When Plans Go Awry
I’m not sure what the weather guys were thinking, but they definitely missed the snow schedule by a week. Spring Break week is supposed to be the time to cut out and take a break, with sun and warmer temperatures letting you make it outside after a long winter. Not in Colorado. We seem to think that March is the time for all of the snow to come. We like to pile all of the white stuff into one neat 31 day period called March, so my plans turned into playing in the snow on Spring Break!
I’ve been pretty busy recently, so the idea of taking a few days to get out and wander around in the hills and dales seemed like a great thing to do. I had it all figured out with a quick road trip through the mountains, a day or two in western Colorado/eastern Utah, and some time to decompress and breathe in some fresh air. Not this year. Carryover work and weather combined to wallop those plans, with weather being the main culprit.
Now, you may think I’m complaining here, but it’s just the facts. So, I improvised and snuck in a couple of days anyway. As they say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
First, it was up to Rocky Mountain National Park and Bear Lake. I like Bear Lake because it’s so easy to get to and it’s just a nice hike. I figured I would visit it and then make my way to Dream Lake, which is usually a nice gradual hike up the mountain from Bear Lake. That’s without snow, mind you.
Milk Run to Rocky Mountain
I got up to Bear Lake, put on my (cowboy) boots, and proceeded to go for a hike with my gear. A light snow was falling from the clouds that were gathered up on the Continental Divide and the lake was completely frozen over. A quarter of the way around the lake, I looked through the trees and saw this.
Wow! A little bit of light snuck through the clouds and illuminated the top of the peak in the midst of the storm swirling around it. I just wanted to watch the light dance across the peak, but I needed to get to a spot I had in mind.
I continued on to the aforementioned spot, but the clouds obscured the view. After awhile, it didn’t look like they were going to clear, so I headed back to the trailhead and started toward Dream Lake. Being the seasoned hiker, you would think I would have brought snow shoes, or at least something with a bit more traction than cowboy boots. But why should I do such a wise thing as that? As it turned out, the boots weren’t too bad, except one wanted to do downhill skiing while I was trying to go uphill. I even managed to get on a knoll to capture the storm surrounding Thatchtop Mountain.
I eventually made it to Dream Lake, but the storm decided to flank me and meet me at the crest of the hill. Ten feet below the crest, it was a nice gentle snowfall that kind of reminded you of a winter movie scene. On the crest, it was a blizzard. I packed the camera and turned back for the truck. It was no use trying to wait it out, and I’m glad I went back down. The snow followed me down the mountain and engulfed the area minutes after I pulled out of there.
San Luis Valley
After that, I headed toward the San Luis Valley. True to form, the valley was almost dry, so I headed toward Wolf Creek Pass. Snow greeted me as I went up the pass. Since heading up wasn’t going to work, I pulled over to catch the South Fork of the Rio Grande as it came down the pass.
Once again, the snow came down the mountain toward me so I beat a retreat toward Creede. I didn’t have to go far to find the sun glinting off the frozen Rio Grande as it lazily worked it’s way down the canyon. It was such a peaceful scene, with a light blanket of snow covering the ice on top of the river.
With the sun setting, I made my way to Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge. The ponds in the refuge offer a haven for all kinds of birds, so I went for a sunset drive through there. There weren’t many birds, but the ponds were serene under the setting sun.
It was peaceful and quiet, leaving a calm on me as I drove away, ready to head back to the grind in the coming week.
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