We are receiving our first real snow of the season this weekend.
Ah … December, when snow is still such a novelty that you really don’t even mind shoveling it!
Here is an 82 second sunrise time-lapse:
Deck Cam Sunrise: Cold Colorful Morning
Winter Inversion
Since the Flathead Valley is essentially a bowl, we sometimes (too often in my wife’s opinion) get a winter condition where high pressure traps thick fog in the valley. This is called an inversion. It can be a beautiful, still, cloudless day above, while at the same time being dense London fog where we reside. If it persists for days (and it sometimes does), one can begin to suffer from cabin fever and mild claustrophobia.
Fortunately, modern technology provides us with a remedy. When these foggy conditions persist, we simply check the mountaintop webcams of the valley’s two ski areas. If they show sun, we drive uphill to seek it. We will generally go snowshoeing or skiing (both the fun kind and the cross-country kind). But sometimes we will simply go for a walk on the plowed ski area roads. And if it is warm enough, we have been known to take out the lawn chairs, wine, cheese, and crackers, and just sit and enjoy an inversion sunset from a mountaintop perch. A little sun can go a long way for your mental health!
The upside of an inversion is that it can create some breathtaking mountaintop views. Here are some:
Wayne’s World
Here is an early morning visit to Wild Horse Island State Park with Captain Wayne J. Anderson at the helm.
You can watch this full screen and increase its resolution to 1080p HD
(the two icons in the lower right hand corner).
Wild Horse Island Loop Trail
Skeeko Bay has a trailhead for a 3 mile loop hike. From the lake, it rises gradually through an old-growth Ponderosa Pine forest …
to a hill top with a, primarily, southern view. There are remnants of the island’s earlier residents here.
An optional spur trail leaves the loop and steeply climbs to an panoramic overlook, revealing the lake north, west, and, south.
The little sailboat haven town of Dayton can be seen off in the distance.
The loop trail then gradually drops back down through another valley and another old-growth Ponderosa forest. Eventually, it rejoins the eastern shore of Skeeko Bay.
Spring On Flathead Lake
During the winter months, the lake’s level is dropped about 10 feet. This is near its pre-dam natural level. The lower water level enables better management of the rapid spring mountain melt-off. Here is a short time-lapse—filmed from the dock of good friends—of a Flathead Lake spring evening.
BTW, the two waterfowl that make brief appearances are loons.
You can watch this full screen and increase its resolution to 1080p HD
(the two icons in the lower right hand corner).