Way to Go Ash

Did a quick drive through at the HITWRA this afternoon. Things are looking great. I cannot believe the affect that volcanic ash has on snow. After being gone for eight days, 70% of the snowfall we had is now gone. Bronco Lane is clear and down to bare ground, looking more like asphalt due to the ash. As fast as the stock pile of snow that I had been storing in Messican Lane has been melting due to the ash, it now appears we will be out of snow by early May. The stock piles have diminished greatly.

Going to need several good rains before I cut the stock piled wood supply, unless I can borrow a chain saw from the Beaver, Wolf, or Moose Clan. I am not going to use my good saw to cut the wood as it sits right now. The ground surrounding the favorite resting area of the Snow Leopard is once again bare, however, the fish head attractant is still hanging from the branch. For some reason, it has not been eaten by wild critters.

Thanks to Mt. Redoubt, our spring flooding should not be the problem that it has been in the past. Although the slopes are still covered with snow pack, it is only a few inches deep. The Anchor River has water flowing on top of the ice, previous ice jams and new ice is still holding firm, currently it is at flood stage and I would expect to see some major flooding as spring comes on.

Perhaps there is a lesson to learn here. If we clean the fire pit, stock pile the ashes in a dry location come next spring we could have a ash spreading party and sprinkle ash over the accumulated snow in the event we do not have a volcanic eruption next year. This is going to be an easy break-up.