Snow - Memories & Anticipation

Snow is lying in the Cairngorms, maybe down to around 900 metres. I could see it glistening below the ragged edges of the clouds as I drove north to Inverness to give a talk on my Wind Rivers ski tour of last April to the Inverness Nordic Ski Club. Earlier, while selecting images for the talk I reflected on the last snow season and how marvellous it had been with heavy snow in Strathspey in February that enabled me to ski from my front door and camp on a nearby hill (see A Camp In The Snow, February 10 2009) as well as ski and snow shoe in the local woods and high in the Cairngorms. Then there had been the spring finale in the wilderness of the Wind River Range, living in igloos and skiing through the vast forests and rolling foothills with the alpine peaks rising on the horizon. What a joyous time it had been. Recently though it has felt very different. The wet but mild weather of this autumn with low clouds shrouding the hills, sodden ground and a general greyness to the landscape has not been very inspiring and I have not felt any excitement or desire to go up into the mountains. The magic of the Brocken Spectre on Schiehallion (see post for November 15) was wonderful but that came on the summit and I’d had no feeling of anticipation when I set out. But seeing the snow has kindled a spark. The hills have changed, the winter has begun. And more snow is forecast. Of course this snow will melt and the hills could be bare again in a week or two but just the sight of it has been enough to have me thinking of the first winter trip and wondering whether there will be enough for skiing or whether it will be a walk with ice axe and crampons.

Photo info: Peaks around Titcomb Basin in the Wind River Range, Wyoming. Canon EOS 450D, Canon EF-S 55-250 IS lens @ 194mm, 1/1600 @ f8, ISO 100, raw file converted to JPEG in Lightroom 2.5