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ENLARGE
Snow on the desert is a treacherously beautiful thing. Land and sky lose definition in an expanse of endless white. Like a sheet of pure white paper with only a few subtle creases, the boundaries between terra firma and ether are a fleeting thing.
Try to drive in that stuff, and the vertigo is instant. I write on Dec. 8, the first real snow of the season here in Mack. I understand the high country also got a welcome hammering. Powderhorn ski area got 28 inches. Last night the Utah State Patrol called in a report to the local Grand Junction news stations, advising people that it was “dangerous to cross the border into Utah.”
Of course, we already knew that, but it was especially dangerous last night.
We can usually count on one good snowstorm here in the high desert in early December. If this one is true to form, it will stick around. It will gradually compact to razor sharp ice, turn to a sugar crystal crust and then to mud with February's sunny days.
But for now, the green tips of the yucca's leaves stab through a mound of snow. The world is exquisitely quiet and the interstate highway is a death trap. We are staying off the road. All appointments rescheduled.
The first train through this morning was running at one-third speed, navigating snow-covered tracks. The Mesa County street plows may make it out here today if we are lucky. We are content to stoke the fire and cook. It would all feel very 19th century if it were not for computer and phone.
Autumn Bliss, our favorite season of the year in the desert, just recently left town. She lived up to her name and graced us with an extended stay. The hunting season was successful for the family, and we are enjoying fresh elk.
Both our kids (plus spouses) were in Mack for Thanksgiving and volunteered for a Mom Afternoon of Service. One kid fixed the dishwasher while the other three raked up all the leaves and mulched the perennial gardens. Personally, I think we should make it a tradition.
The freezers are filled with summer fruit and vegetables. I am already looking forward to the arrival of the 2010 seed catalogues in January.
But at the moment, the elemental snow prevails. School is canceled. Our dogs went on a wild tear through fresh powder in the back yard. The neighbor is grinning happily as he clears a path with his snow blower. Guys in Mack love any reason to break out power equipment, but the snow blower is a rare treat. Tom still uses a grain shovel. He's from Minnesota – what can I say.
The dogs are napping in the dining room, keeping as quiet as possible. If they are true to form, they will stay in stealth mode until we are asleep. We will wake in the morning to find one dog on the bed and one on the couch.
Anyone observing our lives would conclude that we work so our dogs can enjoy a fine standard of living. They would be correct.
It feels like a luxury for me to spend a snowy afternoon writing this column. My buddies in Snowmass Village are rejoicing in this snow even more than I, but I also know they are working like mad.
When I talk to my high country clients at this time of year, I can almost feel the phone buzz in my hand with all the activity. I remember those days of getting everything stocked and cleaned, prepped and shiny for the first visits of the ski season.
Folks who are planning to visit Snowmass Village this winter are in for a treat. With a bright, glittery new hotel launching the opening of the season, town folk everywhere seem to be busy making sure that everything is just right. A generous December snowfall is icing on the cake.
My hat is off to all you Snowmass Village workers who make it happen. I orchestrated the holiday rush for years in a resort job. I was younger then. It's “0 to 60” in three days or less. It's like playing the Super Bowl as the first game of the season. It certainly is easier to do with great snow on the ground, a white Christmas assured.
As for me, I am fine sitting here, writing and listening to the chugging of the washing machine and the creak of the woodstove. After years of busy Decembers, it feels natural to be quiet and still as the snow piles up. We're enjoying being snowbound with a pot of leftover turkey soup and the Mad Dogs of Mack.
Happy Christmas and the best of the season to everyone.
Try to drive in that stuff, and the vertigo is instant. I write on Dec. 8, the first real snow of the season here in Mack. I understand the high country also got a welcome hammering. Powderhorn ski area got 28 inches. Last night the Utah State Patrol called in a report to the local Grand Junction news stations, advising people that it was “dangerous to cross the border into Utah.”
Of course, we already knew that, but it was especially dangerous last night.
We can usually count on one good snowstorm here in the high desert in early December. If this one is true to form, it will stick around. It will gradually compact to razor sharp ice, turn to a sugar crystal crust and then to mud with February's sunny days.
But for now, the green tips of the yucca's leaves stab through a mound of snow. The world is exquisitely quiet and the interstate highway is a death trap. We are staying off the road. All appointments rescheduled.
The first train through this morning was running at one-third speed, navigating snow-covered tracks. The Mesa County street plows may make it out here today if we are lucky. We are content to stoke the fire and cook. It would all feel very 19th century if it were not for computer and phone.
Autumn Bliss, our favorite season of the year in the desert, just recently left town. She lived up to her name and graced us with an extended stay. The hunting season was successful for the family, and we are enjoying fresh elk.
Both our kids (plus spouses) were in Mack for Thanksgiving and volunteered for a Mom Afternoon of Service. One kid fixed the dishwasher while the other three raked up all the leaves and mulched the perennial gardens. Personally, I think we should make it a tradition.
The freezers are filled with summer fruit and vegetables. I am already looking forward to the arrival of the 2010 seed catalogues in January.
But at the moment, the elemental snow prevails. School is canceled. Our dogs went on a wild tear through fresh powder in the back yard. The neighbor is grinning happily as he clears a path with his snow blower. Guys in Mack love any reason to break out power equipment, but the snow blower is a rare treat. Tom still uses a grain shovel. He's from Minnesota – what can I say.
The dogs are napping in the dining room, keeping as quiet as possible. If they are true to form, they will stay in stealth mode until we are asleep. We will wake in the morning to find one dog on the bed and one on the couch.
Anyone observing our lives would conclude that we work so our dogs can enjoy a fine standard of living. They would be correct.
It feels like a luxury for me to spend a snowy afternoon writing this column. My buddies in Snowmass Village are rejoicing in this snow even more than I, but I also know they are working like mad.
When I talk to my high country clients at this time of year, I can almost feel the phone buzz in my hand with all the activity. I remember those days of getting everything stocked and cleaned, prepped and shiny for the first visits of the ski season.
Folks who are planning to visit Snowmass Village this winter are in for a treat. With a bright, glittery new hotel launching the opening of the season, town folk everywhere seem to be busy making sure that everything is just right. A generous December snowfall is icing on the cake.
My hat is off to all you Snowmass Village workers who make it happen. I orchestrated the holiday rush for years in a resort job. I was younger then. It's “0 to 60” in three days or less. It's like playing the Super Bowl as the first game of the season. It certainly is easier to do with great snow on the ground, a white Christmas assured.
As for me, I am fine sitting here, writing and listening to the chugging of the washing machine and the creak of the woodstove. After years of busy Decembers, it feels natural to be quiet and still as the snow piles up. We're enjoying being snowbound with a pot of leftover turkey soup and the Mad Dogs of Mack.
Happy Christmas and the best of the season to everyone.
