ESCAPE to the Snow 2020

A day full of snow, sun, and smiles!

Well, it’s an interesting time in the world. As you know, school is cancelled, which means the ESCAPE Club is too. We trust you and yours are nestled in safe at home, and that somehow you have what you need.

We did get out to the snow last month, so we’ll give a quick update here. As has been our custom, we chartered a bus to take us up I-80 into the Sierras. It’s been a less snowy year in California, but unpredictable in other ways. So we got to do our annual little dance of “Will there be enough snow?” or “Will there be too much snow on the roads?” or “Are we prepared for the cold?” or “Is the place we go even open?” Nevertheless we persisted. The sledding hill in Kingvale was indeed open, albeit with higher rates. There was plenty of snow, and clear blue skies eliminated our worry about temperature.

The kids charged up and down the hill so much all day. I think our rides/hour rate got us our money’s worth!

Lunch was our new favorite travel food–tamales! We threw snowballs, made snowmen, raced each other, chained together down the hill, and had a fantastic day.

On the way home, we stopped for dinner at In’N’Out, and made a quick visit to the Capitol, which sadly was covered in scaffolding. But the day was a complete win, and we are grateful to be able to make it happen for so many kids. Lots more to see in the slideshow below.

Of course we have no idea what’s on the horizon. Aside from the global pandemic, our district is also in financial crisis, and our jobs and schools may be headed toward transition. We didn’t get to a T-shirt, couldn’t get campsites in Yosemite, and this was supposed to be a climactic 20th year of ESCAPE. Ugh.

But this will not be the final ESCAPE email ever. We’ll be in touch again someday one way or the other. Beaches and trails are still open despite the shelter-in-place. So be safe, be well, get outside, and let us know about it! Love to all.




Sledding and sledding and sledding!