Another Winter 96-97?

Those of us who lived through the winter of the big snow 96-97 remember – plow ¬– shovel daily.

We lived then on the Swan side of the Summit. Come February you couldn't see my jack fence. I had the old relic TD 14 Cat to plow with and had snow piles bigger than the cabin. The snow slid off the roof till it backed up onto the roof. I have a picture of Geraldine sitting on the roof, she just walked up the snow slide. We shoveled in front of the windows to see out.

It was a sight to behold it was.

Some folks were wise and shoveled their roofs. Some didn't and lost their buildings.

But that ain't the only one like 96-97.

Many moons ago I was cut'n timber near Tollgate, Ore. High up out of Elgin. We had five feet on the level and had to shovel for 12 inch stumps; Forest Service you know. Anyway, I'd shovel down, mostly one side, enough to get my saw down there.

The fumes were eye watering to say the least. When the tree hit the snow I'd leap up on the butt and get catapulted out of the hole, not OSHA approved but safer then staying down in that hole.

After awhile of that misery they decided to shut the job down. I made the mistake of catching a ride down to my saw Monday morning on the skid cat. A D7. I think the Cat skinner was an ex Daytona race driver.

Me, I clung to the screen on the back of the cab like a politician clings to his re-election. I fancied myself as a dozer operator but this Andretti was in a class all by himself. Around the boulders, hitting logs to an exact position to hook a choker, snow fly'n like a blizzard. I wanted to bale but didn't want him to think this timber cutter was a weaney.

Anyhow, all's well that ends well. Mother used to say, I survived another one.