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lithicbeads
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« on: May 03, 2012, 07:37:38 pm » |
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I have a link here to a Washington State Department of Transportation site dedicated to reporting on the clearing of the North Cascades highway. This is a big deal here as it makes life easier for people in certain parts of the state and opens up a huge amount of recreation including some amazing crystal collecting. right now the snow depth at Rainy Pass is 99 inches, lower than normal. We will snowshoe into an alpine lake ( on a paved but not cleared wheel chair path ) as soon as the road opens and post pictures. Later in the year we will go on a trip to an alpine collecting area and post field trip pictures. When the 99 inches of snow has melted we can try to drive over the unplowed pass, in another area, to my jade collecting area. Last year that was July 17. To collect crystals which lie about 2,000 feet above Rainy Pass we will have to wait until August usually for the snow to melt and the first good snow of 6 inches or more is usually the first week of september but that usually melts again. A short window for collecting . Hope you enjoy the pictures. http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157629681048559/ |
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Alvin
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« Reply #1 on: May 03, 2012, 07:57:26 pm » |
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talk about a hard place to get rocks. You give new meaning to rock hounding.
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drocknut
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« Reply #2 on: May 03, 2012, 08:32:32 pm » |
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Very cool. Thanks for sharing the link. In this neck of the woods we keep up on the Going to the Sun road in Glacier National Park. It's usually open by June. Unfortunately there aren't any good rockhounding locations there plus collecting is forbidden since it's a National Park. http://www.flickr.com/photos/glaciernps Here's some pictures of that area. |
Happiness is a box of rocks!
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lithicbeads
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« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2012, 08:38:07 pm » |
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Try the Beartooth highway, a lot of it is outside Yellowstone and there are amazing pegmatites near the road. Also the best place in america for a late august snowball fight.
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ScarlettoSara
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« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2012, 08:39:07 pm » |
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NO NO NO I cant even look at snow without cringing.
No snow, no snow...
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"I tramp a perpetual journey.”
― Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
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mirkaba
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« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2012, 11:43:00 pm » |
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Yeah...well its been snowing off and on here for the last 4 days :(
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Bob
Gathering dust in Montana.
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lithicbeads
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« Reply #6 on: May 04, 2012, 06:42:13 am » |
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If our weather here on the coast is any indication of what you are going to get watch out. Immense amounts of non-stop rain here . Not conducive to collecting at all or gardening.
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Fullerton
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« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2012, 06:47:26 am » |
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Just can't imagine that much snow. I feel cold when it's below 20 degrees (68F) here in northern Australia.
Can't wait to see the rock hounding images when you get access!
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drocknut
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« Reply #8 on: May 04, 2012, 07:39:05 pm » |
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Bob, we had some snow spit on us while working south of Missoula the other day but mostly rain which definitely puts a damper on work.
Fullerton, I'm sure you will see some great pics once people can get into the rock areas that are snowed in right now.
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Happiness is a box of rocks!
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lithicbeads
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« Reply #9 on: May 04, 2012, 09:18:51 pm » |
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Hi , I thought some of you might enjoy this link.A flashback from 30 years ago . We skied the highway with friends. Thats my wife and I in the first picture. For you down under folks 40 degrees below zero centigrade and 40 degrees degrees below fahrenheit are the same temperature, very cold. Our first night was 30 below f. As the folks on here from Montana and Idaho know 30 below gets your attention. Amazingly diverse world we have. Frank http://www.alpenglow.org/skiing/nc-highway-1978/index.html |
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Fullerton
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A great read ... thankyou. Still can't imagine that much snow though!
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mirkaba
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Snow drives me to........Well I want to be a snowbird.....I cannot usually drive up to the mine until the end of June. A friend snowmobiled up to it in February and says there was 15 feet of snow there! The most I have ever seen is 12-13 ft. This time of year I can get above the snowline and hike in (probably next week). Its odd but the mountainside clears off before the canyon and gulches. Looks like our club has a field trip out to the Dead Top Agate area weekend after next. Got to go on this none. After all these years I still do not have any Dead Top Agate!!!
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Bob
Gathering dust in Montana.
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lithicbeads
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The pass to my jade spot is directly north of the summit of a peak so my frustration is like yours , I look up with binoculars at the pass and wait for the white to go away. Think warm.
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Droseraguy
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Wow, that is some awesome country, cold is not a good term to describe the feeling though. Illinois is cold. I know the freezer room at work is -22 F and that you can only take for so long with only a freezer coat. -40 must be infinately more unpleasant. Good Grief !!
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Chris & Irma
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Bentiron
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That looks cold! My youngest son, 23, was looking at these pictures with me and wanted to know why would anyone want to live there with all that snow? I told him they wonder the same thing about us with all this sunshine, only difference is I don't have to use a D-8 to move sunshine.
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