Ever seen a blizzard in slow motion?

As a kid growing up in Colorado, I remember March being the time for big snowstorms, huge overnight dumps that would shut down the town, cancel school, and result in a free day to spend outside making snowmen and generally goofing off.  This winter, while not terrible, has definitely been below average for snow.  While I don’t really have a need to make a snowman anymore, goofing off is all I do most days and I was beginning to wonder if the March snows I remember from childhood were still a thing.  

The weather service had been predicting a major storm for days but the forecast kept slipping… snow starting Friday, then starting Saturday, come on is it going to snow or what?!  Finally, Saturday night the clouds rolled in and by dinner things started cranking.  We woke up Sunday morning to six inches on the ground and snow still coming down.  Seemed like a perfect day for a fat bike ride on the local trails.

Our driveway.

I didn’t see another soul on the trails, only one set of tracks from an early morning hiker.  For most of the ride my tires were the first tracks.  Riding in the woods with the snow still falling heavy and silent and was downright magical.

It snowed pretty much all day Sunday.   By Monday morning we were greeted with mostly sunny skies and eight inches in Salida.  

Monarch was reporting 18” overnight with 6” from the previous day for a solid two feet of fresh.  Let’s go to the mountains!

We got up to Monarch just before the lifts start spinning at 9:00 and the parking lot was already full.  On a Monday.  Does anyone work around here?  

Turns out it was spring break and everyone and their kids had the same idea we did.  We have been limiting ourselves to weekday skiing this season partly for COVID safety and partly to keep me from losing my shit waiting in a cattle chute line with hundreds of other people.  But snow days like this don’t come along often so we were going to have to tough it out.  The snow made it all worthwhile.

Not a single empty chair on the Garfield lift.

Deep powder in the trees.

Anyone seen my skis?

It was cloudy and snowing lightly most of the day. Hey, to have good snow you have to have crappy weather! But the sun broke through briefly a couple of times and it was beautiful.

Two days, two different ways to enjoy the fresh powder.  Man, I freakin’ love our new home!