In the Mountains: Surprises

"I feel dizzy," said Kyle, a tall, red headed teenager, as he got out of the car. He had just flown in from Toronto. His cousin's home was high in the Rocky Mountains.

"I was dizzy too, when I first got here," said Jerry. "It's the elevation. The air is thinner at three thousand feet, but you'll get used to it."

"This country is beautiful."

"Yes, it is. I love living here. It's windy today."

"Not that I can tell."

"When lumps of snow tumble from the tree branches, you know the wind is blowing. See those fir trees over there?"

"Yes. The trees are huge! Their branches are weighed down. Look at the size of the icicles too!"

"Kyle, try this skidoo suit on for size. We'll get boots and a helmet for you, tomorrow."

"There must be six feet of snow in these hills and deer too. I saw tracks beside the road."

"It's even deeper than that in some spots. There are a lot of deer here. Two things we have to watch out for when we're on the skidoos, snow collapsing and wild animals. You're not afraid of wolves or bears, are you?"

"Don't be silly, of course I’m not."

"On Wednesday, we're going up the ravine to a small lake to do some ice fishing. We can catch pickerel, perch, pike and lake trout there. Then, we'll have a fish fry later. Know how to fillet fish?"

"You can show me."

"You city guys! First, we need firewood for the wood stove. I'll split and you stack. You can take some inside too, so it can dry out. We'll get a good fire going and then it's coffee time."

"That's a plan. So, you don't just sit around here all winter or go skiing, do you?"

"Not really. We have fun though! Let's shovel the driveway before dark. The snow plow may block it again, by morning."

"Can we play computer games? Or, no Internet connection up here, either?"

"There's a place with a satellite dish about a mile up the mountain. You can use your cell phone there."

"Winter in the mountains is not going to be what I expected," Kyle realized.