First Snow!

[DAVES_BUICKS]

OK.  First snow in Goodrich (near Flint) today.  Time to get the winter Buick out!

[old-tank]

South Texas beat you by 2 days on the first snow.?

You can have it...we don'need or want it.

[NC-car-guy]

Been snowing 2 days straight here.   Too warm to stick though...

[Bhigdog]

About 3" of new snow here. A lot of people hate it. I love it. I love the adversity of it. Getting up on the porch roof to shovel off 24" drifts is a blast. Putting on my Carharts and firing up the tractor to plow the driveway is a Joy . Watching the dogs cavort in the snow is a blessing. Coping with nature and coming into a house warmed by a wood stove fired with wood you've cut your self is just plain life affirming. Am I a sick puppy? I think not..............................Bob

[rivgs]

Old-Tank,  You have had more snow than Minneapolis/ St. Paul Minnesota. And people say we're the frozen tundra.

[retirednow]

1 hour ago, wndsofchng06 said:

Been snowing 2 days straight here.   Too warm to stick though...

If it doesn’t stick, it ain’t snow. And if there’s no salt on the road, it REALLY ain’t snow?

[RivNut]

1 hour ago, Bhigdog said:

About 3" of new snow here. A lot of people hate it. I love it. I love the adversity of it. Getting up on the porch roof to shovel off 24" drifts is a blast. Putting on my Carharts and firing up the tractor to plow the driveway is a Joy . Watching the dogs cavort in the snow is a blessing. Coping with nature and coming into a house warmed by a wood stove fired with wood you've cut your self is just plain life affirming. Am I a sick puppy? I think not..............................Bob

[C Carl]

This is what a day after first light dusting looks like out at the ranch. First wide angle , next intermediate , then in true perspective. Next tiny town is about 30 miles on. By and by after that , you get to my neighbor , Bloo on the forum here. Central Washington , here at 2760'. The road you see snaking along Reecer Creek to the right , takes you up top , about a dozen miles to around 6500'. My driveway is 900' or so , and when it REALLY snows , yes , you do need a very substantial snow shovel. My house is the last house on Reecer Creek Road. Tracked vehicles only allowed past my place in snow conditions. Sounds like an invitation , or a challenge to me. I am not the only one.   - Carl 

 

[Larry Schramm]

Out moving vehicles around to work on them yesterday.  Also first day the snow stayed on the ground.

[g-g-g0]

11 hours ago, C Carl said:

This is what a day after first light dusting looks like out at the ranch. First wide angle , next intermediate , then in true perspective. Next tiny town is about 30 miles on. By and by after that , you get to my neighbor , Bloo on the forum here. Central Washington , here at 2760'. The road you see snaking along Reecer Creek to the right , takes you up top , about a dozen miles to around 6500'. My driveway is 900' or so , and when it REALLY snows , yes , you do need a very substantial snow shovel. My house is the last house on Reecer Creek Road. Tracked vehicles only allowed past my place in snow conditions. Sounds like an invitation , or a challenge to me. I am not the only one.   - Carl 

 

 

 

Absolutely beautifu!!

[C Carl]

Thanks , g-g-gO ! Yeah , sometimes in certain cloud , wind , and lighting conditions , you lay down the tools and watch. The view into my "Front yard" encompasses over 180 degrees in which nothing made by the hands of man can be seen. Uh , well , actually my 45' Great Dane is temporarily parked out in the distance by my high gate. And I guess MY is accurate for the , maybe , 5 or 600 sq. mi. plateau you see the approach to here. Actually , mine , yours , all of ours. National Forrest. OUR land. Anyone can come and play ! Large elk herds , (I've seen over 200 on my property). They and the cows ignore each other , while the horses seem to fascinate , and get respect from elk. Large lion population eat elk. Me too ! Big cat does visit us on rare occasions. In fact  , the top , above me is called "Lion Rock".   - Carl

[Thriller]

I guess we drove by pretty close in 2007 on our way to Bellevue. At that point we were riding in convoy we got into in CdA, Idaho. 

 

[C Carl]

Yes  Derek , most likely , via Bellevue you were on I-90. Although there are no signs directing you to Lion Rock , you would have seen the plateau to the North around Ellensburg. E'burg is the same distance to the South of me , as Lion Rock is to the North of me. About a dozen miles. If you were taking U.S. 2 through Wenatchee , the plateau is to the South. It separates Kittitas Valley from Wenatchee Valley. It goes up to maybe 7300' or so at the Mission Ridge ski area. That is Bloo's yard ! Hmmm............ , that gives me an idea : let's go for a ride ! In an "antique" Subaru !  - Carl

[Bloo]

23 minutes ago, C Carl said:

That is Bloo's yard ! Hmmm............ , that gives me an idea : let's go for a ride ! In an "antique" Subaru !  - Carl

 

HA! If you mean over the top, its gonna take more than a Subaru. Maybe one of those tracked vehicles of yours?

[JohnD1956]

53 minutes ago, C Carl said:

Yes  Derek , most likely , via Bellevue you were on I-90. Although there are no signs directing you to Lion Rock , you would have seen the plateau to the North around Ellensburg. E'burg is the same distance to the South of me , as Lion Rock is to the North of me. About a dozen miles. If you were taking U.S. 2 through Wenatchee , the plateau is to the South. It separates Kittitas Valley from Wenatchee Valley. It goes up to maybe 7300' or so at the Mission Ridge ski area. That is Bloo's yard ! Hmmm............ , that gives me an idea : let's go for a ride ! In an "antique" Subaru !  - Carl

 

Oh man, you are really out in the country!  Gorgeous topography!  Looks like an independent lifestyle.  When you say ranching, may I presume the main business is livestock? 

[C Carl]

Say WHAT , Bloo ? Naw , man ! I said this was an "ANTIQUE" Subaru. A REAL 4WD Sub'. '89 GL. 5 speed. A high/low transfer case. FWD/4WD. Believe me , these are some of the best cars ever engineered. It is the very best over the pass vehicle I have ever had. You know how Snoqualmie Pass can be. Total Parkin' lot. But not for the Sub' and me. Low range , using the chain up shoulder , up and down over the plowed berms. Almost like Chuck Berry's "Airmobile" :  "I let out my wings , I blowed my horn ; said : bye , bye New Jersey , I become airborn !" You know : "You can't catch me ............... " , etc. Anyway , first pic is early October , first Fall colors , you KNOW the first come and go snow has already happened up top. But by early Nov. , you see the very first dusting of snow on the first rise , over Reecer Canyon. Week or two later , the pasture gets it. Subaru up at lion Rock was 2days before the 3rd pic was taken. At that point the pasture was in snow. Still legal to drive wheeled vehicles beyond my high gate , you can still play by the rules. When the pasture gets snow , at the top , you will have the first layer of the 6 or 7 month snowpack in a good year. I know you know what a good year is like ! Let me post this , and then I'll give us a peek at the view. Stand by ,     - Carl

 

[Bloo]

I didn't think you meant the highway Carl, I thought you meant OVER Mission Ridge, via Clockum pass or perhaps one of the other roads that goes a little closer to you. AFAIK the last road improvements up there were done in the 1800s for stagecoaches. It hasn't been maintained much since. In the winter you pretty much need a snow cat (or a snowmobile).

 

[C Carl]

Hi JohnD1956 ! Yes , livestock in the valley below , irrigated pasture at around 1500' to 1600'. Some of the finest Timothy , exported ALL around the world. China , Arabia , Japan , etc. The pasture you see in the pics is leased out for Spring grazing. That is around 3000' elev. and no irrigation here. In fact , you can't even punch wells up here anymore. I have a 10 gal/minute well 480' feet deep through a lot of rock. I am allowed to pump as much water as I want at 3 gal/minute ! Minimum lot size up here is 20 acres. Most of us have at least 50. My little mini ranch is the center 50 of 3 contiguous 50s all fenced together. 150 acres makes for happy animals. Most I've ever grazed at one time is 4 cows and 6 horses. One happy horse is now host to a somewhat small (25 or so ?) resident elk herd , and some deer in the heavy brush , and the walnut grove on my 50. The watering hole is also on my 50 , so it makes for contented sharing with deer and elk. Ellensburg is the county seat down in the valley. About 17,000 residents , including the students at Central Washington University. CWU is famous for the breakthrough inter-specific communication by means of sign language with Chimps. A large selection of cultural events , Jazz Festival , Art Festival , etc. , and of course the famous Ellensburg Rodeo. Very fine , friendly , mostly very traditional , hard working community. I learned to drive in the wide open spaces along Old U.S. 10 East  of , West of , and through  Ellensburg before the Interstate was built.  Thanks for asking ! Let's step out of the Subaru and see what the first permanent snowfall looks like while we can still get all the way up and down on wheels. A bit of the panorama , and then let's head back down , and take a look at a section of the road , (a smooth section of the "highway" Bloo refers to) , almost bare for the moment , but not for long. Finally , we will take a look back down to the dry valley below. This plateau makes its own weather.   - Carl 

 

P.S. : Let's see if we get enough snow to get on the snowmobiles. Let's go on a bright sunny day so we can REALLY see the VIEW !  - CC

 

 

 

 

[C Carl]

Wait a minute , Bloo. Re-reading this : did we misunderstand each other ? I see I mentioned Snoqualmie Pass. No , the Sub' is not off the highway at the pass. This is at the Table Mountain summit , at Lion Rock. The last 1/4 mile or so is at least as tough as the worst part of Colockum Pass. By the way , I have taken my Off-Road '71 Eldo droptop over Colockum Pass , likewise Lion Rock. No stocker could possibly do that without significant damage , if at all. No , how you get there is : take F.S. 3500 , which is what Reecer Creek Road becomes at my place. You go up about 11 miles to the crossroads , to the right Haney Meadows , left to Lion Rock. Or go straight ahead , and a pretty rough road will take you down to Blewett Pass. We might have talked about this , now I seem to think you might have mentioned that you have not been up there ? I have a feeling that after our upcoming "snowmobile trip" here on the forum , that after you look at the panorama I will show you , you will plan a trip.  - Carl

 

P.S. : here is a preview , the Sub' was at this spot , now inaccessible to all but the most able of monster snow trucks. A little later in the Winter , even they would fall short. 

Edited December 11, 2017 by C Carl
Add preview (see edit history)

[Beemon]

C Carl, if you ever need to thin that Elk herd, do feel free to let me know.

[C Carl]

It is actually legal to drop 'em on a part of my property at certain times under certain conditions.  - CC

[Bloo]

I wondered why you mentioned Snoqualmie, but figured you meant Blewett. All routes I am aware of over the top (Clockum etc.) often have snowdrifts several feet deep across the road all winter. Your side melts first. There are a couple of radio sites up on top, and I have heard of years when a helicopter was required. The radio buildings have doors on the second floor....

 

Great pictures!

Edited December 11, 2017 by Bloo (see edit history)

[C Carl]

Oh , and hey Buick guys and gals : I am FINALLY able to go load up the '30 Buick coupe and get it over the mountains due to the huge break in the weather here. Since my snow pics have provoked so much follow on , here on a Buick forum , I fully intend to make amends by getting a pic of the new addition in the snow. If all the non-Buick content I have generated is misplaced here , please have it transferred to general. It really has mushroomed , but it has been great fun cruising with you all !    - No one has named me Bubba Buick yet. 

[C Carl]

SPOILER ALERT ! SPOILER ALERT ! If you have never been up to Lion Rock but intend to go , you might not want to spoil the surprise by looking at these mere and inadequate pics. SPOILER ALERT ! SPOILER ALERT !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well , it would not be polite to keep you waiting any longer. I wish I knew how to register this continuous panorama. In sequence then , from right to left , from the cliffs , through Mt Stuart to Mt. Rainier is about a 180 degree sweep. I would never show these pics to anyone who I intended to take up here. It is totally unexpected , and these take the surprise out of it to some degree. There is no clue whatsoever until you get right up to the very top. Maybe we can go up there together some time : 

 

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Dang, C, never a dull moment!    Outstanding!  

 

  Ben

[JohnD1956]

The word "awesome" comes to mind but it is inadequate to describe your pictures of that view! 

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

3 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

The word "awesome" comes to mind but it is inadequate to describe your pictures of that view! 

 

 Man, that is the truth.  

 

  Ben

[C Carl]

Thanks you so much , Ben , John , and you all who get a kick out of this. I didn't really expect so much follow on ! Kept me busy last night ! It is just so much a part of normality for me that I take it for granted. I have been up and down that road for over 30 years. Yes , the view is really an order of magnitude or two beyond what my cell phone camera can portray. The shock of taking a nice drive over the mountain and through the woods to finally see this after the slow , rough last 1/4 mile (most people walk , but us car guys don't need the exercise ? ) is truely overwhelming ! At that point you have to get out and look over the cliff , and then suddenly you see it all !!! It really drives home the scale of all this to look off to the North and see wilderness , TRUE wilderness stretching beyond what your eyes can see. Continuing pretty much line of sight takes you over the Canadian Coastal Range , the St. Elias Range (I could be wrong , but I think St. Elias is the highest coastal mountain range in the world. I am not sure , but it certainly was impressive from sea back when I worked on the towboats) , and then on and on through Alaska to around Prudhoe Bay on the Beaufort Sea. Flying over these areas is somewhat of a reality check. Even just the small part you see to the North in the pic , still in Washington State.

 

Especially for you Benjamin (Beemon) , is part of the bounty Dr. Bob reaped (yeah , he did get his Big' Sheep too) , when he won the rare triple crown lottery several years back. The guys honored me by basing out of my digs , and Doc' did his thing not far away. He is a thoracic surgeon , and he performed a bit of his corrective cardiac magic on that bull ! Bull got caped in front of the shop door , carcass swung from a chainfall dangling off one of the trusses within , and his soul rests in eternal peace in Ungulate Heaven. Tasted GOOD , too , as we all know !    -  Carl

 

 

[Beemon]

It really is a shame the season ends on the 15th and my last final at WSU is on the 14th. Dad's been really bummed because I haven't been up yet, so I have to dedicate a few days. He's down in Grays Harbor in the Wishkah valley (more like a ridge). No snow yet this year, but they're expecting some heavy fall here soon. We used to bow hunt the Taneum Ridge and around Liberty back before I was going to school, and before his buddy moved into the Wishkah area. Beautiful country up there. I used to have a picture of the Martian rock, too, but can't seem to find it now.

[jeff_a]

Great snow pics. You mentioned Ellenburg...home to Irish Death beer! worth buying a can just to read the description.

[dei]

Snow fall yesterday and today amounted to this.

However, tonight we are expecting 4-5 inches so went over to the garage to load up the snow blower which I had running two weeks ago. NO GO! Fired up and quit twice with the second time feeling like metal on metal....

 

Should be a killer keeping everybody happy by hand shovel! 

Edited December 12, 2017 by dei (see edit history)

[dei]

While technically our "2nd" snow fall in two days this year ending up with 10 inches of snow, my Craftsman snow blower sized up (still under investigation) and decided to pull the Special out enough to give me room to pull things apart on the blower.

 

 

Sad state of our world when an almost 60 year old engine which was stuck, was freed up,  now starts up with no complaints and a Briggs and Stratton 6 year old 9 hp snow blower engine with proper regular maintenance seizes up!