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Words & Photos by Tomas Ruprecht

Mr. Rüf sent the 9i9i cloud years ago as a gift to a friend of mine. Shortly after its arrival, its seasonal outdoor placement soon became tradition. Welcoming the winter, we would hang it on our fence that the plaque originally came from… a seamless fit. With its placement outdoors, the snow would soon follow. And follow it did… blanketing Burlington many times since its debut. Naturally, my train of thought began to push this idea towards the mountains. No better place to hang a snow magnet than at your local hill. Not wanting to sacrifice the original, I opted for a copy. And seeing as two earlier versions have vanished from their woodsy locations… it’s a good thing I chose a photo version and not the original, on top of the fact that it’s not even mine!

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The front and back of the 9i9i cloud

Framed and ready to go, I packed up the goods with the essential tools (hammer & nails) and headed to the hills. This year I chose the location wisely as the last couple pieces were low hanging fruit… easy for the thieves to nick. I arrived at Stowe, 9i9i cloud in hand. It was by chance that I was shown a new spot on the very day I embarked to hang the 9i9i cloud. This stash had been under my nose for years… yet had slipped under the radar. As you can imagine, these are more often than not the best spots of all. With a clear view of Mt. Mansfield, the 9i9i cloud proudly hangs at its newest locale as a beacon for Mother Nature… with the hopes that its placement will ensure that we get as much as we can of her treasured offerings. Long live the 9i9i cloud and may it attract snow for years to come. With a heavy winter storm getting ready to grip New England, it looks like it’s already working its magic!

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The view of Mt. Mansfield from where the 9i9i cloud currently sits. You Stowe locals might be able to figure out its location. Let it bless you with copious amounts of snow.