You know it was a rough day when your 2 1/2 year old Golden struggles back to the car and then settles for only enough shade so he can close his eyes. "I think we broke him," I comment to no one in particular. I was tired too, perhaps even broken, but happily settled in the grass to enjoy the beer we had buried in the snow.Memorial Day weekend has always been about backcountry skiing in the Tioga Pass area and over the years our group has grown. We camp at Mono Vista RV Park mostly because it is close to the "Mobil" and the showers are only a buck. This year was a little different, Scott and I mixed in some mountain biking and resort skiing. Our friends skied the classics: Dana Couloir and Ellery Bowl. But we joined in on the tour of False White (11,200') on Monday. Its prominent bowl is an awesome spring ski adventure and the approach is not too heinous. I skied it a couple of years ago and the best part is there are a number of options once at the summit such as Fantail Gullies and Gaylor Peak.
We decided to bring McGyver along on the tour. He quickly bounded up the slopes, chasing the tracks of other animals. Traversing above the tree line, we took a snack break and checked out the Bowl. Behind us were views of Mt. Dana's steep face and the 'Lion's Head.' From our vantage point, we could see a number of skiers approaching the summit on the well-worn skin track. Heading towards the bowl Scott and I arrived at the base, took a look at McGyver and made the decision to turn around. Neither one of us wanted to carry our 70 lb dog out. Nick, Jenny and Matt continued to the summit.
We decided to bring McGyver along on the tour. He quickly bounded up the slopes, chasing the tracks of other animals. Traversing above the tree line, we took a snack break and checked out the Bowl. Behind us were views of Mt. Dana's steep face and the 'Lion's Head.' From our vantage point, we could see a number of skiers approaching the summit on the well-worn skin track. Heading towards the bowl Scott and I arrived at the base, took a look at McGyver and made the decision to turn around. Neither one of us wanted to carry our 70 lb dog out. Nick, Jenny and Matt continued to the summit.
As we skied the steeper gullies, McGyver zig zagged behind us. Following us turn for turn. On the long traverse back to the car, he broke through a snow bridge concealing a shallow lake. I am sure the cool water felt good but he barked at us to keep moving. His pace started to slow about a mile from the trailhead. He sat down to rest every 100 yards. Poor puppy!
At the car, we fed him the rest of his lunch and topped it off with a bit of beer. He lapped it up and collapsed. Waiting for our friend's to return, we followed McGyver's lead - lapping it up and collapsing next to the Creek.
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