THE MEADOW IS OPEN!

The snow this morning and this article in Garden and Gun reminded me of Athens in the winter around and about 1976 when it snowed and from far and wide you could hear the rumblings of the words "the meadow is open".  That meant Hunka called me to get my butt there for a trip to Cataloochee, NC to ski the meadow.
The meadow is only open evidently when there is enough real snow to ski. I have never seen this meadow but so I was told. I am a sit in the lodge and drink cocoa kind of gal and always have been. On this one particular trip pictured above we actually planned a trip to Cataloochee. We went with Dr. Chris of the same and his girlfriend (now his wife) and Dr. Bobo, now goes by one Bo, with his girlfriend now not his wife. On this planned trip we actually had snow gear and our own boots, Hunka and I, instead of scotchguarding our jeans and bunching cotton long underwear under the so called water resistant jeans. My ski bunny outfit made me look somewhat like a canary. Anyway, we headed  out on the highway Bobo driving his Dad's huge land yacht  ninety-eight and us behind in the 280Z. The ninety eight was packed with groceries and libations. Headed up the back roads from Athens we stopped at a light and sweet Dr. Chris jumped out to share the peach Schnapps they were enjoying in the ninety-eight and well, there was a state patrol man behind the Z which Dr. Chris did not see.  After the light started spinning around on the state patrol car, all the libations were poured onto the mountain ground. Sigh...We ended up, after stopping at the red dot store, at the cabin. The next morning it was off to the slopes, the icy slopes.  The ninety-eight had a hard time making it up the road to the resort on the ice even when we jumped out and all sat on the trunk for traction. A sight to behold all of us sitting on that trunk bouncing up and down while Dr. Bo (Bobo) gunned the gas. Seems the transmission died and Dr. Bo (Bobo) had to back that ninety eight  down the mountain road in neutral and tow it to the nearest garage while the rest of us went on to the resort. How we got there I don't remember.  Long story short, I was the only one that could not ski unless you call snow plowing skiing and the guys thought it would be real funny to stick me on the lift to the double diamond thing. The lot of them skied on past me after I jumped in a heap to the ground off the lift and were standing at the bottom of the run side splitting with laughter watching me slide on my belly strapped on skis flopping behind me all the way down. I personally didn't think it was that hilarious, to be honest.  That was the last time I have ever put on a pair of snow skis.