This past Holiday weekend - during a feel-good, giving thanks-type of conversation - a friend posed this question, “What takes your breath away?” I was quick to answer: The power of a winter storm. Perhaps it was the glass of chardonnay I was holding at the time or the engaging topic but I was sincere. I find winter’s fury remarkable.

We were sitting around a cozy campfire in Joshua Tree National Park, tucked under a sagging awning watching it rain and enjoying leftovers from our Turkey-day feast. At that same moment I suspected Big Bear was receiving its first dose of winter. Rain in Southern California flatlands means snow in the mountains, right? While I was content in the desert, I really wanted to be in the snow. Feel the excitement of the first significant snowfall of the 2009-2010 Season and be a part of the celebration.

I fired off a quick text to a friend I knew was riding Bear Mountain. She answered in kind with a single, perfect image – it said it all and conditions looked awesome. As I enjoyed the last day of our holiday, I was happy to spot white-capped peaks as we drove through Johnson Valley. We climbed the 18 from Lucerne, encountering the first evidence of winter at 5,000 feet. It felt as if we were driving in the wake of the storm’s fury. Cresting into the Big Bear Valley’s east end, in the growing darkness of dusk my eyes traced Baldwin Lake’s broad sweep west and settled on slopes now white with winter – in that moment I was thankful there is more than one thing in this world that steals my breath. It was good to be home!

Earning my turns,
Glade Girl