An avalanche of snow not only fell on the ground, but nearly buried their Tahoe City cabin.
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Each winter for the past 35 years, the Hellers have taken time for a trip to the Northern California resort.
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The mother, Mary Heller, had an inkling that this trip might be different after hearing a blizzard warning on the radio.
When the family opened their front door, they were welcomed with snow that nearly came up to their necks.
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"I felt a little bit claustrophobic, and it made worry about the heating vents possibly being clogged and I just knew that I wanted to start shoveling," Mary Heller said. "And then I went out and cross-country skied the streets -- it was actually quite a beautiful day."
The Hellers say they spent hours digging out from under all that snow, including 45 minutes to just to clean off their car.
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