I heard that we officially broke the snow records out here today. Roads weren't fit to really go anywhere, so I spent most of the day working inside on some projects, including the art in the parks project I started last year. More on this another time, but the point is to create a program/guide for the NPS to use with visitos. The snow continues and the drifts around my apartment have grown even further. I-90 remained closed (Rapid City to Mitchell) for the second day (finally reopened mid-afternoon), as does the road through the park. Today, only Aaron was on staff at the visitor's center, in case of emergency. No one came in except Ed, Matt, and me. We went over mid afternoon to keep Aaron company through the rest of the day, then all headed back to the quad. Ed built a reenactment of a Calvin and Hobbes comic, Matt and I built a fort, there was some snowball fighting, and then all of us went Butte Diving. What is Butte Diving? It is a new sport. First, you must succeed in climbing to the top of a butte in deep drifts of snow, some thigh- to waist-high. Next you choose your sliding spot. Then you take a flying leap off the top of the butte, and land on whatever part of yourself you wish. I found that the back works pretty well, and if you go head first, the snow doesn't go up your back as you slide the rest of the way down. Aaron seemed to prefer back as well, and was good at getting long-distance slides. Matt took tumbling leaps, head over heels. Ed went flying and sometimes rolled sideways. Dave had amazing penguin skills, sliding on his belly with head, arms, and legs up and out of the way. So much fun, and so much exercise tromping through the snow and climbing the buttes. The snow made it much easier to get way up into the tall buttes behind the quad. After we were all pretty wet through, we changed into dry stuff and met up again at Aaron's house for a late dinner of grilled sausages and a game of cards. Official snowfall at the park, as of this morning, was 23 inches. Still coming down though...
My apartment, in the morning.
Behind the quad.
Angel Butte behind the houses.
Ed's creation.
Butte behind the quad where we first tried Butte Diving.
