It was a low snow winter until lately. 12 inches last week and then 18 more fell 2 days later. It's the real fluffy stuff. We shoveled off our roof yesterday. It was waist high on my wife.

I talked to the mailman today, forgot to ask him what his total moisture fall has been for the last month or 2.

He must have a nice weather machine, that keeps track of everything, wind speed and all.

We has snow on the ground last Friday, then Saturday we had a cold rain. The temp stayed right at 35* here in the valley, timber was getting heavy. Across the mountain to the east, one man had over 1/2 inch of freezing rain.

I took my rain gauge down a while back, so I'm not positive how much we dig get? But it was a steady cold rain.

Some parts of West Virginia had some serious flooding the other day, locally everything is good, far as I know. I'm down to 24* now, so that will help dry up everything.

We have been lucky with snowfall this winter,15 inches so far!
But it has been colder than the last few years.

I talked to the mailman yesterday, as the crow flies he lives about 5 miles from here. But his house is right at 3,000 feet in elevation, the highest top of the mountain, just to the north is over 3,200 feet.

These numbers go back before Christmas. So far he's had 2.20 inches of rain, plus 26 inches of snow. From here in the valley, lots of times you'll be able to see it snowing in the mountains for 2 or 3 hours before we even get our first snowflake.

On the other hand, if you're up high in the mountains, sometimes you'll be able to see snow squalls off 20 or 25 miles, places that are getting hammered. It's about the same as hit and miss thunderstorms.

I think it's been colder than average here too. We've had quite a few days/nights when she was making ice. I've had several folks tell me that their woodpile is getting small. Other folks have told me about their heating bills, fuel oil and electric.

We are in the process of tapping trails with snow shoes so that the snow mobile can pass. Then I can dog sled!

My Tundra skidoo gets stuck if we go off the already, prestorm, tapped trail. Snow goes over the windshield when you are on the old trail and steering is surf style. It's tricky and eventually you veer off trail.

The mountain snowmobiles with the big paddles dig trenches and are having fun. But they don't make a useable trail. My neighbour has 2 old Elans. He blew the motor on one and the frame on the other. I got stuck in the yard a couple of times. My arms are now 6 inches longer. Snow is crotch deep when you step off the trail.

There are many varieties of snow. This year it has been fine and there is no bottom to it. There is too much air in the snow.

I saw where 2 moose crossed our woodlot. Moose are up to their bellies when in the trees.

Deer make trails and bound in the clear. They are in trouble.

Snowshoe hare are sinking a good 6 inches. I saw lynx tracks yesterday. They are taking small steps and sink 2 inches. Their feet are HUGE.

It is good snow shoeing as there is no crust. I must sink 20 inches.

The sun is getting stronger and this fluff will settle down eventually. But the deer are going to take a real hit.

I agree about the deer, they are in a bind. If the snow is up to the belly of a moose, that would be shoulder deep on a deer. With the wolves, they wouldn't stand a chance.

We've had 2 little snows this week, not much here in town. Just enough that school was closed 2 days and a delay on the third day. Our kids have missed school, I think it's been 11 or 12 days so far?

We have snow in the mountains, I had 11* F. this am. It's really warmed up today, up to 46* now. 4:30 pm.

On snowshoes, sinking 20 inches, that would be slow and tricky too.

I use ski poles while snowshoeing. The deer are making troughs as they move. Then they bound a few leaps to try and get near a coniferous tree where there is less snow.

All my trails are now tapped with the skidoo. My son was a huge help. Dog sledding is on the menu today!

Snow that deep is hard on all animals! I remember back about 25 years or so
we had a couple feet of snow that got a hard crust on top. The deer weren't
heavy enough to break threw the crust, and slide down the slide of the hills
or mountains and split there pelvis and broke legs. Come spring gobbler season
we found a lot of dead deer.

It will be 5 C. tomorrow with a touch of rain. That should firm up the snow and help.

I'm off today to check out a toboggan dog sled. I used to have one but lost it when an outbuilding collapsed, several years ago, due to snow build up!

The toboggan sleds float more on the snow. There are no runners to dig in. This new sled would go better than the basket sled I usually use. But it will be slower.

Gotta have all the toys.

I'm glad that you got your trails opened up. The way you described the snow, I figured it'd take a while longer.

Curious, when you opened the trails with your snow machine, I'm sure just one pass would be wide enough for your basket. Two dogs wide and all. Or is it best to make 2 passes, steering a little bit wide? If a dog falls off in the powder, it'd be up to it's ears.

Talking about the deer winter kill, we had one about the same time. It's been over 20 years ago, don't remember exactly. It was 2 or 3 years after Mossberg introduced their 835 Ultra Mag. 3.5" 12 gauge. And I think a year after Browning started their 3.5" BPS. One day in spring turkey season, I found 4 or 5, maybe 6 deer? We'd been cold, and the carcasses kept fair, but still enough to sniff them out. They were cutting timber on that property that spring, they found a pile of dead deer.

I've been wearing my Toque (toboggan) a good bit this winter. If you get a chance, I'd like to see a picture of this new toboggan. But with that much of base under your trails, that should last for weeks and weeks.

Thinking about that snow, it may have been back in 1996? We had a pile of snow in the mountains and then it rained. We had some bad flooding in this area.

We still have a little bit of snow in the mountains, here local. The rivers are fishable, little bit of ice on the flood control dams.

We saved at least a day on the trail opening because my son gave us a hand. There's something about being 30 years younger that speeds things up!

You have to pass several times with the snow machine to tap the trail. It isn't so much a width issue as a firmness issue. We also drag a pallet with a full feed bad as weight. Even so, the dogs were sinking 2-3 inches on the last run. With good snow we do tap wider on other passes. But right now it is tough.

I spoke to a neighbour yesterday. He has a camping trailer on one of the traplines. He told me that 10 skidoos went on a ride to tap a trail to a lake on that line. They all got stuck and turned around. There is a very long (km. or so) hill the had to go up. I guess they got stuck there.

I am a little skeptical because a mountain skidoo can still get around quite well. I saw lots of their trails when we went to get the new sled. They don't make trails. They make tunnels. They have big engines and treads with good paddles that dig. By keeping the gas at max and shifting your weight you can advance.

When a dog runs off trail, it takes a dive. It either gets dragged out by the others or the others are dragged to a stop. I have to be careful not to run over the wheel dogs with the sled. There is usually a line/leg tangle or something as a result. If the dogs can't sort it out, I have to. This means I have to get off trail to get to the tangle.

We had a wet snow last night and it is mild out. Perfect for tapping a trail!

Thinking, I'm sure pulling a pallet with extra weight is hard pulling for a snow machine. I'm not sure how big the pallet is, or how much weight you added? 50 # ?

That's probably not many PSI's on the snow. Curious, how deep did your machine sink, on the first pass? I'm sure that would vary with your speed too.

(I watched a video the other day, someone was on a snow machine, on lake ice. Another guy was there with a radar-gun. You could hear that engine screaming, and his machine was just a speck, off maybe 1/4 mile away? About that time the machine streaked past, and I think it regestered 138 MPH. That's crazy!)

One thing I was thinking about using to compact your trails, is a yard roller. I was thinking about making one using a 55 gallon drum, a 2" iron pipe for the axel. You'd need to make some kind of Y-type yoke to attach to your Skidoo. I was thinking about starting with 150 pounds of sand in the barrel to start. If you can pull that, maybe add another 100 # of sand.

I've got everything I'd need on the farm to make such a roller. Probably take me 2 or 3 hours?

Do a search: Yard roller or lawn roller. Honestly, they are not that expensive. If I'd make one, I'd have half that much in the price, not counting my time.

But if something like that would work for you, you'd be able to open your trails with just one pass. Maybe?

The skidoo overheated due to the warm temps. It's an old model. No fan or radiator. The feed bag is 50 lbs, I think. Regular feed bag you buy. It might even be 35.The pallet is a small one at 3 x 3 feet.

I have seen your roller. It would not work. When snow is deep you cannot roll things. You must float them. You also have to move snow to even the trail. Otherwise you get a camel backed trail that isn't much fun.The pallet evens out the trail by removing and depositing snow.

The skidoo was sinking 1 to 2 feet depending on the place and the speed.

We had a little rain and with the warm temperature the snow packed a good 6 inches.

If I had a big machine and a groomer, it would be easier. But it would not have helped in the present conditions. The guys that got stuck were all on Skandic type long track and wide track machines. Sometimes you have to stay out of the bush until Nature settles down.

The trails are now hard enough to walk on without snowshoes. You sink if you step off the trail.

Fox can walk beside the trail without sinking.

No, a barrel roller like I described wouldn't help you level out the snow. An empty barrel would float, but the way you've described that snow it was very fluffy.

If your machine was sinking a foot or 2, that was putting a strain in the engine to start with, plus trying to pull something. I wouldn't want to do that day after day, the engine would blow for sure!

Thinking about all of the different types/styles of drags that I've watched farmers use. Keep in mind this is big and heavy equipment, made to pull, with lots of torque. I've seen drags made from stuff like bridge planks, railroad cross-ties, I-beams and even railroad rails. I've seen a few that were just a big heavy chain. You'd still need some type of "yoke", but all of these were used more or less just to level out the high spots.

Once in a blue moon, you'll see someone out pulling a yard roller with their lawn mower. I've seen them made from a barrel, filled with concrete, like I described above. Others made from an old hot water tank. I've seen a couple yard rollers made from the roller of a big belt sanding machine, those things are solid steel. About all one man can do to pick up one end of the thing. Something like that, you'd never budge it with a snow mobile.

I'm not sure how it'd work, you'd need some kind of "yoke"/spreader deal. It's possible something like a set of tire chains, behind your machine would both help pack, level and even out things.

Or, it might be best to just drag a pallet. lol. Carry on.

I'll be thinking.

While we're talking about snow, I'll add this little tidbit.

A while back my brother bought a dumptruck with a snow blade. The truck itself is a 2wd F350, with dual wheels. Three or 4 months ago, brother and I were talking, I told him to get one of the guys out there to help him get the blade mounted. The brand of the blade is: Western, seems to be well built and heavy. I had a set of tire chains that he can make fit. Then he bought a set of triple-chains, they are wimpy and were still $200.

Anyway, he's got 6 or 8 ton of limestone chips in the dump bed, the blade is mounted, chains ready if he needs them. He's got the truck parked at the upper shed, pointed toward the road, ready to go.

I walked by the truck the other week, the first thing I noticed, it doesn't have much ground clearance. I looked at it, sitting on level ground with the blade up, it has about 5 inches of clearance. That's not much.

My brother is a poultry grower, and he needs to keep his road to the chicken houses in decent shape. I mean if the birds need feed, they need feed. The farm lane goes down around the side of the ridge for about a 1/2 mile. Like about all farm lanes, it has a little high spot or crown between the tire tracks. He told me the other day that it'll beat you pieces, just going down the lane. The blade mount will catch every hump and water-break you cross.

The blade and mount are just too heavy for the 2 wheel drive F350.

On a paved road or parking lot it'd be ideal. With the weigt on the back and a set of chains, it would flip a lot of snow. Anyway, something you want to keep in mind before you'd buy a snow blade.

I have never heard of a 2WD plow truck. I have heard of it in tractors. They don't cut it.

We got close to a foot of snow Friday/Saturday.

I will check, most of our DOH snow trucks are 4WD. I know the town has a couple FWD trucks too. Not positive, but we also have a couple 2WD dump trucks, with spreader beds, the old green ones.

Like here in town, this town isn't level by any means. But with 8 or 10 tons of salt/gravel and chains going down Chipley Lane, it'll do the job. If you stay on it.

The DOH also has road graders, 6 wheel drive, they are tough when you've got chains on all 6.

I have a 4wd farm tractor, with a bucket and drag blade, I've used it a little bit this winter. Not sure exactly what it weighs? The back tires are filled with fluid. It does a good job. It's a 40 hp Kabota, if you lock the back axel together, something is going to go.

I'll add a little bit more. My brother found this F350 online. When he bought it, it had a salt/spreader bed, and the snow blade, all in one deal. The truck was owned by a hospital, in southern Virginia. The blade still has the paint on it, so it's never been used much.

I assume they only used the truck, just to keep their driveways and parking lots cleaned off. On a mostly level and paved parking lot, with not much snow to start with, and a load of salt, it would work good.

I just talked to my parts man, he told me that you can buy extra leaf springs, and probably lift up the frame another 2 inches. I think the parts would be around $200. Another 2 inches of ground clearance would take care of the high spots in the farm lane.

I'll run that past my brother, that's up to him. It seems like a nice pretty nice little dumper. But he's thinking about buying a 4wd dump truck.

We had 2 days of rain and warm temperatures. The snow took a hit.

The temperature has now dropped but the trails should be rock hard. Due to the rain and heat, it will also be bumpy. Every dark spot forms a depression. Under every branch there is a little less snow and the relief of the ground is evident on the top of the snow.

It will be fast sledding.

I'm glad you're able to take the dogs out for a run. Thinking about the ice and all, that will be fast and tricky. Above you were talking about your "wheel dogs", it'd be hard to slow down.

Have you switched back over to the wooden basket sled?

I'm sure you'll have more snow, we will too.

We've had some crazy March weather. One morning I had 17*, 2 days later we were in the high 50's.

One day, here in the valley and local area, we had snow, hail storms, thunder storms, and then the sun would pop out. I had hail balls about the size of the tip of your pinky finger. Other areas had hail balls the size of a marble or bigger.

I've been seeing robins. Was out yesterday morning metal detecting, dug up 2 or 3 nightcrawlers, just under the sod. But a few days before, we had a small brush fire here local.

We've had snow, rain, hail, and my goodness have we had wind. Strong winds. It's like this about every March. And I think they are calling for temps in the 70's next week.

I used the basket yesterday because I had a grandchild as a passenger. We had 2 sleds with only 4 dogs on each. It was a nice run.

My son went skidooing on our woodlots. He says that he can now go anywhere, There is a thick enough crust to support the machine when it is moving.

I would guessimate that the snow packed down at least a foot. Metal roofs have dumped their load of snow.

Lakes and rivers have darkened up.

I saw my first crows yesterday.

Yea, the weather is warming up here also! but as redsnow said the wind

is blowing hard daily. We are starting to see crocus on the warm side of homes.

I'm glad to hear you had a grandkid in the basket and out for a nice ride. Never know, maybe the grandkid will be standing on the back of the sled with you in the basket one day?

While we're talking about snow, I'll tell you this. I've mentioned my friend Christie before, she is my buddy Ronnie's oldest daughter. Long story, but Christie has custody of her niece, the little girl is 6 years old. Christie told me years ago, that I was her "Voice of Reason". And she does come to me for advice now and then, and we stay in touch.

A while back, we'd had snow for a week or so, I asked if she'd had the little girl out sledding yet. Answer was: Nope. So, I figured I'd get the little girl a sled and take them out one day.

My daughter's sled would be 20 years old and it's long gone. Long story short, we called every store and shop in town, nobody has a little girl's sled. I was going to buy her a little plastic sled, small and light enough that she could handle it. The little girl is built like a bean-pole, tall and skinny.

We've got dozens of places here in town that would be perfect for a kid to sled ride. They aren't going to be a long ride or super fast, perfect for a kid.

The other week Christie and the little girl stopped by here at work. We still had snow, I asked the little girl, "You'd like to go sled ridding wouldn't you". She perked up, nodded and said yes.

Here at work today, I've asked 4 of my friends to find me a little girl's type of sled. I haven't heard anything yet.

We don't have snow now, but I expect we'll get more. I've got 68* now, and it was even warmer 2 hours ago. But that little girl needs to go sledding. She's only going to be a kid once.

I'm at work, but I'll add this.

Wednesday of this week, my buddy Chris and I were going metal detecting. I was taking him to one of my hot spots, up in Zone 52, that nobody knows!

Going up the mountain, a bobcat crossed the road. I'd just turned my dog loose, she was behind the truck someplace? I usually just cut her in the wind and drive on, she'll catch up and blow around me.

I drove up to about where the cat crossed the road, stopped and called for the dog. She was on the way, had to stop and crap again. Before she got to the truck she was winding, started down the side of the ridge making good time, she hadn't opened up yet or barked or anything. About that time Chris got out of the truck and said something to me.

The dog knows Chris, but she didn't know that he was with us. He was already loaded up in the truck before I loaded up the dog. The dog came right back up messing with Chris, and I couldn't get her started again.

At the time, I didn't think about it. My dog will ignore me when we're hunting, unless I call for her. I never thought to tell Chris to just sit tight, stay out of the way.

What I should have done is stopped right when the cat crossed the road, told Chris to hang tight and walked up the road. And let the dog find the track on her own.

But it all happened fast.

Anyway, we did find a Wheat Penny and a flat button. Junk.

I took a good tumble using the new sled. The snow was crusty and the trail icy, so I though the new toboggan sled would ride better. A basket sled stabs in when you hit the sides. Since the dogs are going at a good clip, the sled swings wide at corners.

The first corner, which is at the bottom of a short downhill, the new sled swung me out of the trail and I was surfing cross country. My ride ended with me flying head over tea kettle doing either the crab or the scorpion. I'm not sure which but there was a somersault or semi somersault involved. My neck made sounds you don't want a neck to make. I had snow covering my sun glasses, snow between my sun glasses and glasses, and snow on my eye lids. When I got back to the truck, I found that I had snow in my pockets!

I continued doing my 4 km. square trail and rode the sled in the next curves. But it was sketchy.

Except for a little knee bruising and stiffness in my neck all is good.

We are having a major melt. 12 C. and warm rain. The snow had lots of air in it, so it is taking a hit. Sledding is likely over or soon to be. I bought a load of tree length fire wood which I'll chip at. You can see the load at Musher's Tails.

Too bad postage on bulky items is so costly. Sleds are easy to find here and they are most likely on sale if they aren't put away due to the end of season. When the snow is right on a grassy hill, a flat cut open card board box can sled quite well.

Ouch. Sounds like you did take a nasty spill. Sounds like it could have been a lot worse too.

I'm not sure what your top speed would be on a good trail with the A-team ? I'm sure it's over 20 MPH. And probably closer to 30 MPH?

Yes, I've sledded using a waxed cardboard box, they are fast. I offered a box to Christie for the little girl, she didn't want one. I also thought about giving her a plastic dog food bag. You'd need to hold on to it and help the little girl climb in. On the right type of snow that would be fast too.

One of my guys found me a sled yesterday. It's a "Lightning Guider", Model #56, made in PA. It's a steel runner type of sled. On the bottom, it's marked "Betty (and her last name)". It's a good looking sled, and still has the paint. I paid $40, it's worth that much.

I searched Lightning Guider, the company closed up 1990. We'll probably never know, but I'd guess that it was Betty's birthday or Christmas gift? Think about it, that's a very nice/expensive gift for a kid.

But it's been warm here, poured down the rain here yesterday, strong winds, thunder storms, lots of folks lost their power.

I'm still looking for a little plastic snow sled. Never know but we'll probably have snow in the mountains before it does warm up? Mid March, we've got lots of time for cold weather. I remember some pretty good snows in April too.

Guys, I struck pay-dirt again. One of my guys told me about a sale at the local stockyard, they had 6 steel runner sleds, lined up for auction. He sent me pictures of them, fine looking sleds.

I didn't find out about the sale till Noon or so?

My buddy Steve lives nearby, so I called him and asked him to go bid for me. Told him my price range and all. You never know about prices at an auction, it depends on who all is in the crowd.

Steve stopped by just before closing time, told me that he'd bought 3 of the sleds. Three sleds for a grand total of $35. That's cheap. Two of the sleds will need a little bit of repair, nothing that can't be fixed up in an hour or so?

Not sure how folks in other areas polish up their sled runners? Around here we'd always use sandpaper to get the rust off the runners, and then use paraffin wax on the blades. It'll give you that extra little bit of speed.

I've got that first sled here at work, it's been a good conversation piece. We're reliving our childhoods, talking about making jumps and all the other dumb stuff we've done on our sleds.

My buddy Wardney stopped by the other week and I showed him my new (to me) sled. Wardney said that his sled was a Champion brand. He said it had more of a rounded type of front end.

Wardney stopped by again yesterday, and we looked at what I'd say is the oldest sled in my collection. Just looking at the woodwork, craftsmanship and all, it's the oldest. It's been well used, and repaired a little bit too. It's 55 inches long and really narrow, in a hard turn, it'd be hard to stay on top of that rascal.

Wardney grew up in a zipcode a few miles out of town that we call, Rig, WV. He's taken me to his homeplace a time or 2, his sister lives there now. Anyway, Wardney said that he could leave home, and with a full head of steam he could cross the low spot and pop up into the main road down the hollow, and on down to the store/post office and school bus stop.

Wardney said that his Champion sled was the fastest sled in Rig. Nobody could keep up with him. I'm sure he was a little daredevel too.

But he said they'd leave their sleds at the store, drag them home after school and said they sled down to the store 2 or 3 times later.

Big Donnie's grandparents lived up that same hollow, I've been up and down that road a good many times. When you turn off the main drag, that's a 2nd gear road, it's pretty steep. Like Wardney said, when the snow gets packed down it's nothing but a sheet of ice. I'll bet that hill would be fun!

But the last 3 sleds that I bought, one is a 45 inch "Western Clipper", a 55 inch "Yankee Clipper" and the other one is a 55 inch, "something Breaker"? It's been well used, the paint is worn off on the top. That's the narrow one. Joking with one of my buddies the other day, told him that it was probably a "Neck Breaker" And very well could be too.

Reading about Wardney brought back a few memories.

I grew up in old Quebec. Across from the apartment where I lived was the Plains of Abraham also known as Battlefield Park. It was the location of the battle between France and Britain over who would have Canada. The generals in the battle were Montcalm for France and Wolfe for England.

Long story short, Wolfe won and the battlefield was where I did a lot of running around.

In winter, sledding, skiing and snowshoeing all took place on the Plains. I do not know how big they are but they must be more than a mile long. There were many hills of an assortment of sizes suited to any type of sledding you wanted to do.

We were big on toboggans and Krazy Karpets. Remember that you had to tote them to the hill and also up the hill. Weight was a factor.

We were in elementary school ( grade3/4?) and one day "Shultz" showed up with a sled similar to what Red described above. Buddies real name was John but everyone called him Shultz because of a character on a television show called Hogan's Heros. John looked just like a young Shultz and had many of the same characteristics. Summed up, Shultzy wasn't exactly an outdoorsy type or an athlete.

Anyways, Shultz shows up with this huge, old, heavy antique sled. He was pretty bushed just pulling it from his home to the "Pimple" which was the hill we had decided to meet up on.

The hill was one where an old stone fort, from the Battle, was located. It was a smallishish round building made of stone. The hill was steep at the beginning but leveled off quite a bit before getting extremely steep as it went down to the St. Lawrence river. It wasn't really a hill at that point. It was a cliff. A wooded cliff with a shale base.

I remember that we were 3 guys but I do not recall who #3 was.

Seeing Shultz's sled we decided that all 3 of us would get on and see how it rode. The sled had sides and a back. Since it was Shultzy's sled, he got on first. Then we sat on and in front of him. Somehow, we all fit on.

The first part of the hill was steep and treeless. In no time we were flying. We were having a blast but soon we were past where we would normally stop. When on a toboggan or Krazy Karpet, dragging your feet was all the braking required.

But this was a heavy sled with metal runners. You were too high to drag your feet and we were too tangled up to even try.

As we approached the cliff, buddy #3 and I decided it was time to bail. Which we did. But Shultz couldn't jump or roll off due to the back and sides of the sled. He continued on, screaming, and disappeared.

We weren't really afraid of him going all the way down the cliff. There were too many trees for that.

After a while we realized that there was no way Shultz could get that sled back by himself so we followed the tracks. Shultz was still on the sled, moaning and crying. He had hit a tree and hurt his leg. We had a heck of a time getting him and his sled back home.

I don't remember Shultz ever coming sledding again.

Hogan's Heros was a popular show here too. I guess that would have been in the 70's. We had 2 boys in school that we called Schultz. "I see nothing".

The only sleds that I remember seeing that had sides and a back would be made for really small kids, something that you're just going to drag around in the back yard or park or something similar.

I searched: Krazy Karpet, we had a sled that was about the same. It was plastic, handle on one end and it would roll up, as soon as you'd fall off. We also had one that was like a saucer, it was metal and just big enough for 1 kid. Both of those sleds, you can't steer them, maybe drag your hands and help a little bit. Mostly, They'd take you down hill.

I weighed a 55 inch sled, it is right at 12 pounds. A 45 inch sled is right at 9 pounds.

I always liked to ride my sled headfirst, laying on my belly, steering with my arms. One ride I remember was comming down the mountain from Mom's homeplace, it'd be over 3/4's of a mile run. We went up to check on Mom's parents, feed the animals and take in wood and all. After we got finished Mom told me to be careful and that I could take off. There is a church at the base of the mountain, and that's where she was to meet me.

So I took off, at the end of the driveway. My sled was well used and I'd just waxed up the runners. It wasn't long till I had a pretty good head of steam, on the sharp turns I'd be hanging over one side with my toes dragging, maybe one knee and now and then an elbow. Slide around that turn and do the same thing on the other side at the next turn. Once I'd get out in the open, I'd let it roll.

That is a dirt road and they always scrape the snow with a road grader. I was skimming down the mountain, and there was a little patch where the snow had melted off, down to bare dirt, mud and grit. I was moving on pretty good, I pushed myself to the back of the sled, thinking I could just skim on across the muddy spot. Boys, that threw the brakes on me. I can't say that it stopped me cold, but it was quick!

If I'd been going a little bit faster, I really think it'd flipped me end for end. I had to get off, carry the sled a little ways, rubbed the runners around in the snow to get the grit cleaned off, and hopped right back on. But I was waiting at the church when Mom came down the road.

I had 32* and snow flurries yesterday. The ground got white yesterday at Mount Storm, WV. I had 23* this morning, bright sunshine here now. Never know, but that's probably the end of sledding for this spring?