Monday (New Year’s Day) we all headed to Hyak Sno-Park where we
introduced grandkids to snow & sledding January of last year (see below
BLOG link). Turns out the “big” hill was
closed due to ice, but it was still fun.
That evening was a traditional Cajun New Year’s day dinner, that
supposedly ensures good luck in the new year.
03JAN Wednesday evening we headed to SeaTac airport to pick Joe
up at Airport. Unfortunately he was
working offshore during the holidays, & is now joining the family for a
late xmas & skiing.
Thursday Joe & Dan ski at Stevens Pass until sleet arrives,
cutting there day short. That evening we
celebrated grandson Jaxson’s sixth birthday w/Chick-fil-A dinner. After dinner Jaxson opened his b-day presents,
& then Joe opened his xmas presents.
Friday Joe & Dan head back to Stevens Pass – only to find pretty
miserable conditions. Everyone else shows
up at lunch for ski lessons (you remember the grandkids only other ski lesson
was last January, see below BLOG link).
By the time Raymond, Jaxson & Mason are suited up for lessons entire
ski area shut down; everyone that asks gets a refund. On the return home Joe & Dan go looking
for a state run offroad area on Reiter Rd, Gold Bar, WA. The plan is at some future visit, Joe will do
some four wheel drive rock crawling.
Sunday, 07JAN, Dan takes Joe to Stevens finding the parking lots
are full. Dan drops Joe off & then heads
home, leaving Joe there. Later that day
in two cars, everyone else goes to Stevens Pass Nordic Center for
sledding. Dan then picked up Joe &
they meet everyone in Leavenworth to see the xmas lights & have
dinner. Turns out it is big holiday tourist
attraction for thousands of people to travel to Leavenworth each evening to
view the lights. But they actually leave
lights up until February & the crowds are gone after new years. Then it was a late night trip back to house
thru a driving snow storm, followed by rain.
08JAN Monday early AM Dan & Joe head to Stevens Pass. This time new snow, no crowds, & they end
up being first ones to ski back side of mountain for the day. Raymond & Rebecca show up later that AM;
Raymond tries snowboarding, but quickly switches to skiing. A great dayJ!
The next day, 09JAN, Rebecca, Raymond & Joe go hiking at
Franklin Falls off of I-90. They
discover road to trail head is closed for last 2 miles due to icing. Even though they have very poor strap-on ice
crampons they hike in, & then proceed to climb about the ice covered rocks.
Wednesday Joe & Dan go skiing, lots of new snow but not the
best conditions in Dan’s opinion. That
evening was family game night.
11JAN Thursday Joe, Rebecca & Raymond go skiing; major snow
storm & traffic problems on passes.
In fact there is so much snow, that they have to dig our new truck out,
to get moving even w/four wheel drive!
Friday morning, 12JAN, sadly it was back to SeaTac for Joe’s
return to Louisiana. Sunday, 14JAN, we
accompanied Rebecca & Raymond to Stevens Pass for Jaxson & Mason’s ski
lessons.
Back at the houses for a short
dinner; before the kids & grandkids head to for a short stay at a BnB in Astoria,
OR. Returning on the 16th. One of the pictures they took of the
grandkids standing in front of a shipwreck on the Oregon beach, is the exact
same wreck we took a picture of Rebecca & Joe sitting on way back in July
1994!
19JAN Friday Raymond had to fly out to return to his job in
KuwaitL! The rest of January was pretty quiet.
