Author Topic: Snow ... and I mean snow!  (Read 8765 times)

Offline PJ Hardtack

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Snow ... and I mean snow!
« on: February 10, 2018, 06:03:55 PM »
Some of you guys have to look it up on google to know what snow is. I look out my windows. It's been -35C the past few mornings, warming up to -12C, but bright and sunny with no wind. It's like living in a Christmas card.

After a pretty light winter so far this year, we got our usual snow dump over a period of two days. We now have about four feet of it on top of the two feet we already had.

My Shepherd/Husky and Shepherd/Rottweiler disappear in it. I just took them on a short snowshoe trek of about one kilometre and it was brutal on them. I was sinking about 6" wearing my wood and babiche snowshoes. They were plowing a trough! I'm usually waiting on the snowmobilers to make a x-country ski trail for me, but the deep snow is discouraging them. Wimps.

We've been plowing out neighbours driveways for days and even road graders are getting bogged and need help getting unstuck. I got stuck in my own driveway and had to prevail upon a neighbour with a big diesel pick up to haul me out. Another neighbour had to call upon a four wheel drive tractor and a pulley system to get himself unstuck.

In total I got stuck four times, necessitating a massive dig out to get rolling again. Finally, I got smart and put on my cable chains. Couldn't move the amount of snow without them.

Some guys learn the hard way ..... and I'm one of them. But - not to complain. We were getting concerned about the low snow level which meant another bad year for wildfires. I think we got that covered now.
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Offline dusty texian

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #1 on: February 10, 2018, 06:14:40 PM »
Take care up there PJ , hopefully spring is around the corner . ,,,,DT

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #2 on: February 10, 2018, 07:48:43 PM »

Sometimes, living a Currier and Ives post card ain't all it's cracked up to be.

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #3 on: Today at 09:17:59 AM »

Offline Forty Rod

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2018, 10:38:23 PM »
And folks wonder why I left northern Utah in 1965 and never moved back.
People like me are the reason people like you have the right to bitch about people like me.

Offline Forty Rod

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2018, 10:40:20 PM »
Woopsie daisy.  Double tap.


People like me are the reason people like you have the right to bitch about people like me.

Offline Shawnee McGrutt

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2018, 11:43:04 AM »
So you weren't tarred and feathered, and ran out of town on a rail? :o
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Offline PJ Hardtack

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #6 on: February 11, 2018, 11:47:30 AM »
Spring? Whazzat?

We get nine months of winter and three months of tough sledding. During that brief interval, we have the mosquito season where you limit your outdoors activity and the moose, deer and horses stand in the open hoping for a breeze.

Then we long for winter. Balmy weather today - no wind and only -24C. I'll be breaking trail on snowshoes for the dogs today - after it warms up to -12C or so.


Take care up there PJ , hopefully spring is around the corner . ,,,,DT
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to others and I require the same from them."  John Wayne

Offline Forty Rod

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2018, 05:50:01 PM »
Spring? Whazzat?

We get nine months of winter and three months of tough sledding. During that brief interval, we have the mosquito season where you limit your outdoors activity and the moose, deer and horses stand in the open hoping for a breeze.

Then we long for winter. Balmy weather today - no wind and only -24C. I'll be breaking trail on snowshoes for the dogs today - after it warms up to -12C or so.



Dad used to say our northern Utah climate was ten months of winter and two months way late in the fall.  Sounds like someone in your neighborhood knew Dad.
People like me are the reason people like you have the right to bitch about people like me.

Offline wildman1

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #8 on: February 11, 2018, 09:34:22 PM »
Weren't no snow in Prescott taday.  :P
wM1
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Offline PJ Hardtack

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #9 on: February 12, 2018, 11:56:43 AM »
Been -35C/36C for the last couple of mornings. Warmed up yesterday to -12C so I went snowshoeing again. The dogs declined to accompany me, tired of ploughing thru' the snow.

I expect the same thing today, but I can't see all that sunshine and not want to be out in it. Besides, it's great aerobic exercise you desert rats never get to experience.
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to others and I require the same from them."  John Wayne

Offline Yeso Bill

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2018, 03:33:30 PM »
I live just North of the 34th Parallel in Se Central N.M.  The elevation is 5,000 ft. which usually means daily wind.  One time I have seen snow 3' on the level here but usually it is 2 or 3 10 - 14" snows from Dec - March....if that.  The only snow this winter was maybe an inch day before yesterday.  Dad said that this is far enough North to live and I tend to agree with him. 

Today is sunny, 68 degrees, 16 humidity and the wind is blowing just hard enough not to shoot the 44-40 at the chickens.....10 mph.  Pretty nice day. 

Billy

Offline PJ Hardtack

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2018, 07:59:57 PM »
We actually have a couple deserts north of the DMZ and a few semi-deserts as well. The latter means less than 20" of precipitation per year.

I lived in a semi-desert for 11 years and while the summers were hot and dry, we sure got a load of snow in the winter! We had the best x-country skiing trails in the country, over 50 kms of groomed track.
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to others and I require the same from them."  John Wayne

Offline Yeso Bill

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2018, 09:24:08 PM »
This is considered semi desert and is a grass country.  "They" say 12 - 14" per year but thats being pretty generous.    ;D

Billy

Offline kwilliams1876

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2018, 06:58:13 PM »
yeso Bill
 i laid over a night with my mule and many other trail riders at a ranch in Yeso years back, no snow there but it had plenty of rain as i remember. we all crossed the Pecos the next day by Ft. Sumner.
best
kw
montana territory.....big snow country

Offline Yeso Bill

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2018, 06:56:31 PM »
KW
    Were you on one of the Billy the Kid trail rides?  If so you crossed over us and possibly camped over at the Half Way Ranch.  Likely that was our last rain.   ;D  Seriously, It has drizzled here all day.  Maybe there is a 1/4" in the gauge and it is our first measureable moisture since October.

Billy

Offline kwilliams1876

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #15 on: February 17, 2018, 07:53:18 AM »
Yeso Bill
Yes, it was the Billy the Kid ride, and we did lay over for a night on a ranch in Yeso. I was riding the only saddle mule. The ride and the "chuck" where one of the best times i ever had.
Now I am buried deep in snow here in Montana......can't even get out to the road!  my horses have not seen it this deep in a long time. Guess I need to buy a snow blower for the tractor, can not plow anymore.

best kw

Offline Yeso Bill

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #16 on: February 18, 2018, 05:31:36 AM »
KW:
Well, More than likely we have met.  Seems I recall a man riding a mule.  Depending on which direction the Trail Boss decided to go that year, the route was usually start in Lincoln, Corn Ranch, Halfway Ranch, Overton's El Yeso Ranch, and then Ft. Sumner.  My family owns the Halfway and the trail riders would camp there in the bunk house one night.  We'd build a fire in the yard and I always enjoyed sitting around and drinking Wally's whiskey.  (the cook) 
 
     Supposedly, the Kid's escape route was the old Military Trail between Ft. Stanton and Ft. Sumner.  It is actually south of the Billy the Kid Trail Ride route and I've lived here all my life and have ridden over a lot of it but not all.
 
     A ride over the actual trail with a party of people would not be practical as there are only two ranch houses between Ft. Sumner and the Capitan Mnt. gap on or near the trail.  And there is a 45 mile stretch in the middle of it with no water...just like the old days.  And it has no gates on it. 

     The trail is shown on Map of the Military Department, 1864 but it is close but not quite accurate.  I saw another map at Ft. Garland dated 1896 showing the road where it belonged and still in use.

Well, we just got 8/10s of rain!  First moisture since October.  We had one of your snows in 96.  http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/05/us/herds-thinned-by-rare-deep-snow-in-new-mexico.html   I think it was closer to 30" but who knows because we always get high winds after a snow storm.  Everybody swore that they were going to buy snow shoes and snow mobiles and be prepared for the next one but nobody did.   ;D

Billy     

Offline dusty texian

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #17 on: February 18, 2018, 06:51:44 AM »
Spring? Whazzat?

We get nine months of winter and three months of tough sledding. During that brief interval, we have the mosquito season where you limit your outdoors activity and the moose, deer and horses stand in the open hoping for a breeze.

Then we long for winter. Balmy weather today - no wind and only -24C. I'll be breaking trail on snowshoes for the dogs today - after it warms up to -12C or so.


    Well glad you are enjoying your 9 months of snow  . And 2 or 3 months of whatever you call it . Thaw/ mud / bugs ! I was catfishing on the Llano river all wk. 39 in the morning 72 in the day , not bad for Mid - February . Critters are liking it too . ,,,DT

Offline PJ Hardtack

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #18 on: February 18, 2018, 12:46:30 PM »
We can't change it, so we have to learn how to enjoy it.

Scenically, it's like living in a Xmas card. And we see things most people will never see, like moose beds in the snow. For some reason, our resident cow moose and her current calf like to forage on this side of the lake this time of year. So far on my snowshoeing treks I've found three places where they have bedded for the night, one location not 50 yds from where I'm now sitting. I could have seen them from my office window had there been enough daylight.

They simply flop down where they are, sometimes in the open, other times near a tree well. The calf is always close by, but in it's own bed. It's usually the last place where they were feeding on willow twigs, the mainstay of their diet this time of year.

It's also interesting watching the dogs dig for field mice and voles they can hear moving under the snow. They don't catch many but it keeps them amused when they aren't chasing the squirrels that raid the bird feeders.
"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on.
I don't do these things to others and I require the same from them."  John Wayne

Offline dusty texian

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Re: Snow ... and I mean snow!
« Reply #19 on: February 18, 2018, 01:09:58 PM »
Sounds truly beautiful. I wonder how much willow twigs  a cow moose consumes a day ?  ,,,DT

 

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