Season's end

Four inches of rain fell in the Whites this weekend. Washing away most of the snow, it flooded most small streams and made the Zealand Trail impassable. It's difficult to believe that just a few days before, I'd skied down the gullies on Whitewall Mountain's ledges and along the frozen course of the North Fork; on Sunday, these places were undoubtedly raging torrents of water.

I was supposed to stay until Sunday to train the new spring caretakers, but all of the guests for Saturday night had cancelled, and I judged it better to leave on Saturday afternoon instead, when the precipitation was still falling as sleet. One last ski out before the snow washes out and the caretaker washes up.

Thanks for the good times this winter, Zealand. Perhaps I'll be back some day.