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blizzard warnings - 13:52 , 03 October 2013 heelerless - 21:32 , 18 August 2013 Red Coat Inn in Fort McLeod - 11:38 , 23 June 2013 rushing into the waters - 09:53 , 21 June 2013 choosing a spot - 17:43 , 27 April 2013 |
snowed out
Woke up at five to get the water started on the stove, and looked outside.
A fresh layer of white.
Went out anyway. Just because it's snowing here, doesn't always mean it's snowing out in the desert.
Little maskless heeler had different ideas. Trotted straight back to bed after their morning break. Had to carry her to the truck.
Temp was 33o, so the flakes were large and wet. Interstate was slick, but the plows were out. Headed north from town, and found the road snowcovered, with berms alongside from the plow. Visibility was still a half mile.
By the time we reached the pseudo-Divide, visibility was two reflector posts (delineator posts to some of you) and the truck in front had slowed to 45. Popped over the real Divide, and found a semi spinning out on the uphill climb.
This is not good.
Turned off on the paved mine road that heads into the desert, and gave the heeler sisters a break in the two inches of fresh white.
Their first real drag race in weeks. They were just faint blobs in the blowing snow when they finally turned around. The flakes were large and wet, some 2 cm across, and coming down sideways. Whichever side I had facing west was soon plastered white.
I've checked strutting ground in conditions like this. The grouse are there, but they'll be hidden behind some sage plant somewhere close by, stepping out only briefly to strut once or twice before shuffling back in out of the wind.
Not much point in going on. And the roads are only going to get worse the longer I take to get back. Let the heelers finish their business, and then we turned back.
Semi was still slowly spinning up the divide, maybe two truck lengths farther along than he was before. Patrolman was watching him carefully as he headed north on patrol.
Got home almost exactly an hour after we left. Wife was just getting up. Trip was kind of a waste of good sleeping time and gasoline.
Except for the heelers. I'm sure to them, the idea of getting up, going out to drag race in the snow and doing your business as you snoop through the greasewood and sage is just about the perfect start of a day.