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Tag Archives: Methow Valley

The Sledding Hill is Open!

I like to wait til there is deep soft pillowy snow before I try sledding. Right now the snow still has a crust on it but new snow is falling so it could be nice soon. That didn’t stop Ken from giving it a try. He just got a new plastic sled to replace the one that burned up in the fire so it was time to give it a spin. He said it was very fast and it certainly did take him almost to the edge. That’s why I like the deep soft pillowy and slow snow!

Getting ready
Sky says – Hey whacha doin?
Hey, where’d he go?
I can catch him!
See that edge there? If he goes over that, there is a state highway at the bottom of the very steep hill.
Luna says – well that was fun.
What goes down has to come up.
We can wait here Luna
Oh look, Sky found a stick.
Weren’t we going to put in a tow rope?
How much fun is this?
Hey Luna, look at the cool stick I found.
Again?
Catching air.
I wonder if she should be running with sticks?
To the edge.
Sometimes you have to fall out of it to get it to stop.
The hardest part.

Winter at Home

Christmas is done; it’s almost New Year’s; the Solstice is passed and the days are getting longer. It’s snowing this morning. The sled run is ready to go. Here are a few images from yesterday morning.

Sunrise on Isabella Ridge.
Morning dog walk
Goat Peak and the North Cascades
I wonder if I will like the dead trees better when the red needles are gone?
Our steep icy driveway
My, what a big nose you have, Sky.
Luna just doesn’t like to look at the camera.
Maybe if I have a cookie
My bromliad has four blooms coming on.
Morning

Realities

I just looked back at some of my summer posts from before the fires started. Hikes, wildflowers, fun with friends and dogs, celebrations, camping with my husband. I am lucky to have such a good life. After the fire my life will gone on as before but with a greater awareness of the dangers of wildfires.

For others, that is not the case. Authorities are now saying that 300 homes were lost. 300 families displaced. There was already a lack of family homes in this valley. Where do these people go? Will they stay? Do they have friends and families to take them in til new arrangements can be made? It’s a tragedy.

In addition to homes for people, homes for wildlife have been destroyed. Most of the mule deer winter range burned. Where will they turn? The berry crop was destroyed. What will the bears eat? Where will the birds build nests next summer? How many animals could not outrun the fire?

Yesterday I drove to Chelan with MA and even though we’d seen countless images of the destruction, we were both taken aback by the scenes along the way.

3 ribbons meant level 3 evacuation.
Fire fighters remove hazard trees from near the highway
An old storage building next to the highway
Camping memories
Utah firefighters watch for flare ups near the mouth of the Methow River
The litter burned
So hot it cracked
The fire burned around this Native American graveyard near the mouth of the Methow
Prickly pear cacti
Some homes survived and others did not
Pateros
A neighborhood burned except for this pool
No apples to pick this year
Ash covers the ground like snow

 

Relief

Today power was restored to much of the valley and most communications are back in service as well. It’s a big relief to those of us that have not suffered losses from the wildfires. Our dogs have been out of sorts with the lack of a regular schedule, lots of noise from generators and helicopters and also from the anxiety that their people have carried around for the last ten days. I took our dogs to the lake for a rousing round of fetch and Sky was beyond happy. Luna liked it too but she doesn’t share Sky’s enthusiasm. Few do.

Jump
Swim
Shake
You are going to throw this again, aren’t you?
What do you mean we have to go now?

Fire Season in the Methow Valley

Around here, we worry about wild fires. These fears have been confirmed this week. On Monday a small lightning storm went through north central Washington leaving behind small fires in the tinder dry grass and ponderosa pines. One fire quickly flared, south of here in Texas Creek causing mandatory evacuations. It grew quickly and yesterday it crossed the highway and the Methow River at the bottom of Libby Creek. As I understand, it is now burning south towards Gold Creek.

Another fire, directly across the valley from our house, burned slowly. It was named Cougar Flats for the area where it started. Tuesday afternoon the wind picked up and it grew quickly on state and federal land. Yesterday it grew by leaps and bounds and last night it made a run south towards homes and farms. More evacuations this morning.

Here are some photos I made last night from my porch. I think the glowing horizon is the timber in Pipestone Canyon.

Here is another small fire that so far, has not attracted much attention. It is located up valley from the Cougar Flats Fire.

As of this time, we are in no immediate danger. I worry about those that are.