All of these pictures were taken on today's trip, Friday October 12. I say this for my friends who live in warm climates, who thought I was being hyperbolic when I started freaking out about the onset of winter as of Labor Day weekend. All those folks were thinking about backyard barbecues and getting one last visit in to the swimming pools before they closed for the season. We were worried about sealing snow out of our tiny cabin on the mountain.
I said out loud today that I have watched so many of those Canadian cabin building shows on HGTV, but never imagined that I would be racing frantically exactly like they were, finishing up construction while trying not to slip on the ice that was getting packed underfoot.
So for the penultimate build day of the year, I'll just put comments under the photos.
On the drive up, overlooking my favorite little lake, the view of several inches of snow on the peaks around Estes Park.
The Forest Service roads leading up to our mountain. Just a dusting remained here, but by bedtime Sunday, these will be ankle deep in snow.
Another view from the Forest Service roads. Several inches of snow up there.
Same spot on the road as above. Just turned to my right. I love the aspen trunks.
While I waited for the Mr to shut the gate behind us once we crossed onto private property.
First downed tree of the season. This one moved easy. The road up from there got very sporty. We weren't sure we could make it all the way up. Took three or four runs at one certain uphill turn. I'm not sure we'll make it tomorrow in the same spot.
We had to park in the spot where he usually turns around and heads backwards up the last hill (to the staging area where there is no room to turn around to come home.) The truck was covered in mud splashes all the way up from going through the giant puddles on the Forest Service roads. I wonder whether they will still be frozen over tomorrow for the last trip.
The view from where we usually park the truck, down the hill we usually back up.
The staging area. The materials pile is getting smaller, but it won't make it all the way up this year.
The start of the hill from the normal parking spot/staging area. There were a couple bare muddy spots on the route, but it was 90% snowy overall.
Halfway up the steep section. I might use this as the SFSP Facebook page cover photo. Or maybe one of the ones below.
He texted me along the route to set a tube of sealant out in the sun to thaw. And then we never used it.
The mountain counties just lifted the fire ban this week, once all the rain and snow came in. We weren't able to burn any slash the entire year. This is our first fire of 2018.
Mount Evans just visible over our bare aspen meadow.
My mother, the family's official safety monitor, does not want to know the precarious perch the ladder was on for him to be up there, putting up steel siding.
Our huge project of the day, getting the first few steel panels up. Between the snow and the horribly steep slope on the back of the cabin, this job sucked like you can't imagine.
Second attempt at a photo, this time including the upper panels. It was just too steep to stand back there and get a good picture.
Normally I bring up protein snacks. This time called for something different, to celebrate the lifting of the fire ban.
Hiking out at the end of the day. As soon as the sun dips behind the mountain, that air gets really cold.
We went home via a different route, to go to the magic food window for french fries. Before we could get the truck stopped, this cloud was glowing pink.
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