Winter in the Valley

On Friday it was too cold to entice me out on snowshoes or skiis, but bright and sunny, so I headed out for a photography drive, still seeking more blog pix for this time of year.  I got lots, and the drive reminded me of a lot of things that characterize winter around here, besides just lots of snow!

In a few spots as I drove along I got beautiful views of the valley - on a beautiful day too!  When we've had as much snow as recently, the plows come along later and push the snowbanks back further like this, to prepare for the next storm!

At least we have lots of pretty snow.  When it starts as rain and changes to snow and keeps on snowing, like last week, it tends to stick to all the trees like this.

As you drive around, the roads themselves are what you become most familiar with.  They cut across the valley in an arbitrary pattern imposed on the landscape 150 years ago.

And down in the bottom of the valley of course is the Beaver River, this shot in the middle of a part we canoe in the summer.

And along with the river come the bridges.  This is a brand new one, built elsewhere and lifted into place, to replace one damaged by flooding 2 or 3 years ago.

We totally depend on the snowplows to keep the roads open for us in the winter, this one a road grader with its wing blade out to the left.  I saw this one parked at the top of a long hill I was driving up, diddling and dawdling and taking pictures.

As soon as I passed it swung out its wing blade and headed down the hill, occupying almost the entire road.  It had just been waiting for me to get out of the way!  It can plow at least 15 feet wide at once.

But the valley also attracts those who like winter, like skiers at the Beaver Valley Ski Club.  Can you pick out a few skiers on the slopes?  All those trees dividing the runs were planted by club volunteers about 40 years ago.

For others, it's snowmobiles that come out once winter is here.  I see their tracks more often than the machines themselves.

But if I pass the local restaurant near lunchtime I can be sure of seeing a few machines - on the weekends there might be 20 or 30 of them!

Today it was sunny again, but quite windy, and the little drifts started creeping out from the snowbanks.  They get a few feet onto the road and they grab your tires as you pass through them.  You have to adjust your driving quite a bit here in the winter, and everyone gets snowtires.

In places where the snowbanks build up (many of them now over 6 feet high), if there's a wind, visibility gets to be a serious problem!  And this example is quite mild, 'cause if it was much worse I wouldn't be out there taking pictures!

Of course there's always the General Store in Kimberley where I can stop for coffee on the way home!  Having some eye surgery tomorrow; I will return on Wed.

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