April 3, 2012, 3/4 Moon Powder Colorado
4/3/12
US elsewhere
1817
3
Day 41
What a difference a year makes. Last year it snowed with abandon until June, local areas buried under 200% of normal pack by April 1.
This year, not so much. Of anything.
We received .01" of moisture at my house in March. Point - freekin - zero - one. As in, why bother? What started out as 40 - 60% of snowpack now looks like end of May, end of the season.
BUT! It ain't over yet...so when it looked like an upslope storm might change the outlook, well, I have to act.
Up to the usual place, arrived at 9:30 pm. Appeared to be about 3" of new covering the grass and rocks of the parking lot. At least where there was snow, it appeared smooth. I hadn't bothered with snowshoes, and found the snowpack under the new snow super-firm, super easy walking...and up I went.
One other team skied during the day, otherwise, untracked. Down in town, temps were hovering around 38 and cloudy; up here, it was 25 and clear... The 3/4 moon doing wonderful things to the bright new snow. Life, while trying, is still good I find.
At the top of my chosen line, I drop the pack and boot up. I follow my uptrack down, and smile broadly as the board swings easily back and forth on the smooth upper surface - and then hoot loudly as I scrape the firm underpack - which elicits a sound and feel like skiing a New York sidewalk.
Smooth turns - SCRAPE! -smooth turns - SCRAPE! All the way to the car.
****
While it ain't over yet, I think it's in the mail. But I've been wrong before.
What a difference a year makes. Last year it snowed with abandon until June, local areas buried under 200% of normal pack by April 1.
This year, not so much. Of anything.
We received .01" of moisture at my house in March. Point - freekin - zero - one. As in, why bother? What started out as 40 - 60% of snowpack now looks like end of May, end of the season.
BUT! It ain't over yet...so when it looked like an upslope storm might change the outlook, well, I have to act.
Up to the usual place, arrived at 9:30 pm. Appeared to be about 3" of new covering the grass and rocks of the parking lot. At least where there was snow, it appeared smooth. I hadn't bothered with snowshoes, and found the snowpack under the new snow super-firm, super easy walking...and up I went.
One other team skied during the day, otherwise, untracked. Down in town, temps were hovering around 38 and cloudy; up here, it was 25 and clear... The 3/4 moon doing wonderful things to the bright new snow. Life, while trying, is still good I find.
At the top of my chosen line, I drop the pack and boot up. I follow my uptrack down, and smile broadly as the board swings easily back and forth on the smooth upper surface - and then hoot loudly as I scrape the firm underpack - which elicits a sound and feel like skiing a New York sidewalk.
Smooth turns - SCRAPE! -smooth turns - SCRAPE! All the way to the car.
****
While it ain't over yet, I think it's in the mail. But I've been wrong before.
What range?
nice!
hoping to see the moon this weekend. friday is forecast for a full moon and clear night!
hoping to see the moon this weekend. friday is forecast for a full moon and clear night!
Front Range.
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