The Weekend Before Christmas

December 18th through 20th, 2009

Lake Lucerne
Saturday morning was warmer than expected (think mid 20's°F) by the lake and just a bit cooler an hour north at Brule. The snow groomers were just coming off the hills as we headed to the lifts.
Lake Lucerne
There was only one lift operating on each side of the mountain until about noon when the spillway lift started up. This was not a issue, as the crowd was lite.
Lake Lucerne
31 runs, 3 breaks, and a few sandwiches later it was all over. I'm sore.
Lake Lucerne
After mass in Laona and dinner at the Metonga Lakeside Resort (where we bumped into Mark and Patty!) it was time to tour the Christmas lights of Crandon. Tom Perry's is always a must see.
Lake Lucerne
On Sunday morning, it was time to pull ski-sore bodies out of warm beds and onto an icy lake to check the ice thickness,
Lake Lucerne
About 6 inches of very clear, dark ice. There was only about 2 inches of powdery snow covering the ice.
Lake Lucerne
Knottlane is plowed and has just a bit of packed snow on it.
Lake Lucerne
In other places, the snow is deeper. Nine inches seems to be the agreed upon average for the area. About a foot and a half on the bar's deck.
Lake Lucerne
Winter. It lasts to long for my like'in, but the bar has water, Brule is very ski-able, and the Annual Lake Lucerne Bottle Rocket war is just under 2 weeks away. This makes the cold, ice, and dark more bearable. Here's to an early, wet spring.


-Nemo