For the past 6 years we have rented Peterson Prairie Guard Station on Mt. Adams. It's always fun to have little adventures planned throughout the winter to keep things interesting and we have enjoyed making this a family tradition. One week before this photo was taken there was not a flake of snow to be seen. We have had an incredibly sunny and dry winter....up until a week ago. The storms that rolled through could not have been more perfectly timed for our ski trip. After being concerned over the lack of snow, our issues shifted to being able to reach the base of Mt. Adams. The storms dropped several feet of snow--followed by ice at lower elevations which toppled trees and left most of the area without power for several days. Understandably, plowing roads to sno-parks was very low priority for the Forest Service. We made it though without trouble (thank you 4wd and studded tires). It was snowing heavily when we departed on Sunday which meant that the camera stayed in the dry bag for the journey.
I did take this photo once we arrived. Look carefully...believe it or not, that's my snow-covered sled towing some very precious baby cargo.
Jonah slept the whole way and woke up when we arrived looking very rested. We timed our trek to coincide with his afternoon nap. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to snowshoe the 2.5 miles to the cabin. The going was slow because of the deep snow, ungroomed path, and our packs being at their heaviest (and it's uphill on the way in).
I carried Daisy in a backpack on my front and towed Jonah's sled. My dear husband carried a pack and towed another sled which contained everything else. Thank you darling.
We got the fire going and soon the cabin was warm and drying out our gear. In addition to the wood stove, the amenities include gas lamps, 2 futons, 1 bed, small table and chairs, gas range and oven, and cookware. The cabin sleeps 6 (although we've slept 8 in it before). Below is the photo from last year. Our friends are hilarious...and possibly a little bit tipsy? I, of course, was not.....being that I was 5 1/2 months pregnant then.
Every year the Forest Service uses the rental fees to make some cabin improvements. This year we were pleased to find a new, more efficient fireplace insert and new pots for the kitchen. When you have to melt snow for water, having nice big pots for that purpose is really helpful! It has been fun to see the cabin evolve over the years.
When I think of Peterson Prairie it is always a golden yellow building in my mind even though it got repainted in 2010. Here we are with friends in 2009.
Because we reserve the cabin 6 months in advance, you never really know what the conditions are going to be like. There's always been enough snow for skis or snowshoes though. We have enjoyed sharing Peterson Prairie with our friends.
This year, we decided to enjoy our time as just a family of three. We woke up on Monday to blue skies and sunshine. The towering snowclad trees were right out of a fairy tale. It was spectacular!
The best part of spending time at the cabin is being able to ski right from the door. There are lots of trails to take. We've always enjoyed going to visit the ice caves and seeing the natural bridges.
It was absolutely delightful having Jonah along this year. The sled we use for him was a hand-me-down gift from my Uncle Paul. He used it to pull my cousins all throughout the Sierra's and we feel very fortunate to be using it now, a generation later.
We are positively over the moon for this sled as it did such a wonderful job. The "pulk" is made in Norway and this one was specifically designed to pull a child. It turns out that our Fjellpulken has a long standing history among Scandinavian residents as the quintessential means for traveling outdoors in winter. And after our four days of use, I would agree that it is an exceptional design. The sled comes with an awesome little fleece sleeping bag for warmth and the backrest can be reclined for sleep or elevated so your little one can look out. And in spite of uneven snow, the sled remained level and Jonah was secure.
The sled hull is made of fiberglass reinforced polyester, which makes it light enough for me to pull comfortably. Jonah was quite content. This is my new favorite photo of him. Just beautiful.
Below is a photo of the sleeping bag insert. It is a cozy little nest. Did I say that we love this sled?
We even tried a twofur.....our biggest concern was to keep Daisy from licking Jonah the entire time.
Despite the sunshine it stayed cold on Monday.
During the four days that we were at the cabin, Jonah made another huge developmental leap. He started imitating us, and it has opened up a whole new world of communicating with him.
Jonah has three primary communication skills now.....he will click his tongue in response to you.....he will tilt his head as a mimic to our "aww" moments (seriously, try saying "aww, how cute" and notice that your head tilts when you say it).....and he will wave at you. Totally Adorable!
Awwww.
So....he's obviously charming us.
Tuesday we woke up to more snow.
Other new Moms sometimes ask me how I get Jonah to behave so well. While I can't take credit for his natural calmness, I do attribute his consistency to our schedule. Because we have established a routine, Jonah can easily maintain his schedule and sleep whether in his darkened room at home, in a sled traveling through the forest, in the car, or at a cabin in the woods.
Some of us took the rainy afternoon as a good opportunity for a nap. I read and Jonah played happily nearby.
How cute are those two?
Our sweet little boy is growing so fast. He has started to be able to pull himself up to standing.
There's an exciting world out there and we are cultivating a little explorer.
Time to wake up Dad.....
Mr. Blue Eyes
After snowing 8 more inches, the temperature warmed up and it began to rain. We took a few more photos with the winter wonderland as a backdrop.
We finished up the afternoon by getting ready for our departure.
Before you leave, you restock the wood so it is full for the next visitors.
Good Morning! Time to pack up the sleeping bags, but my little helper is very distracting.
Jonah loves to play with the different textures of sleeping bags--crackly nylon, zippers and drawstrings are all so appealing. He did not want to stop. Do you see a little goalie in the making?
Wave Bye-Bye!
Until next time....
