Snow and Snuggles (cont.)

Dogsledding on a brilliant day atop Mount Bachelor

 

Day 4

On this day, Grace and I woke up a little earlier, had breakfast, and headed up the mountain. We had plans! 

Once I realized I was going to the snowy north in the dead of winter, I decided to lean into the season. So, I'd spent some time looking for winter (read: SNOW) activities that we could try together. Up on Mount Bachelor, there is a service that offers dogsled rides. No, I am not kidding. As soon as I saw that, I knew we would do it. 

I'd booked our day/time in advance, and they send you some instructions about where and when to arrive. The weather was absolutely perfect - a brilliant, cloudless sky. As we drove up the mountain, there was more and more snow, the drifts deeper and deeper. We arrived at the parking lot (which is in the same area you'd park for skiing, just in the lower lot) and spied the operation. (It's kinda hard to miss - tons of barking dogs!) 

While they gave us our safety review (what to do if the dogs get tangled up, what to do if the sled tips, etc.), we got to cuddle two little puppies! (Mine was named Gus-Gus, and Grace's was named Vincent. They were precious and so soft!) Then, you get to pet on the larger dogs, the ones that pull the sled. There are LOTS of them, and they are all raring to go. It's as though they know only *some of them* will get picked to go on the run, and they ALL want to be the one picked! 

Snow, dogs, and incredible views. What else do you need?

Once our guide, Luke, chose all of our dogs and put them in front of the sled, we hopped in and were off! 

And It. Was. Glorious. Just glorious. 

The dogs raced us down hills and through the trees, barking and yipping and occasionally giving little leaps of excitement. We chatted some with Luke, asking him questions about the dogs (Some of them have literally run the Iditarod.), about the operation, about his own background. (I mean, how DOES one become a dogsled guide?!) A couple of times, Luke pulled the sled over if there was a particularly beautiful view we might want to take a photo of. And when we went up a couple of big hills, we stopped halfway to give the dogs a chance to rest. 

Once, when the dogs got tangled in their traces, I had to hop out and hold the sled steady while Luke unwove them. I remembered all of the instructions on how to do this from our safety briefing, and pretty soon, we were sailing over the snow again. 

In no time, we were back where we started. Luke gave us the chance to help feed the dogs (more ear scratches and head pats), and then we were done. This was SUCH a great experience, and I would completely recommend it to anyone. There's something transcendent about gliding through the brilliant snow behind a team of animals who are just as joyful and happy to be out there as you are. It's contagious.

After our dogsled adventure, Grace and I pointed the vehicle toward the Dutchman Loop trail for some snowshoeing. This trailhead is very close to the ski parking area, so it was a quick drive. I'd never snowshoed before, but Grace put the big treads on my feet, showed me how, and we were on our way. 

Snowshoeing with my sweetie! 

It was so beautiful. The trailhead was a fairly heavily trafficked area, with lots of folks peeling off onto different trails for snowshoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, etc. We even saw a couple of snowmobiles when the pedestrian trail crossed the snowmobile trail. But once we got out a bit, we saw very few people. The snow was so gorgeous and deep. In some areas, you just saw the tops of trees sticking out! 

The sun was so bright that I began shedding my hat, scarf and gloves. I eventually even unzipped my snow jacket! The sun hit the snow, and it sparkled like diamonds. Plus, we had amazing views of the mountain. We talked and walked and laughed and had the best time. In some areas, the sun was hitting the snow-covered trees, and the snow was melting just a bit, sending little shining raindrops down here and there in the forest. A wonderful experience, and I'm so glad I did it!

By this time, we were getting hungry and thirsty. When we got back to the car, we chugged water and called in a takeaway lunch order for our whole crew at Big Belly Burgers and Brew. We got burgers, a Reuben, hot dogs for the kids, just a bunch of food we could all attack back at the cabin. So good! 

After relaxing a bit and letting our food settle, I noticed Owen was getting restless. He and I suited up and went outside to walk some of the trails at the resort. It was late afternoon, so the sun was getting a bit low in the sky. We looped the lake and ended at the small playground. We were the only people there, so we stopped to play a while. We made up some games, played hide and seek, and just enjoyed being out on such a clear day. 

All of us hit the hot tub together again that night, turning our eyes upward to see the stars and telling each other scary stories. 

Snow and sister giddiness

Day 5

On my last full day in Oregon, we enjoyed another lazy morning. Because my flight left early the following morning, I did a little packing in between hide and seek sessions with Owen. We cleaned out leftovers for lunch, and then Ryan and I put on our winter gear for a final trip up the mountain. I had one more adventure planned. 

Once I'd decided to lean into winter (Ice skating! Snowballs! Dogsledding! Snowshoeing!), I had done a bit of research. I found a business on Mount Bachelor that offered 2-hour snowmobile tours. Since I'd booked the dogsled adventure for Grace and I, I thought this speedy activity might be something Ryan would enjoy. 

Ryan's ready to go! 

We drove up the mountain together and found our rendezvous point. We checked in, signed waivers, and got our helmets and goggles. After a safety and operational review, we headed to a big, open area to practice operating the snowmobile before hitting the trail. I'd booked Ryan and I a two-seater snowmobile, with him driving and me sitting behind him. So all I really needed to do was move my body with the machine on turns and hold on! 

After a bit of practice, we headed to the trails. This experience was fantastic. Ryan handled the snowmobile like a pro, which gave me the opportunity to enjoy the views. Our trails cut through forests, with twists and turns. Then, the trail would dump us in a large, open space where we could really open the machine up and see what it could do! I LOVED going up hill and back down hill. Such a rush!

But my absolute favorite part was when we reached the summit of the mountain. There was no one else there. No one. (I honestly don't even know how you'd get up there if you didn't have a snowmobile. The hike would be pretty grueling.) We were atop a huge rise, and we could see for miles all around us. I've never been around that much snow IN MY LIFE. Our tour guide stopped so we could all step off the snowmobiles and explore a bit. It was simply magical, and my eyes just ate up the space. A true mountaintop moment. I hated to leave it.

After that, we zoomed back downhill to the rendezvous point. The sun was low in the sky by now, creating gorgeous shadows and light effects as it filtered through the trees and hit the side of the mountain.

Atop Mount Bachelor. Pure bliss. 

 

This was a breathtaking experience, and I learned a few things:

• If you go snowmobiling earlier in the day, the trail will be less rutted and bumpy, but it will likely be colder. And you'll miss the low sun, which made for some fantastic views. 
• Sports bras are your friend. In some of the areas, the ride was rough. And it's bumpier on the back of the snowmobile than in the driver's seat, so be prepared.
• You lean into turns. If you ride on the back of the snowmobile, all you have to do is help the driver keep the machine balanced, hang on, and enjoy the view.  

By the time we'd finished our ride, It was nearing dinner time. We headed back to the cabin, where Grace had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and salad in the makings for us. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner that night, I finished packing, and I got lots of hugs and kisses from small people who wouldn't be awake in the morning when I left. (Sob!)

The next morning, it was an EARLY flight (with my heavy-duty mask friend) back home. Luckily for me, all of my flights on the whole trip were on time and uneventful, and my baggage made it safely to and fro. Hubs picked me up at the airport, and I've been staying close to home since then to ensure I didn't get sick in transit. 

As the vaccines are now being distributed, I am so, so hopeful that our lives will begin returning to normal. I already know several people who have gotten both of their doses, and many, many more who have received at least one dose. I will be one of the last in line to be eligible, as I am fairly young, healthy, and not working in an essential position. I'm reeeeally hoping it'll be sooner rather than later, though. I'm ready!!!

Here's to more adventuring in 2021!