October 31, 1999

Snow Close, but Snow Far

I hear it has been snowing in Calgary, so I thought I had better get an update out for those eager and anxious folks already waxing their skis. Alas we are not awash with powder, for while it has precipitated mightily here over the last few days, all but a few futile flakes has come as rain, at least at the base. It was much whiter up top today, but the runs were more dusted than draped with snow.

I took a walk up to the Bear's Den and it definitely felt wintery there, although the millimeter or two of snow actually on the ground only managed to make the mud a tad slipperier. You can't tell from the pictures, but was actually snowing fairly hard when I took them and as I started down the waves of blowing snow washing up Freeway definitely suggested an old fashioned Fernie dump. I had images of hurrying down the hill to check and be sure my snowblower still started - okay I had already checked, but you can't be too careful, or eager.

However by the time I reached the bottom of the hill I had shucked my toque and gloves and while there was still some snow falling, it wasn't surviving ground contact. Indeed as the evening progressed the sky cleared and at 8:00 PM (writing this was delayed for trick or treat patrol) the stars are out and it is 2 C.