Enough Already!

This historical piece from April 2010 illustrates how crazy Great Basin and Sierra Nevada weather patterns can be this time of year. It's still a rollercoaster ride from one year to the next and every

I know I know. A couple of months ago, I raved about why we live in a beautiful place like Truckee, CA, enduring massive blizzards and long winters to better cherish those crisp, bluebird days after we dig out of the drifts. Okay! But this is April. And all of us, even the skiers, are ready for daffodils and dry hiking trails.

April has always been a cruel month. Even songwriters have mentioned this. Sierra Nevada dwellers KNOW that April does not bring the end to winter, just more tests of endurance. There are still those die-hard folks who enjoy boarding on a layer of fresh powder sprinkled over their corn snow. Bless their hearts. The Great Basin, however, is sneakier and more treacherous when it comes to April storms.

My father could read the weather like an old farmer. Actually, he WAS an old farmer. He’d log the daily weather in his little pocket diaries and refer to them as a more dependable resource than the Farmers’ Almanac. As we gazed joyfully upon the tulips, iris and lilacs gracing his yard, he’d wink and look at what he called wall-to-wall sunshine. “Long about April 20^th, we’ll get our limb-buster.”

My heart would sink at the prospect of all these beautiful flowers crushed, like Wiley Coyote under an ACME anvil. Sure enough, come the 20^th, or thereabouts, two feet of heavy, wet snow would cover the city. All commerce would stop for a few hours while everybody dug out. For some bizarre reason, these storms usually became a welcome reprieve from the hamster wheel, much like the electricity going out for a few hours. Salt Lake winters had waned significantly since about 1960, no longer dumping snow that would cover our lawns from Halloween to Easter. Climate change was showing up on our radars.

That’s li’l ole me standing in front of my childhood home c1953

I recall taking full advantage of some of those reprieves, which gives you a peek into my work ethic and why I’m the world-class success I am today. One April 20th, my friend, Norma, and I spent the better -- truly better -- part of a morning, kicking through two or so feet of powder down the middle of First Avenue to get to work in downtown Salt Lake City. All along the way, we surveyed the snow-burdened trees, and waved cheerfully to those still shoveling through the drifts. We had time and an alibi on our side. Our boss would be proud ... nay, lucky ... that we made the arduous slog in to work.

At last, walking on cleared pavement a block from the office, Norma consulted her wristwatch and noted that our boss wouldn’t be expecting us for at least another hour. We ducked into a coffee shop for refreshment and fortification. Indeed, she was right. While we weren’t exactly greeted with palm fronds and hosanas, our boss was grateful that we had made the supreme effort. Of course, our lack of promotions and salaries reflected his gratitude and our importance to his company. HA! It had nothing to do with our sloth, right?

There are those in Truckee, however, whose personal sacrifices for the job belie the ski bum stoner monkey reputation plaguing a lot of local workers. (Just check out how many high school aged checkers show up at the Safeway after a blizzard.

The Tahoe-Donner ski hill was ready to close after Easter weekend when the Board ordered them to remain open another week. The amenity manager explained that business traditionally drops considerably after that weekend. She had the bare spots of ground at that time to back up her pleas. Besides, most of her staff, including her trail groomers, had already returned home to Australia and South America. The Board did not relent.

Well, somebody opened the gate and left it open. Within a week, a train of blizzards dumped another three to ten feet of snow on our mountains. Easter week was jammed with skiers. And there was only one trail groomer! He had planned to get married and go on his honeymoon that weekend. His work ethic and loyalty, however, saved the day. He postponed everything and showed up for work. I didn’t know you could postpone a wedding on such short notice. What an understanding bride! And the caterers were probably slammed with sudden orders from other clients.

Despite the grumblers who claim Americans no longer have a strong desire to work hard and get the job done, this young man proves them wrong. There are still a few out there who step up to do their bit. I hope he was paid double time.

And to those fine customers who complained their favorite runs weren't perfectly groomed, KISS OUR TRAILS!

stock photo

A poem posted April 4, 2024 on Ring Around the Basin: Spring Tradition

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