California is not known for its white winters, and a large majority of people that reside in the golden state do not know the struggles of shoveling their driveway to get out. However, in certain areas of the state visitors get the opportunity to experience real snow.

Movies depict winter as a time when snow falls outside regularly, and the children all go out and build snowmen together. The one and only memory of snow that comes to mind is as a little kid, tossing a single snowball at my dad on the side of the road.

Shaver Lake happens to be one of those places where snow falls, and people can ride sleds down a hill, or if they so choose, learn to ski. Rather than hunt around for somewhere to rest upon arrival, different cabin rental options are available online for booking.

This past weekend the opportunity arose to spend some time up at Shaver in a cabin and possibly learn to ski. So up to Shaver I went, and with any and all warm clothes and the only boots that might keep snow out. Several times along the way the view outside the car window changed. During the first glance outside dry trees stood in the middle of fields. The second time around, as the road went higher the trees grew more numerous and colorful, and the dirt began to change to white fluff everywhere.

The entire trip brought forth three different snowmen, of all shapes and sizes. Two small ones sat in the driveway, and one huge snowman with a part of a smile and a scarf made of ribbon took up the entire back porch. Overnight rain shrunk the mini snowmen in the driveway beyond recognition, but still they stood. — Elizabeth Baker

The change came almost instantaneously, with no break between dirt and grass and the white ice piled all around the road. Trees became more green, and snow hung down from the branches. Parking lots gleamed with layers of ice waiting for someone to come by too fast and slip.

Check in began at the cheery red Elliot House in the late afternoon. Outside, Christmas decorations stood in the snow, cheering on a holiday just past. Normally when decorations get left out past a holiday its because someone forgot to take them down, or they just don’t want to accept the fact that Christmas time is over for now. But in this town that does not matter, with snow everywhere and people bundled up in scarves drinking hot chocolate, it might as well be the middle of December.

The cabin sat a short drive from the stores and our dinner reservation at the Trading Post, on a small street full of other people and their children enjoying the cool weather and snow. As the feeling of excitement still hung in all of our minds, a mini snowman was constructed in the driveway to greet everyone that passed by. Of course, to enjoy the winter wonderland fully we stopped by the local sport supplies store to acquire snow boots, pants, and hats.

The entire trip brought forth three different snowmen, of all shapes and sizes. Two small ones sat in the driveway, and one huge snowman with a part of a smile and a scarf made of ribbon took up the entire back porch. Overnight rain shrunk the mini snowmen in the driveway beyond recognition, but still they stood.

As a first snowmobile experience, I’ll admit it sounded pretty fun to be speeding through the fluff like in a spy movie. With only a permit, I needed to ride on the back of a two person snowmobile with only the handles by my sides to stay on. The bumpy road created a sense of excitement at first but it became sort of scary as the path became thinner and more opportunities to crash came up. Eventually we tipped over trying to turn, and in that moment I decided not to ride snowmobiles professionally.

Even with the snowmobile ride not becoming a favorite, other things like snowball fights, sledding, and putting together my mini snowmen are my new favorite snow day activities. Something about the cool weather seems to give people a brighter outlook on the day and the snow provides more ways to enjoy it. Even in California we can enjoy a white Christmas, and make memories in the snow.

Before anyone travels to the Sierra National Forest, be sure to check the travel conditions via the following: Sierra National Forest Headquarters (559) 297-0706; Bass Lake Ranger District (559) 877-2218; High Sierra Ranger District (559) 855-5355; Road conditions via Caldrons Highway Information Network (800) 427-7623; Yosemite National Park (209) 372-0200 (press 1, 1); Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (559) 565-3341 (press 1, 1); Chain control updates via Twitter: @CHPCentralDiv (Source: Fresno Bee).

This author can be contacted via Twitter: @_Elizabethann16 and via Email: Elizabeth Baker.

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