What A Nice Surprise On April 6th;

[Ard]

The Best Laid Plans........

I got up at 6:20 AM today and shuffled down the hallway toward the coffee pot which was resting peacefully in the kitchen. Before dark yesterday evening I was outside selecting a spot to store the snowmachines for the off season. In years past we had but one to stow away and it seemed a simple business. This year we still have the reliable old Yamaha but added 2 new SkiDoo machines since last October.

With three to summer-ize and store away I had arranged to pick up a load of wooden pallets today so that all could be kept off the ground with their suspension relieved by blocks for the months ahead. I had it all figured out, a couple more days and all the snow in the yard would be gone so I needed to get this done today. The plan was simple, hook the 4 wheeler to the boat trailer and pull it from its winter den and then line the area with pallets where the boat had been parked. The idea of getting the boat out appealed to me and I went to bed figuring I had this under control.

That was until I reached the end of the hall and looked out that great big window in the dinning area. "Well, isn't that nice" I will be getting my boots and parka on directly and then be going out to plow the 7" of fresh snow from the drive! I wouldn't worry about plowing but once I saw the beautiful new snow I checked the weather on my C Crane radio and learned that I could expect this to taper off after 15" had fallen in this area.

The good news is that I didn't put the covers on the snowmachines and they are ready to go. In view of our new bonanza of the white stuff Nancy and I will be going up a river to our North so I can mark a branch I've never been to with the boat before. I think deep down we both wanted to take the machines for a drive, all we've done with then was to drive back and forth from the cabin to Willow thus far.

I'll take some pictures of the 'beautiful' snow while I'm out plowing and come back to post them by this afternoon

 

[r reese]

I like Arkansas all 4 seasons hate snow spring like today 70 and sunny

 

[caseywise]

ahhhhh......april in alaska.
so predictably unpredictable

 

[Ard]

I have not taken any pictures of the outside because everything is just white out there. So much for the early breakup so many were predicting.

It is still snowing at 10:00 Am this morning. Yesterday there was maybe 10 - 12" of real fluffy stuff and then it warmed and put down a bunch of heavy snow atop of the powder. That dropped the loft of the snow but when I looked at where the snowmachine trailer is parked the ground under it was plowed and there is another 7-9" piled around the edges so............... I'm going to pull on my boots and go plow things out again.

Pictures seemed a waste because with the falling snow and the overcast sky it's a whiteout thing here.

 

[beagle]

We aren't getting your snow down here just bitter cold! There isn't much snowpack in Bristol Bay this spring and I would imagine all the rivers will be low and fishing good from the opener on. Our 5 snowmachines are all in need of a pile of parts so the snow situation is fine by me,,lots of Honda's here!

 

[mcnerney]

Ard: Send that white stuff down to the Rockies, we need the moisture badly. The good news is that we got some snow last night, but only about an inch! I think our snow pack totals are averaging 75-85% or normal depending on the drainage.

 

[Ard]

I just posted to Dan's 'So Sick Of Winter' thread, looks like another 36 hours of it with predictions for another 15" or more possible,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Davo]

I hear you Ard. I was just work on the clients yards last week and dropping snow moving equipment to be serviced. Then I wake up this morning to the white stuff making a come back. ;-) I know we could use it but I don't want it to mess up my spring fishing or set me back at work.