part time spring

was last weekend our spring? no, i am sure not,but it was absolutely nice, even for those of you who want winter to last until july. and really, i can no longer say we are in "winter", i might call it springter. cool, damp and gray. rain that could turn into snow at any moment. trails trying to dry, but then getting wetter. mid elevation snowpack that really has not even begun to melt, and higher mountain snowpack that has been growing.

you all wanted "la nina" and now it will not let go.

that all being said, the skiing has been great. and if we could just get some stable weather, we might get some great peak opportunities.

trails are slowly drying. i finally got on my bike yesterday, on a trail. an update from others around town. the Whitefish Trail is in good shape. with many open areas from recent logging, and much of it on south facing slopes, a fair amount is in great shape. even towards beaver lake has been reported clear and ridable.
spencer mountain is ridable, if you are willing to walk thru and around a lot of snow. probably best to leave it alone for another week or so.
pig farms are somewhat dry and clear, but recent winter logging has many trails covered with debris and branch trimming. turns out, leaving fresh cut branches on the ground actually allows them to lose some of the nitrogen they have held in their greenery back into the soil. this is a good thing. but after about a year, the nitrogen is gone from the branches, and they become a fire hazard if they are not piled up and burned. so management of logging is not done yet. Or is it? i will be watching.

i don't think the trails on the big mountain are quite ready yet. maybe august?

certainly it would be a great time to head for some climbing, but again , the weather has not been too helpful. well, last weekend would have been perfect. would have been good for camping as well. cool at night, but not cold, and clear, so you would not have been scurrying to your tent right after eating. i am hoping for another break this weekend, but it does not look super promising.

anyone reading this. i am going to be heading up the new "bike patrol/ambassador" program for the Whitefish Trail. this will be a volunteer patrol, but should be a lot of fun and may have some basic training for first aid and bike maintenance, as well as some pro deal help thru IMBA. if anyone is interested, they can sign up at sportsman, glacier cyclery or great northern cyclery. they can also call heidi at Whitefish Legacy Partners, at 862 3880, or sign up on line on the WLP website. but the easiest way might be to just call me, chris miller, 862 4281.

hope to hear from a few. lets hope for some sunny warm days, and cool clear nights, and we can all enjoy the favorite things we like to do. (unless your favorite things is to go for long walks in 45 degree rain, which is by the way, our two dogs favorite thing, but not ours)