Helping a friend dig out of the snow.
Good morning from a cool, cold and soon to be wet California.
Yesterday was international women’s day and we were blessed here where I work to go help dig our friend and coworker out of the snow up in the mountains. They got upwards of 3 meters, 9 foot of snow there and that has never happened before, or at least not in the lifetime of our seamstress friend Toni who has lived up there all her life. She’s in her 70s, so rare snow storm. But we were super happy to get up there with shovels, snow plow, food and water.
The authorities are allowing local residents only, so we had her send us a photo of her ID so we could show them we are going up there to dig her out. 9 hours later we were back in the valley and had her car and driveway dug out, she’s got more food for her dogs and herself or to share with others in need up there. They are a very tight nit community up there, heck she saw us coming up on a web camera. Woman down the road from her was facebooking her live as we drove by asking if we were there for her.
The new normal up there, we saw this the whole way in to her house once we got up to the snow line. Even part of the lake up there was frozen in, that was really neat to witness.
The big ol four by four we were in just barely made it for the tires were right at the edge of the plowed snow on these streets up in the trees.
This is what we started with after we unloaded the truck, the car is 30 foot, 10 meters in there so we got one heck of a workout. I slept really good last night after my shower and dinner. And that is her house buried way back there.
The snow was so deep here that Darrel simply choose to roll in to the car, there is a little Fiat under all that snow. We bailed out on digging out the fiat and choose to dig out her all wheel drive car.
This is the fun vehicle we used to get us up into the mountains, that is a really fun truck but I must say, when we got back it looked like we went out and played in the mud and not the snow. She needs a serious cleaning today.
TaDa, we got her out and now she is mobile again. Hopefully her sons get the snow off her carport and roof, get the snow off the deck and stairs on the back side of the house before something bad happens.
This is the rear deck or patio, Gabriel is hard at it and the goal here is to get that wight off the deck before it collapses for the snow is melting off the roof right there and will soon be on the patio deck.
Okay, so there is the update from helping our female friend on International Woman’s day and our gift to her. We have been eager to get up there and help her. They are already finding people frozen to death up there and we are all certain that is going to continue.
The authorities and the local population was not ready for that much snow is such a short amount of time, however super glad our friend and coworker is happy, healthy, warm and mobile.
She ya all next adventure
Super David Scott, the Zam Man.
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Jeez Scott! 9 feet of snow in Cali, in March!!
Good on you for getting up there and digging your friend out...
It's what we do after all!
I can see one crazy member of the crew in shorts there... he reminds me of lad back home... no matter the season or temperatures, he ALWAYS wore shorts, his nickname was "sunshine"!
Sorry to hear about the people who weren't so lucky though...
Thanks for the share my friend, good to hear from you again and take care ok!
Daniel always wears shorts it seems, and we were not prepared to go dig snow, I took my boots out of my car so I was wearing sneakers all day up there. However we were successful in our goal and as long as we were shoveling we never got cold.
He definitely sounds like sunshine!
And you most certainly succeeded in your goal my friend!
Have a great start to the weekend!
9 feet of snow. That's outrageous! I've never heard of that much before. It was awesome that you guys went up to help your friend out. I noticed that somebody even had shorts on! Wow, what a day. We're supposed to get 6-12 inches of the white stuff in the next day. Now that doesn't seem like so much. Take care,
Linda
Daniel is a knuckle head, he wears shorts all the time and non of us was ready to go up there. But we got the word we could go so I sharpened shovels, loaded up tools, the guys loaded up the generator and snow plow. And I grabbed my extra gloves, jackets and sweater just in case. But with the sun, and getting in a good work out, non of us got cold minus our feet.
Great job to all of you. Reminds me of Mt. Baldy and Idyllwild days growing up. But I don't recall snow like that. I imagine the Grapevine is closed?
Thinking about that. How does anyone not used to that prepare for it anyway? Not everyone can afford a front loader, four wheeler or a Bobcat. My sister in Bend and her neighbors live on a Cul de sac that the city only plows the main streets and sometimes they can't get out.
I'm trying to find a used Bobcat for the neighborhood to pitch in. A neighbor with a front loader moved last Summer so they need something. Hand shoveling in the snow is like raking leaves in Fall on a windy day.
I'm sure your coworker is eternally grateful. Hopefully the neighbors are well stocked up.
In the Northern California area we have forecast rain just about every day the next two weeks.
As the old adage says, "be careful what you pray for". I've lived in California too many years to count and cannot recall weather like this. In the past rain and flooding yes. But so much snow never. Stay blessed. What a great thing on a great celebratory day.
Yes the grapevine was shut down, traffic over on the Cajon pass on the 15 and 138 was bonkers, so I started heading out at 0500 now to get down to San Bergetto.
Writewood is open and they have the only ski resort that is open right now via highway 2 being open again. I have not been up to mount Baldy in forever, back in the 70’s when I was a student at Montclair High school we used to do drive by snowball hits on our fellow students. Oh that was fun, get a buddy with a pick up truck, go up the Mount Baldy and load up with snow, 4 of us in the back on the way down making snow balls then drive by the school and blast ‘em. Oh, the good ol days when they just asked however was doing that to stop it. Haha.
Up by Lake Arrowhead the locals have snow plows on their 4x4s, one a suzuki and they open up the local roads for the residents.
All those in Northern and central California are getting soaked today and tomorrow, I teased my friends in San Francisco to get boats.
I hope ya all stay safe, dry and warm up there.
I have a female friend of interest over on that side of the pond in UK and I have been watching the weather over there, looks interesting to say the least.
There is nothing more rewarding than helping a neighbor. In this case, she really needed it. For many years, I lived in a snow belt. We got tons of snow but the township and individuals were ready for every bit that feel so it was never really a hardship. The help that you gave is for something entirely different. Thanks for sharing this.
Jim
It does feel good to help others, that is something she will never forget without a feeling of gratitude and a smile. That is a great gift to give someone.
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Wow, Scott! That's incredible...it's so good to hear you were able to get up there and help your friend. You must be exhausted.
I can't imagine how scary that must be for those going through it! Looks like you had the right vehicle to get-r-done.
Thanks so much for your kind heart and for sharing these amazing photos.
Susan
I love taking photos, actually purchased some courses on the subject.
We were happy to get up there and help her, she has been with the company for years and the owner kept us on the clock so one wonderful family of people I get to work with at this company.
Ya, I had fun playing with the photo app, I texted my friend that photo of his truck.
Keep praying for them folks up there, Mom's a little store I stop at on my drive home most every day is taking donations of food, diaper, baby food, dog and cat food for those people stuck up in there. I would say at least 80 percent of the population up there is stuck.
We worry about the elderly a lot up there too, they do not have the ability do shovel all that snow out however the state is up there with level one inmates helping to shovel snow so that is good.
Okay, now to unload my truck, then head over and help my brother out, his wife brother passed and he is stuck clearing out the house.
See ya all next adventure