Snow, Snow, and More Snow

Yes, it's been snowing hard here. The resort has had over three feet since Monday. They are up to the magic 100 inch base. Up in Felt on the hill I've probably had a couple of feet, plus whatever drifts the wind blew in. The horses will be able to walk over the corral soon, so it looks like I will be putting up electric fence extensions this weekend. They were on the back fence staring out this morning when I went out to feed, and they are usually at the gate to greet me (or the food rather) so I think they are plotting their escape. Actually more likely they were concerned about a moose or deer or something walking by, but they looked like they were plotting.

I've had some severe arthritis and tendinitis problems in my hand, so I am behind on my snow shoveling. The problem with this dry, soft powder snow we have here is that it drifts easily. No sooner you finish shoveling and it is back. I don't feel bad asking the landlord to borrow their snow blower because I hauled 2 tons of wood pellets for their stove in a snow storm during my lunch break earlier this week. Oh, and I had to thaw out the snow blower for them because the ding-bat left if out in a blizzard and the carb froze up.

In other news, a local 62 year old retiree second homeowner died when her car got stuck in a snow drift and she tried to walk the couple miles home in a blizzard. They found her frozen body half covered in snow around 3 am that morning. How sad, but it didn't have to happen if she would have thought things through and been prepared. I take it as a lesson to respect the weather and be prepared. So I am compelled to make a list here of the emergency equipment I have been gathering and toting around in the truck these last few weeks:

• One portable plastic snow shovel
• One extendable snow scraper / brush
• One 12V battery backup jump starter with air inflator, power inverter and work light
• One LED flashlight
• One survival kit (borrowed from the boat for the off-season) Nalgene water bottle with flashlight, compass, space blanket, pocket knife, matches, wind proof lighter, fire starters, and hand warmers inside
• One Leatherman tool
• One nylon tow strap
• Three 8' logging chains
• Three nylon tie down straps
• One blanket
• One army surplus wool blanket (also borrowed from the boat for the off-season)
• One set of snow shoes
• One plastic sled (the "red rocket", undefeated to date against the "tie-die torpedo"..ok, so this one's more for fun than emergency, but you never know)
• One set ski poles
• One package of beef jerky
• Chocolate (problem is I keep eating it and having to replace it)
• One first aid kit borrowed from the boat for the off-season
• One air horn and flare gun borrowed from the boat for the off-season (I basically just stole everything out of the emergency cabinet of the boat)
• One two pound hammer (handy to break things loose from ice or hammer frozen trailer couplings)
• One pair snow pants
• One windproof and waterproof hunter orange beanie cap
• One set insulated gloves
• One pair gators
• One set jumper cables
• One roll duct tape
• One roll electrical tape
• nylon zip ties, assorted sizes
• road flares
• One pair ski goggles
• Two pairs sun glasses
• One hatchet

Am I missing anything? I think I might add a scarf or balaclava to the mix.