such fabulous snow this year.

Greg has been plowing for many days, keeping our driveways clear and those of several neighbors. We have snow to bank the cabins, snow to insulate the septic system, and snow to build up on the trails. Soon we will be grooming and then skiing. What an awesome start! I think it's going to be a great winter.