By Bob Spiwak
More sunshine this past week. Cooler temperatures, but the sun and breezes have accelerated the melt. Today (Monday), there is wind which should further hasten the demise of the snow. We are down to about a foot in West Boesel.
While we are on weather, the measurements from Harts Pass we monitor are both an inch greater than last week: 78 inches of snow, and snow water content at 35.2 inches.
Remember, Daylight Saving Time goes into effect in the wee hours of Sunday. Turn the timepiece an hour ahead.
From Eric Burr, always among the earliest spotter of spring flower blooms, we learned that it was Dana Visalli who scored first with a sighting of blossoms on Balky Hill Road near Twisp. I don’t remember the name but my wife tells me they were yellow. Spring is in the air, but March is a deceptive month.
We first got the sad news, when Ms. Gloria was looking at Facebook entries, of Casey Smith’s skiing accident last Thursday in Canada while practicing a biathlon run. Today, grandfather Doug Devin clarified the seriousness of his crash.
As Doug gets the story, Casey was with another biathlete at Canmore, Alberta, and on a downhill run he went off an embankment and hit a large tree — backwards. The impact was enough to break the stock on his rifle. Luckily he was not alone and aid was prompt in getting to him. Injuries included cracked ribs. He was rushed to a hospital in Calgary, where a punctured lung and cracked scapula (shoulder) were discovered. Luckily, the hospital has a trauma unit.
The good news, says Devin, is that Casey has gotten up and walked. His parents, Betsy and Skip, are up there with him at this writing as is Pete Dickinson, who established Winthrop’s physical therapy and exercise facility.
There is local conjecture that having his rifle strapped to his back may have been a lifesaver because the rifle may have spread the impact across a wider area.
Biathlon is a cross country ski event where time as well as accurate target-shooting with esoteric rifles are involved. Betsy, Casey’s mom, is the coach for the U.S. Biathlon team, and events and training are periodically conducted in Mazama. Cards and notes can be sent to Casey at 19191 Highway 20, Winthrop, WA 98862.
