Big snow, then no snow, rinse repeat

 It has been the oddest winter.  For example, from February 13 through the 20th, we received 17.5 inches of snow, and now there is nothing in the forecast except rain for the next few weeks.  It has been like this since early January - big dumps of snow then nothing.  I think we just started our 5th mud season.  

Mike and I went to Ironton yesterday to cross-country ski - Mike - and snowshoe - me and Dempsey.  It was in the 20s, clear blue sky, and great snow conditions because of the cold.  The views never get old.

One of the Red Mountains in the background

If you have the opportunity, there is a fabulous article in this week's Ouray Plain dealer about the rescue/recovery effort last summer on Red Mountain Pass, where two people were killed and a girl was brought up and airlifted to Denver.  She lived.  The article is titled, "Helping the helpers:  The anatomy of a complex rescue."  Highly recommend.

I snowshoed up our trail last Saturday, and when I got to the big meadow, the trail across was completely gone.  We had had some pretty fierce wind, but I wasn't expecting to see just a sheer expanse of white.  I've since learned that Marchelle, Aaron, and John Mark Radle have been across, so when I go up tomorrow, I should be able to get farther.  

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