January 6, 2015: That Little Shack

"Don't worry, " I told her.  "There's this little shack up there that has a heater."
That was the pitch I used one winter morning back when Janice and I were first married.  We were headed up to Stevens Pass for a little winter railfanning, and Janice, not a big fan of cold and snow was less than enthused.

It was early winter, 1974 and there wasn't much snow on the ground yet.  Back then you could park for any length of time in the chain-up area near Scenic, and take a trail up the side of the mountain to the West Scenic switch, where "that little shack" was located.  It was the perfect plan, Janice could stay warm in the shack while I hiked around the vicinity taking my photos.

The problem began when we first arrived.  "That little shack" was there.  The heater inside that was working the winter before was there. The power lines to the heater were there.  The "on-off" switch was there, but the fuses were not.  I did get a smile out Janice, but as you can see, it was one of those "You are going to so pay for this" kind of smile.  I believe I convinced Janice to railfan with me in the snow one other time, but it was under no pretenses that a warm "little shack" would be in the mix.

"That little shack" is still there 40 years later.  The heater is long gone, but I still occasionally take refuge inside. The view out the door isn't the best but sometimes it's nice to get out of the wind and just sit in a dry environment for a minute or two.

The subject of "that little shack" comes up now and again.  It's usually in the context of me trying to get Janice to do something a little dubious.  I always respond to her skepticism with a cheery, "Don't worry, there's this little shack....."