W I N T E R

5-19-08

I have been remiss in updating since we got up last Friday.

All the paved roads are open, including the Oro-Quincy Highway. Many of the dirt roads leading to cabins have been plowed, but not all. I know Mile High, Mtn Ash, and Pioneer are done. Not sure of the others.

So, seeing that this means the end of Winter, my future entries will be in the NEWS section. This winter has been a real one. Let's hope for a wonderful summer.

 

3-21-08

A couple of things. First, an update on Don Dingel (correct spelling). Some of us got together and did the yellow ribbon thing yesterday, so no formal thing at the play day. But, if you are coming up for that, or just to ride, I bet it would be OK with his family if a few more ribbons got left. There are plenty of trees that would look good with ribbons on them.

We are leaving for an extended time tomorrow, and I do not have the ability to update this blog from anywhere but at the Lake. (Trying to change that, though) The computer, weather station, and camera will stay on, so, enjoy.

 

3-20-08

Many thanks to the people who pointed out my error about Don Dingle's funeral service. It will be on FRIDAY, the 28th.

A grooming note, it turned out well this morning, and should be good for the weekend.

 

3-19-08

Services for Don Dingle

The funeral for Don is scheduled for Saturday, March 28, at 2pm, at the Christian Life Fellowship (The old Elks Lodge), 317 E. 1st St. East Quincy. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the St. Jude's Hospital for Children. Information: 283-0345.

Also under consideration right now is an event at the Snow Drifters Play Day on March 29. Of course the base for that day is at the Fire Station, and Don lived right across the road. If all goes as planned, there will be a short walk over to his place, and yellow ribbons will be placed around some of the trees out front. I think that will be a very nice gesture.

I guess I should mention grooming. The local roads are in pretty good shape, and after the current weather passes, I will groom the basin roads to get them ready for the weekend. Enjoy.

 

3-16-08

TODAY I AM THE BEARER OF VERY SAD NEWS.

Long time Bucks Lake resident, Don Dingle, who was known by just about everyone, passed away today. He was found in bed by a relative.

Of course, it is too early to know about any arrangements, but if and when we know them, I will put them up here.

 

3-1-08

As you can tell from the web cam, we are back. For the record, the Friday snow was 6", while Sunday was 22".

Everything is groomed, the snow is soft, the temperatures are definitely spring like, and there is enough snow to ride on, no doubt all the way through March, and likely a good part, (or all) of April.

I've had some questions about ice fishing. A couple of weeks ago, Mark Mantle and some friends decided to try. First they dug down about 5' to the ice layer. Then they started drilling. They gave up after drilling through 3' of ice and not hitting water. So, that's the drill on ice fishing. But that could change, as could the safety of the ice, with warm temperatures like we are getting now.

 

2-19-08

A little drizzle of rain at 10 pm. We will be gone for several days, so no updates during the expected weather this week.

But, the local roads are all groomed, along with 4 Trees, and if the coming storms don't occupy too much groomer time, some of the back country will get spruced up.

More when we return.

 

2-11-08

Well, what a weekend it was. Certainly one of the best Poker Runs, ever. We served over 260 lunches, and right at 300 poker hands were purchased. And everyone seemed to have just a great time.

Then there was the ride out over the very trashed roads. Every party has a hangover! The groomer has been running this week and we are starting to get things back under control on the main roads. And the other good news is that the snow has settled so that it is rideable just about everywhere now.

And to think, we should be sledding through at least the end of March. Better yet, the forecast is for beautiful weather for the next seven days. Better take advantage of that. You never know when serious winter will return.

2-3-08

Yesterday and last night we got another 34" of snow. Today has been a real dig out day.

Jay took the groomer to the summit and to Big Creek, and worked around the basin. So, the main roads are opened, and we will work to make them really good during the week.

The forecast for next Saturday, right now, is mostly sunny, with a 10% chance of snow. Just about perfect conditions for the Poker Run. This should be one of the great ones. If you only ride once or twice a year, you owe it to yourself to come up and see these awesome snow conditions. Hope to see you there!

 

2-2-08

We have had QUITE a month for total snow fall. I have run the numbers: 160" , or just over 13 feet! Wow! Compacted snow, standing on the ground, is at 9 feet. And every joint in my body knows it.

It is snowing hard again at 11:30, and I am betting on another 20" by Sunday midday.

But things are looking up, as the forecast is only for some light showers on Monday and Wednesday. The Poker Run is scheduled for next Saturday, with registration starting at 9 and a buffet breakfast available at Bucks Lodge beginning at 8 am. We have the route all planned. It is about 35 miles of some of our most scenic trails. Our usual great lunch will be available, included with your registration, at the groomer shed, and the raffle and party starting around 3 at Bucks Lodge. This is going to be one of our best Poker Runs ever.

 

1-31-08

The headline has to be, "January Goes Out With A Roar!"

We just have a real blizzard going here, with about a foot so far, at 4 pm. I went out and got the groomer to bring it home for the night, and was in white out all the way. With the groomer, I went first to the summit. Could not tell if the plow has been there. The conditions were brutal. About 20 degrees, wind at about 30, heavy, heavy snow, and the big trees swaying over 10 feet at the top.

When this is all over there will be snow for any taste. And don't forget, the Bucks Poker Run is Saturday, February 9th. With the superb snow conditions, we are going to try to put together a route with trails that are not often in the Run. It will be a lot of fun. And, remember, we are justifiably famous for the feed we put on!

 

1-29-08

We all felt that yesterday's storm was not going to be all that strong. Wrong! We got at least 15" in a blizzard that kept going all day long. The wind was so strong that the 15" is just an estimate.

Today I groomed all the basin roads and was in snow up over the tracks in several locations. That means at least 30". And I guess we are going to do it all again on Thursday and Friday, but it does look like some reasonable weather is coming on Monday. That would be nice.

A further grooming note, we have not gone to 4 Trees in several days, and I suspect the ride would start not far above Mountain House. It would be deep, treacherous, and not recommended right now.

But if it is powder you want, believe me, we have that. All you could ever want, and more.

On the level, we have about 7 feet now. The stop sign at the fire house is now completely covered. In the Highlands, it is more like 9 to 10 feet.

I got a question about ice fishing today. Certainly the lake is frozen, but there is now about 6 feet of snow on it. The effort involved would be huge. Would it be worth it? Who knows?

Finally, tomorrow or Friday I will post our total snow fall for January, and I bet we will be up there with some familiar ski areas. Wow!

 

1-26-08

Just a quick note before we go out to dig out.

I ran the groomer yesterday in heavy snow, and did both Big Creek and out to the Summit, and all the Basin roads, including the Highlands. So, on Thursday and Friday, we got 32" new. On Feb 1 I'll post the January snowfall, and it will be a bunch.

 

1-24-08

We've been back for a couple of days, and all it does is snow. By my count, about 24" since last Saturday. And this is more of that incredible, light stuff that is just a little more solid than clouds. It is a joy to ride in.

The groomer has been running in the basin. I am concerned about the weekend forecast for people who want to park at the summit. If you do that, you better have your chains and be prepared to use them. But, the rewards should be obvious.

 

1-13-08

Today is the first sunshine in about 10 days. Hello, Mr. Sun!

For you people on Mile High Road, who know who you are, I took your cabin pictures today. They will be up on the Picassa web site some time next week, and I will let you know by email.

We are leaving the lake for several days today, but the camera and weather station are automatic, so, as long as the Gremlins don't attack, things should stay functional.

My read on the weather is, clear for at least the next seven days. How cool is that?

 

1-12-08

The County performed a miracle on the road and the summit parking area yesterday. Both are completely clear, and you can drive them in 2 wheel.

We had a power failure last night. PG&E is up here now, and the power is bouncing on and off. Off right now, so our generator gets some exercise.

With the freeze thaw cycle we are now getting, and the drizzle of the last couple of days, you can ride most anywhere, as just about all the air has gone out of the powder. And that about sums it up for today.

 

1-11-08

Noon update on parking.

The blower is working today. They have to clear huge berms from both sides of the road from Toll Gate to the summit. Only one lane in the middle is open now.

Then they have to clear the summit. I think that means an OK situation for Saturday, but do not count on it before 3 or 4 this afternoon, at the earliest. And the county will probably enforce the chain control for another day.

 

1-11-08

Here's the story on parking, at least for today.

Yesterday we went to Quincy. The summit road is still signed CLOSED, and while it was pretty easy to go down, it was just short of not possible to drive back up with 4 wheel and studded snow tires. There is only one lane, and towing any size trailer would be out of the question.

We had expected the blower yesterday, but it did not show. Even if it does today, it will be an all day event, and the Road Dept. will have someone in place at Toll Gate to either keep the road closed, or enforce chains mandatory.

On the other hand, Big Creek is plowed and dry, and looking at it from the bottom, my grooming of three days ago seems to have held up pretty well.

So, at least for today, Big Creek is the smart, and probably the only choice.

 

1-9-08

It sure does feel like winter. Yesterday we got another 17". That makes the storm total since Thursday, 73", which puts us right up there with several ski areas above 6000 feet. But they have loaders, and blowers, and plows, and lots of people to operate them. I think you have to be a little certifiable to do this thing that we do.

Today, it is NOT SNOWING, and there is a lot of work to do before the next one comes in over night. We might get some rain out of that one.

Mel Green (nice to have him back), groomed the basin roads yesterday, and we'll be trying to build on that, and branch out from there.

So, the roads that need to be are groomed, and if it is powder you want, just point your sled in any direction.

 

1-8-08

At a little after noon, it has been snowing since 7 am. 5" so far. It WILL be nice to see the end of this. More later.

 

1-7-08

Our storm total is now 56". Impressive, and we are still functional!

I groomed Big Creek and the Cut Off Road today. Deep snow everywhere. The summit road has not been groomed yet, but it is flat and an easy ride. Talked to to guys who rode in from 4 Trees (wow!), and they had quite a ride. And they got over four down trees that they said were pretty big.

The lake is seriously frozen, and if the temps stay like they are, we should have a solid lake in about 10 days. But saying that is not encouraging anyone to try it. Ever.

 

1-6-08

Another 6" today. Let's see, as I add all that up, it comes to 52" since last Thursday. That is a respectable amount of snow at 5000 feet.

Gooming plans were changed today, as the cat had a mind of its own. We had to do our favorite job today, replacing the wiper motor. It was certainly an after thought in the design of that machine.

So, tomorrow, I will do Big Creek, the Cut Off Road, and around the basin, and on Tuesday, Jay will do 4 Trees, and continue around the basin. We don't think we can get to the back country till, maybe, Friday.

But, the powder next weekend. The stuff of dreams. Right now I can tell you the texture of the snow is beyond description.

 

1-5-08

Snow Depth, Part Deux. I measured with the tape measure while cleaning off the deck, and true depth was 16" since midnight. Four more has fallen up to now, so 20" so far for the date.

For those of you watching the camera, it took us two hours to dig out both snowmobiles. Jay Grubbs just came down Mile High with the groomer, and thought I could have made it out, but after the dig out, I was glad to see him.

Jay is keeping the basin roads passable, and plans to go to 4Trees tomorrow. He has also been to the Highlands, and thinks the snow is too deep to ride past where he stopped.

Word from the summit is that the county has been keeping the road open with a grader, which has left a virtually not driveable ice layer. So bad that some people turned back from trying to go down an hour ago. It may take a day or two to get that mess cleaned up.

But, just think of next weekend. Awesome!

 

1-5-08

At a little after 11 am, it has snowed about 12" since midnight, and, as you can see from the picture, it is still snowing. We expect variable snow till later today, when it will pick up again. Another 12" seems possible.

The groomer is out, and civilizing the basin roads. Can't expect more than that. More later.

 

1-4-08

10 pm and it continues to snow hard. The temperature has finally fallen to a good place, at 28, so the snow texture is now good.

It was a wild day. Wind was impressive. We had heavy sleet all day, and I have estimated our non snow precip at about 4.5" based on the Oroville total. Snow now is about 8", but that, too, is sort of a guess with all that has happened. However, I expect the heavy snow to continue all night, based on the barometer, so we could be pretty buried by sun up.

 

1-4-08

It is 8 am with mixed rain and snow. Yesterday we got 8" and the slush over night was about 2".

But, look at the barometer. 29.18! It is on track to get below 28" which is very, very, rare. When it changes to snow this afternoon, I am sure we will be immediately buried and unable to do anything outside.

The update process on the picture and the weather page will be sporadic today. I have already cleaned the dish twice, and that is with a heater. The slushy snow does a good job of cutting the signal.

I'll report more as the day progresses.

 

1-1-08

Of course, Happy New Year!

And also, you have seen that the camera is working. I need to publicly thank our good friend, Paul Glock, who in his working life is an I T wizard for Renown Health in Reno. With a new set of eyes, he found the one thing we had overlooked, and, suddenly, it worked! Thanks Paul.

Over the next few days, I plan to tweak the video on the camera for the best picture. Right now the blue water is washed out to white, and I think the focus is still a little soft, but we'll get there. Wow!

Over the holiday, the riding has been great, as the snow stayed cold. Of course some bumps have come up, but that is to be expected. And there are a lot of people at Bucks. So good to see that after last year.

And we are waiting for the predicted "historical" series of storms beginning late Thursday. We've been here for some monsters in the past. We've been buried by 9 feet twice. We'll see how this one measures up. I'll keep up with it here, and you can watch it on the video picture.

 

12-26-07

At a little after 10 pm it is chilly at 19 degrees, and very windy, although the weather page does not show that, because the weather vane is frozen!

Riding conditions have slipped. They are no longer unreal, like a few days ago. But, because of the continuing cold temperatures, the trail groomining is holding up very well. And there is still plenty of powder for those seeking it, it is just not the fabulous stuff of a few days ago.

A word for any cross country skiers who might read this; if a trail has not been ridden in a while, it could be very icy.

So we wait for a few inches of powder over the next few days, and if that happens, and it stays cold, all will be well.

 

12-21-07

Today I rode, and also groomed. Ahem! I have been riding at Bucks since 1980 (no, really?), and while I am sure that there have been great times filed away somewhere, it has NEVER been better than it is right now.

The grooming is tough, for reasons apparent only to groomer operators, but once groomed, the snow is epic. Check the weather page. The high today was 24. So, think Island Park. And the powder? The powder hounds are launching themselves all over the mountain, and it has never been better for them, either.

After last year's mess, God has smiled on us. What a Christmas gift! So, get your butts up here and ride. Or ski.

Practical stuff: Think about parking at Big Creek. This weekend won't be critical, but starting on the 26th, it is going to get crazy.

Now groomed: the main road, the Dam Road clear to Mill Creek, Big Creek, 4Trees, Cut off Road, Upper Daniels, Lower Daniels, and the Highlands. On schedule for tomorrow, Ararat. Does that sound like fun, or what?

 

12-20-07 , 6 pm

Here's the late news. Big Creek Road has been groomed, and I am betting it will be a God send this weekend and next week, because the summit lot will fill. Also, the Oro-Quincy Highway is groomed out to 4 Trees, so you guys in Chico, Sacramento, and environs who like to come up that way will find a good road, once you get that far.

Also, a correction to a note I made a couple of days ago. In Reno, our weather numbers will be featured on KOLO Channel 8. Chris Larson, the Chief Meteorologist, contacted me and said he wanted our reports, while the Ch 4 people have never contacted me. There you go. The guy who grabs it, gets it.

12-20-07

We got 6" before midnight, and another 8" after that. So, 14" of very fluffy powder. It was clear at dawn, much to my surprise, and we are having a beautiful day here. I really don't expect it to get above freezing for a couple of days, so conditions should be as good as they get. Over all, something over three feet since Monday.

 

12-19-07

It did continue to snow all day on Tuesday, but settled as it did. I rode Mile High Rd, and there was an honest two feet. It was nice to find the Dam Road groomed when I got up there.

Today both the temperature and barometer are higher than I expected, so I think the next system will not arrive till around 5 pm. I still think it will be substantial.

Fun, at last!

 

12-18-07

At 11 am we have a foot of new snow. Sorry that the weather station was off the air for a few hours. I have just cleaned the snow off my Wild Blue dish. Even with a heater, the snow got ahead of it.

Jay Grubbs is grooming the main roads today to get a good base, so we are good to go.

More later, as I expect several more inches, and it is still snowing hard.

 

12-17-07

Yup! We are riding now. Over night it snowed from 9" to a foot depending on location. And I am thinking another foot tonight. Could it be that we are about to have a real winter, again?

For people in the Reno area, we will now be on the channel 4 weather watcher list, sending our statistics every afternoon.

For Sacramento people, we still send our numbers to Channel 10, though they don't seem to use them as much as a couple of years ago.

 

12-16-07

At 8:15 it has snowed about an inch. We are looking for 4 - 6" by morning. But, tomorrow is the big day. I am betting on a foot and a half by Tuesday morning. With more to follow. Yeah!! Stay tuned.

 

12-15-07

So, last week's storm was a bust. But, I have high hopes for the week to come. We will be at Bucks all week, I will keep updating here. Pray for snow!

12-6-07

I'm typing this a little after 11 am on Thursday, and the barometer is falling, and the temperature is falling, and...., snow is falling. All right!

But I have to leave the lake for several days, just when it is getting promising.

To check up to the minute you can call Louie at Bucks Lodge, 283-2262, or Debbie at Haskins at 283-9667.

I'll pick this up in about 10 days, with the hope that winter is finally here.

 

11-25-07

The Bucks Lake Snowdrifters had a good meeting yesterday, with radio and repeater system, the Poker Run, and annual Play day all discussed. Then, it was adjourned to the Groomer Shed, where many hands turned out for a work day.

Some really energetic folks gave the groomer an impressive cleaning. Thanks! I know it will be easier to breathe in there now!

The Maxey drag also got a makeover, with the center section added back in. That will mean, when the main roads have gotten in bad shape, but the temperature is cold, one or two passes with the Maxey will make it all right again.

People coming to the Poker Run will also see some changes made inside the Groomer Shed.

It is cool and gray here today, kind of makes a person think of snow. And we may get some next week. I do not think it will be enough to get riding, but it should be a start. When it happens, I'll keep up with it right here.

 

11-20-07

And, finally, some more news to report. The Back Road project finished on Monday. No more detour! And it sure looks good.

Cold and damp here, and we are looking forward to winter. We are back at the cabin for a while now, so we will be able to track, and comment on, whatever winter does, or does not bring.

 

10-20-07

Finally, some news to report.

First, our Bucks Lake Fire Department has been awarded a federal grant to purchase a replacement for our 1968 Chevy mini pumper. The basic unit we are looking at is a Ford 550 all wheel drive with around a 300 gallon tank, and storage for our extrication, medical, rope, and wild land gear. We are incredibly excited about this acquisition. With delivery of the new unit, hopefully in the early spring, it will be a grand new day for fire protection and medical response at Bucks Lake. Thanks to all the people who supported the Fire Department in this, and especially to the board of the Bucks Lake Homeowners Association for providing the matching funds.

Finally we have wet soil. If you watch the weather site carefully, you know we have had almost 5" of rain so far in October. If it will just continue that way, it will just get steadily colder, and start to build up snow as we get close to Thanksgiving. Everyone here is looking for a great winter. The groomer is ready to go, and we groomer operators are itching to get started. And I can't wait to try out my new Crossfire SnoPro. 800 engine, wide Simmons Fexiskiis, and a 2" track. It should do very well.

It will be a while before we update again, but keep watching the weather page.

 

10-1-07

Here we go with Winter mode and high hopes. We have had some rain over the last several days, and the temperature has cooled significantly.

The groomer is ready to go, and the fuel is in.

Rumor has it paving will start on the Back Road pretty soon. Here's hoping.

We are working on one last big push to get the camera working this month or next. I have high hopes, but then I did at the start...

That's it until there is some real news to print.