This spring our weather in Colorado has been, to put it kindly, schizophrenic. We have swung madly between winter and summer, with everything in-between. My mantra throughout the months of April and May was "It's warmer and sunnier in Fairbanks", as our snowpack increased and apricot blossoms froze. While the thermometer rose and plummeted I continued planning for my upcoming trip to the north.
Planning takes many forms. Thus far, much of my so-called 'planning' has been to get outside in a variety of weather conditions to put into practice the adage that 'there's no bad weather, only bad clothing'. One weekend foray took me to the desert for a quick backpack on our one warm weekend in mid-May. It was a joy to escape from the white backdrop of the mountains and backpack into our nearby redrock canyons. My trip took me to Rattlesnake Canyon, home to one of the largest concentrations of natural arches outside of Arches National Park.
One of the many arches in Rattlesnake Canyon
Since my expedition to the Firth will require some backpacking, this trip was certainly justified in the name of planning. Not only that, I got to try out my fabulous new PolarTREC wool hat complete with both arctic and antarctic logos!!
This is the Arctic side of my snazzy new PolarTREC hat.
Here's the Antarctic side of my new hat.
My next series of 'planning' trips has kept me close to home, enjoying the bounteous winter (and spring) snowpack. In our valley, the opening of the road over Independence Pass on Memorial Day signifies the true start of summer. This year, it almost didn't happen due to the enormous snowpack. Somehow, the highway department managed to get to the top and open the highway, in spite of having to clear avalanche debris 20 feet deep as well as many feet of May snow.
There was a lot of snow up there!
Skiing on top of the pass on May 29th was like turning the calendar pages back a few months. Cold winds buffeted us on the top of Blue Peak at 13,000 feet, but the skiing was excellent. I had forgotten to bring my PolarTREC hat--a mistake I won't make this summer!
Trying to stay warm at 13,000 ft
There was time for one more ski adventure (all in the name of 'planning') on one of the peaks that I gaze at from my home--Mount Sopris. This beauty rises from the valley floor and shines over our valley, always beckoning me to come play. We left the trailhead at 5am to get onto the peak before the snow got too soft to be safe. 3 hours later we were ready to ski down. The snow had softened early in the bright June sun, enhanced by the layer of dirt that had been deposited in a hideous spring wind/dirt storms earlier in the week. The dark dirt absorbs that sunlight and radiates it back as heat, melting the snow faster than usual. The intensity and frequency of these storms has increased over the past few years, causing distinct changes to our usual spring runoff. Once the dirt is on the snow, the melting is accelerated and snow melts far more rapidly than it once did. The 'snirt' (snow + dirt) has become an annual feature in the Colorado mountains due, in part, to changes in weather patterns around the west.
I'm excited to get to ski the 'snirt'!
As I write this, we have definitely turned the corner into summer. Yesterday (only 1 day after skiing!) was over 80F, and today promises much of the same. I will continue my 'planning' for the Arctic this week with a short river trip and a chance to really practice sending out a journal from a remote location via satellite phone. Stay tuned for the next dispatch--from the San Juan River in Utah.
Mt. Sopris, just short of 13,000 ft, shines over our valley