One memorable winter in the late 1980’s, we almost lost Becca in the realm of the snow gods and goddesses! It is a traumatic memory for her and one that still brings goose bumps to me. It ranks up there with Dan’s almost drowning on the Consumnes River.
On a family snow outing with a friend of Cece’s accompanying us, we went up Iron Mountain Road out of Pollock Pines and then on to Highway 88. We were trying to find the perfect (cheap) family snow play area and finally thought we had. There was a sizeable mound sloping away from the roadway and it gentled out after a bit to a flat spot…the perfect sliding spot. I am sure that we had saucers but I think that Dan opted to go down on his bottom in slick ski pants. Becca’s turn was next.
Somehow, in stepping to one side of our impromptu ski run, Becca accidentally stepped into a hole by the base of an old pine stump. It was covered with a thin film of snow that easily gave way under her. Down she went into s now cave that was not terribly large but big enough to cover her slight form, out of sight. Her left boot began to slip off and she was scared that it would come off and be lost down the long dark tunnel.
She began to cry and yell for help. Daniel heard her but later said that he thought she was laughing. I finally heard her sobbing pleas for help and after locating the source of her voice, knelt in the snow and reaching down, was able to pull her out, boot and all. I remember holding her in my arms and cuddling her while I helped to put her boot back on. We moved on to another, different spot, away from treacherous snow crevasses, and with some snuggling and consolation from her Mom, the little snow queen was able to return to the day’s fun and antics.
To this day, the memory of that event is burned into her psyche and Becca still recalls the experience with a shudder. Such a seemingly innocent event could have turned out much worse. We all were blessed that it did not.
JP 12-31-2011
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