May 15, 2008

More of Blue Mesa


Erica took this picture of sand stone ledges that are normally
thirty to forty feet below water level.

Getting in a little beach time. In a a couple of weeks the big melt will probably be in full swing
and there will be less and less beach for a while.

We were below the normal waterline when we took this picture
looking further down on some others at the waters edge.

Good morning May 13, 2008 in Gunnison, Colorado!
Spring? Yeah Right!

Cinco De Mayo-the final chapter!

Drain it and it will come!

BLUE MESA RESERVOIR

The largest reservoir in Coloraado. It has been systematically
drained to efficiently make electricity and to create space in the
basin for the spring runoff. Looking at the buttes in the background
you'd wonder...what runoff!
Well, they are trying to plow through Independence Pass between Aspen and Leadville.
They have encountered 25' snow depths through there.

A few small watercraft could still be found out on the lake indulging in some ice-free fishing.

Here I'm standing about four feet above the current
water level with my foot on an old, long ago submerged tree stump.
I'm at least 40 (maybe more) feet below the level the lake will be at in a couple of months!

If you look real close you can see Sue standing up at the top of this boat ramp.
I was about the length of a football field, plus the endzones, down the ramp from her.
While there are a number of little runoff creeks that will direct meltoff into the lake,
the vast majority of it comes down through Gunnison, from above and beyond Crested Butte and the Schofield Pass area which still has over 12' feet of snow yet to melt and run down stream, Taylor Park ( even deeper in some areas), and back east up the valley toward Monarch Pass and down Tomichi Creek, there is plenty of snow to melt and runoff down through the Gunnison Valley.
Hopefully, not all at once!
Or we will become the proud owners of a boathouse and will be changing our address
to Sapinero, CO at the other end of Blue Mesa Reservoir!

Cinco de Mayo - Cont'd

The moon kept rising over Tenderfoot ('W') Mountain.
The 'W' obscured by the blanket of snow.
Note the wire fence line, thus the reason that Texans' often wondered why Colorado ranchers built such short fences!

Easter came and went early and quickly this year. We thought briefly of hiding eggs in the back yard, but they definitely would not have been found until late April.

Oh yea, that's right, we DO have a deck out back!

We're not sure, but Peanut was either trying to remember
if she had buried a bone in the backyard or do was there even a backyard
to bury a bone in! Hmmm!

Cinco de Mayo!

CINCO DE MAYO!
Sorry folks! Time got away from me here recently.
These pictures show the snow on the ground
just a couple weeks after it had reached it's peak
down here in the Gunnison Valley. At this time, mid March,
there was still a level 24" sitting on the ground.
Nothing compared to the higher elevations where there
was 12-15 feet of snow on the ground.

Not much of a view from the front door for a while there.

These piles of shoveled snow had been too high to even snow blow over the top.
Honestly I was surprised to see the snow disappear as fast as it has.
Currently, the only snow left is in front of the house, a relatively small pile about five foot high
by eight foot square. (A sledding hill back in Nebraska!)

February 10, 2008

Snow Shoe-ing Retreat

Sue went on a retreat with her ladies' bookclub and bible study group up along the Spring Creek area north of Almont, CO.

A great time was had by all! This was Sue's first attempt at snowshoeing and had a wonderful time.

After following along a road pathway, the group attempted to traverse an open field area.
When Sue dropped down into snow up to her... well lets just say it was DEEEEP!
After several minutes of group effort, she, along with several others, was extricated from the snow and decided the road less traveled was not for her and returned to the roadway path.

They then worked their way back to the rustic retreat cabin when they only had the bare essentials for survival.
Yeah, Right!

February 10, 2008

Sue zips down the slope. I asked her to go a few feet so I could take her picture and the next thing I know she's clear down the slope!

So I had to catch up, get downslope from her and wait for her to catch up so I could get this picture!

Then Sue got hold of the camera so she could turn the tables on me!

Easy does it ol' man!

February 10, 2008

Erica's learning to ski. Progress is being made!

She has graduated from the 'magic carpet' to the t-bar!
And lessons continue through the blizzard!

February 10,2008

ICE CLIMBERS IN OURAY, CO

We were a weekend late for the International Ice Climbing Event
in Ouray, Colorado. But there were still plenty of folks to watch .

This fellow is about halfway up the ice fall.
And nicely framed between the flags, if I do say so myself!

Erica and Dad

Erica and Mom

January 19, 2008

West Elk Mountains/Ohio Creek Valley

West Elk Mountains at Sunset

Sunset on Ohio Creek Valley

The Castles from Ohio Creek Valley

Sunset on the West Elk Mountains

January 13, 2008

LET IT SNOW!

OK!
It can stop for a little while now. Gunnison has about 30" on the ground.
The higher elevations plenty more!

At least no one would get hurt falling off the trampoline!

Erica and her friend Sarah play out in the snow!

I think they started out as snow angels but became trenches as a snowball fight began to take shape!

January 13, 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
A new year has arrived and so has a ton-and-a-half of snow!
For the Gunnison Valley, there hasn't been this much snow since 1983-84.
The deer and elk are hit really hard by this much snow at the higher elevations and
move to lower elevations to seek food.


Here is a herd of elk north of Almont, and considering the slim pickings the hunters had during the hunting seasons
one would wonder where these does and bucks were camping out.

There were at least a hundred total in this group heading up the slope.

Here's a mule deer buck, he's also wishing there wasn't quite so much snow to trod through.

This herd of elk were only a few miles north of Gunnison. They're feeding on a rancher's supply of
livestock hay. There were probably 30 or so down by the road and another hundred working their way down the hill
toward the food.
The State of Colorado Wildlife Division plans to haul in hay for the elk and another food source for the deer.
They hope to keep the herds strong through the winter, and hopefully away from the rancher's stores.