New Mexico's winter had one last surprise
Mar 16, 2019 22:53:47 #
SWFeral
Loc: SWNM
And boy was it a doozy. On Wednesday snow filled the air all day, coming down heavy, but with the wind howling and gusting to over 60 mph, not much snow covered the ground here in town. It was a different story in the mountains, where the trees and vegetation seemed to be coated with snow and ice. I had hoped to pull off by the side of the highway and hike down to a creek which I assumed would be magical--it probably was--but I kept thinking I'd find a better spot to pull over, and pretty soon I was out of options. I'd entered a section of the forest where the road becomes a narrow series of hairpin turns that goes on for miles (arriving eventually at the Gila Cliff Dwellings, if anyone is interested; I wasn't) with no place to pull over or turn around during the mildest of seasons. It turned out the road hadn't actually been plowed yet but was in the process of BEING plowed, so I got stuck behind the snowplow, two sand trucks, and a few other passenger vehicles. Soon other cars and trucks arrived behind me, and there we all sat.
I finally spoke to the driver behind me, asking him not to pull forward, and executed a death-defying 21-point turnaround on a road about four feet wide, with lots of folks looking on. This is a mild exaggeration, but not much of one. I returned to the relative safety of the rocky area pictured and got out with my dog Ted for a 15-minute walk and photo shoot. For Ted it was a bladder-emptying walk. A friend was hiking with her dog in the canyon at the bottom of those cliffs and later told me she only saw one other set of tracks out there: those of a mountain lion heading in the same direction she was.
My camera was acting oddly, as if it had had a mini-stroke, so I had to focus manually for some of these shots, always a crap shoot with me. I hope this does not diminish your enjoyment of these photos.
I finally spoke to the driver behind me, asking him not to pull forward, and executed a death-defying 21-point turnaround on a road about four feet wide, with lots of folks looking on. This is a mild exaggeration, but not much of one. I returned to the relative safety of the rocky area pictured and got out with my dog Ted for a 15-minute walk and photo shoot. For Ted it was a bladder-emptying walk. A friend was hiking with her dog in the canyon at the bottom of those cliffs and later told me she only saw one other set of tracks out there: those of a mountain lion heading in the same direction she was.
My camera was acting oddly, as if it had had a mini-stroke, so I had to focus manually for some of these shots, always a crap shoot with me. I hope this does not diminish your enjoyment of these photos.
Mar 16, 2019 23:01:00 #
Mar 16, 2019 23:54:34 #
Very nice!!!! Glad Ted got a pit stop!! Hugs to Ted and Leaf!!!
Mar 17, 2019 00:28:39 #
SWFeral
Loc: SWNM
luvmypets wrote:
Very nice!!!! Glad Ted got a pit stop!! Hugs to Ted and Leaf!!!
Very astute, luvmypets, for remembering my other pet, or at least the one I talk about. And I'm glad you liked these photos. Though Leaf prefers the other dog, the mountain-lion-following Chongo, she does love Ted's long brushy tail, and wrestles with it even as he gives her his "I...can't...believe...you're...attempting...this" look.
Mar 17, 2019 04:37:37 #
Mar 17, 2019 06:51:07 #
Mar 17, 2019 07:49:53 #
I cannot imagine being on that road in that weather!! I've gone up there many times and love your area, in the summer! Thanks for the story to go along with the photos. We had a good laugh this morning, and I know you are definitely NOT exaggerating.
Mar 17, 2019 08:02:08 #
Mar 17, 2019 08:12:36 #
Mar 17, 2019 08:22:21 #
Mar 17, 2019 08:22:39 #
Mar 17, 2019 08:39:37 #
GreyOwl40
Loc: Quebec City
SWFeral, A excellent set of photos and quite the experience, one that you will remember for some time.
Mar 17, 2019 09:22:46 #
I admire you for getting out with your camera. Nice shots!!! The wind was so bad here that I didn't dare even open the door. Trees down, cars stuck - lots of fun with this last storm!!!!!!!
Mar 17, 2019 10:28:03 #
State Road 4, from the 'back gate' of the National Lab was closed all the way to Jemez Springs. They had something like 20-50 (!) downed trees and snow drifts of 12-20' reported. I wasn't there so I don't know. The road was cleared the next day or day after. Those people who live in Jemez Springs had to go south (I think) to state road 44 (or 55) then east towards Rio Rancho then pick up Interstate 25 to Santa Fe and finally head north and west to Los Alamos. I suspect most took a snow day and the Lab was okay with that.
Mar 17, 2019 11:44:37 #
Beautiful set. Is Ted walking on all four legs now? Here, we had a little snow and a hellacious wind .
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