Big Damn Storm

December 7, 2009 will go down at Camp Creek Ranch as one hell of a night. The storm was scheduled to bring a bit of snow and cold, nothing a strong Michigander couldn't handle. Well at 2:30 am a big Grey Pine of nearly 200 feet in one of our pastures came down bringing a few oaks along onto our porch. From that point until 5:30 that evening we were all pretty much hunkered down by the woodstove waiting for something to come down on the house. The weight of the snow was taking trees and limbs down every three to five seconds over the course of more than 12 hours. It was one hell of an experience. The trees haven't seen that kind of snow in more than 30 years, according to the locals, and couldn’t handle the excessive weight. Everyone survived unscathed, except for a canoe, fences, porch railings, and a few gates. It took us nearly four full days to dig, cut, and climb our way out into the outside world. Thankfully, as we always do, we had a well stocked larder that would have supported half the county for the duration. We are still cutting, burning, brushing, and clearing our way back to a sense of normalcy. Thanks to a bit of insurance and a ten man crew the house and gates are nearly back to pre storm conditions. It is a hell of a lot of work, but enjoyable and honest none the less.

I'll get back on the water soon, or perhaps the powdery slopes of Tahoe.

Cheers