Sunday morning after an early church service and with ski gear loaded and strapped to the van, we tucked Stanley into the camera case and headed for Snoqualmie Summit, a ski resort in the Cascades east of Redmond (Seattle).
It was still pretty foggy and frosty as we drove the west shore of Lake Sammamish to connect with I-90 and head up into the mountains. On a prettier, sunnier day the lake is quite nice and a popular spot to hang out at some of the park areas that can be found nearby. In the summer, lots of water sports and sand castle building goes on.
From Redmond it is about an hours drive to the Snoqualmie Summit. If you continue on I-90, it takes you to Snoqualmie Pass which is a little over 3000 feet high. The Pass is the largest of three routes through the Washington Cascades and is open year round but can be pretty dangerous in bad winter weather.
As we neared the base of the mountains and began to climb, it didn't take long for ears to start popping. But, wondered Stanley, where is the snow?
As we climbed further, we found ourselves above the fog and the sun shone brightly. Soon after, we began to see signs of snow, not just frost, and suddenly the sides of the road were piled high where the plows had cleared the pavement. There was reportedly a 66" base of snow for the skiers.
Snoqualmie Summit resort was packed with families. Adults and kids of all ages clomped about in ski boots with their skis tossed up on their shoulders. Soon our family group was divided into their lesson areas and off to learn the day's new skills. The older, non-skiing folks, took Stanley into the lodge to warm up and sip some hot drinks. Later, they joined the others around the outdoor fire pit before beginning the trip home.
The beauty of the area was not lost on Stanley. I could hear him sigh as he watched an eagle soar over distant pine trees. The brilliantly lit snow from the bright sunshine was a welcome change from all the dreary fog of the last few days. What a difference between the area near the sea and the mountain top!
It was good that Stanley got used to a little snow because he was about to travel to another area of the country that was white with the cold fluffy stuff.
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