More Skiing

Well, we have finally slowed down enough for me to post more photos. This past week we skied two more times with Kelly and the dogs. Sunday we went out on the North Cascades Highway to find some fresh snow to cross country ski. It was really pretty. On our drive out to our destination, we followed the Skagit River.
We saw more bald eagles perched in pines than we could even count. According to the Nature Conservancy, starting in November eagles start gathering on the river, and gradually the population builds to several hundred, peaking in mid-January. This impressive winter gathering of bald eagles, which is one of the four largest in the Lower 48 states, coincides with the spawning runs of chum salmon on the Skagit River. The carcasses of the spent fish, washed onto gravel bars or into shallow water, are a major food source for the eagles. Impressive it was! There is actually a bald eagle festival in a couple weeks in honor of the flocking.

When we reached our destination, we had lots of fresh powder. We actually had to leave one area because of avalanche warnings. Not necessarily where we were, but on the pass between where we were and our way out to main roads. So we decided not to chance it and found a different place to ski. On New Year's Day we tried some downhill skiing at Stevens Pass. When we skied, the Pass had gotten 63 inches of new snow in the past seven days. There is no shortage of snow right now. Life is good.