Looks like we're Finally Done with Snow

There are still a few patches of snow around our yard and I do plan on getting some more skiing in over the next week or two, with day-trips to New Hampshire being planned.  But I do think winter is over here in New England and, of course, according to the calendar it is officially spring.

Here in Massachusetts we had one of the snowiest Marches in history.  This after one of the warmest Februarys in history with the first ever back-to-back 70 degree (F) days.  

March saw four “Nor’Easters”.  This number in one month is unheard of.  Nor’ easters generate heavy rain or snowfall, hurricane winds especially along the coast, and blizzard or whiteout conditions. In our case we had snow during three of the storms and rain during the last one.  In our yard we had twelve trees snap in half from the weight of the snow, and we were without electicity for three days during the one storm that brought down our trees.

Here's one snowy picture I took after the second storm, which dropped over 20" of snow. I hope I do not have another opportunity like this until next winter!

"Snow Covered Maple Forest"

Olympus E-M1 plus Olympus 12-100mm F4 zoom @75mm (150mm equiv)

Aperture Priority, F8, 1/160, ISO200, +1 EV

Converted to black and white in Lightroom

Snow tip:

To keep white snow from looking mid-tone gray, overexpose the light meter readying by about 1 stop.  Whether you are using A, S, or P modes, just use the EV compensation feature found in even the lowliest camera to add one stop of compensation.

One Photo: My Favorite 2017 Snowscape: "Schwendi Hutte on Mt. Tecumseh"

This composition is what you see when you get off at the top of the main ski lift at Waterville Valley Resort in New Hampshire. The elevation is 3,840 feet, just short of the 4,004 foot peak of Mt. Tecumseh. Partly out of sight to the right is a short chair lift going to the very tip-top of the mountain.  It is one of the original double chairlifts from when the mountain was opened in 1966. 

The red “hut” is my absolute favorite ski area upper lodge.  It’s called the “Schwendi Hutte“, which I am told is a made-up name.  Its sounds very alpine, doesn’t it.

"Schwendi Hutte"

Panasonic Point and Shoot "Tough" Style TS3 Camera @28mm equivalent

1/250sec, F10, ISO100, +.3EV

The view off to the left of the hutte is wonderful, the coffee served is excellent and bold enough for my taste, and the warm frosted cinnamon buns are extraordinary.  I check the Waterville website whenever I want to make a skiing day-trip , but if the hut is not open, I sometimes decide to ski elsewhere.  My normal Waterville routine is to stop at the hutte for a cup of coffee (and cinnamon bun!) at about 11am and enjoy a relaxing 30 minutes, usually finding someone interesting to talk to. I then ski until about 1:30 before going into the base lodge for lunch, thus avoiding the lunch crowd. 

I have great memories of Waterville Valley. I first skied there in 1967.  About two weeks after it closed in April that year it reopened after the top of the mountain received about 2 feet of snow (as I recall). My brother and I drive up in my dad’s 1966 (?) Volkswagon Karmann Ghia for the day. There was snow only at the elevation above the hutte, so we skied only the upper lift.  When we were done at the end of the day, we had to take the main lift back to the bottom.