Winter is here for most people on Earth. Across the northern hemisphere, shorter days and lower solar irradiance bring colder weather. Live north or high enough, and you will see snow.

In Northern California, where YouSolar is at home, we are fortunate to have access to the Sierra Nevada mountains. When it snows in the Sierras, it can snow a lot! As it did last year. Below is a photo of the mountain home of the Naturefriends, a hiking club, last winter, with an enormous snowdrift on its leeward side.

The Heidelmann Lodge, the mountain home of the Naturefriends hiking club near Soda Springs, California, in mid-January 2023.

While the snow made for epic skiing, creaking rafters reminded the winter enthusiasts that it was time to switch from skis to snow shovels. So, the club members went on the roof and began shoveling and cleaving off snow. And more snow. Much more snow. Lots of snow. Tons of snow. Too much snow.

A nearby clubhouse failed to mobilize its members in time. Its two-story A-frame simply disappeared. Gone. Vanished. A big white and peaceful mountain of snow where once stood a mighty lodge. A metaphor for all kinds of things. But most of all fun to see and a source of wonder for the kids. The building reemerged in the spring, seemingly undamaged. A-frames have a place in architecture.