Summertime, and the livin' ain't easy (snow pics)

[DemoTex]

Nick woke me at about 2 AM barking to go out. I sent him down the lookout stairs solo. It was snowing lightly. He stayed out about ten minutes and then came up the stairs on his own. I was just getting ready to don my boots to go fetch him.

The butte had a dusting of snow overnight and the lookout rails and catwalk had about a quarter of inch.

It is about 10:45 AM now. The temperature is now up to 31-degrees and the visibility is zero in blowing snow and fog. It has been summer for 12 hours.

I've got 10 empty gallon jugs that need to go down to be refilled with wash water, but it is not going to happen until the sun is out and the wind is down. I plan on just sitting here in front of the heater with a cup of Mocha Sanani and read the news.


Less than 9 hours into summer in the Oregon wilderness.




You-know-who was the first down the lookout steps this morning.


This has been added to over the last couple of hours .. but I'm not booting up to go back out in it.

[BobRossi]

1. Sunny, about 80 here.

Kids are in the pool, dog is layin' by the AC duct.

[panader0]

2. 90's here

I used to live in Oregon. Salem, Eugene and Warm Springs. Where are you?

[DemoTex]

4. I'm in the Deschutes NF near China Hat (40 miles SE of Bend)

Living here until mid-October.

[panader0]

8. Your place reminds me of "Desolation Angels" by Kerouac

In Warm Springs I lived right on the Deschutes River, on the Reservation. I rented a huge old house from an old Indian man.
I built a dock and fished nearly every day. Very fond memories. I had a contract with the Forest Service as a tree thinner.

[DemoTex]

15. Kerouac was at Desolation Peak lookout .. staring at Hozomeen.

"Hozomeen, Hozomeen .. most beautiful mountain I ever seen." J. Kerouac


Hikers (or Dharma Bum pilgrims) at the lookout Kerouac staffed in the early 1950s: Desolation Peak.


Hozomeen

BTW: Kerouac was only on his lookout for about 60 days. Those high mountain lookouts (Washington, Idaho, etc) typically have a short season because of late snow melt and early September (or late August) snows, especially if the lookout requires packing into with mules (as Kerouac did). But Kerouac was up there full-time, with no breaks (IIRC).

Beat poet Gary Snyder (a friend of Kerouac) packed into Sourdough lookout for a short fire season (about 60 days). All he took for food, according to the mule team driver, was a large bag of rice and a gallon of soy sauce.

I will be up here for about 150 days. But I have off days when I can go into Bend for R&R and a bath. Plus this lookout is very well equipped, relative to most others. Although I am off-grid, I have solar-charged battery banks, a 2 KW generator, propane for heating, cooking, and refrigeration, and a road right up to the base of the lookout tower.

[TahitiNut]

24. Kerouac wasn't lucky enough to have Nick with him, either.

Life is ALWAYS better with a true friend by your side.

:hug:

[hlthe2b]

3. We're still having snow at night on the mountains beyond Denver

My friend that commutes from her home in nearby Gilpin County still has her studded snow tires on her audi....

Enjoy! Nice to be able to cozy up and watch the view.

[ChiciB1]

5. Temperature Only 94... BUT Humidity At 80% Plus & Walking Outside Is

almost like walking into a sauna! It's absolutely MISERABLE here! AC WON'T stop running & it's set on 80 degrees! My dogs will only go outside for that "special" time and are BORED to death!

I keep finding places to plug up in the house to keep HEAT OUT and tomorrow I have to work at the Humane Society so I can get my dog neutered for a reduced fee!!

C'mon down.... GLOBAL WARMING working extremely well here!!!

[emilyg]

6. High 90's here. Send us snow.

[ananda]

10. 91 here in Austin.

Snow.. gosh, what's that?

;-))

[ChiciB1]

11. Used To Live Very Close To Austin... Temps Are High This Time Of Year AND

I used to think it was unsufferable... that is UNTIL I MOVED TO FLORIDA!! Not quite summer, very soon though and I don't think I've ever seen it so hot so soon!

Really, really worried about HURRICANE SEASON!! The waters are warming up quickly and I live about a mile from the Gulf!!

My sister lives in Cedar Park and was just here last week and didn't want to go outside either! No Disney Land THIS YEAR!!

[barbtries]

7. i think summer started here in NC

at about 98 yesterday. supposed to get to 93 today. i almost envy you because i can't acclimate to the humidity in this hell.

[ChiciB1]

12. Well With The Humidity The Boogie Man Can't Catch You... Skin Is Too

slippery! Rivulets of sweat running out of every pore of your body!

[drmeow]

9. We've had the longest stretch of days

in June UNDER 100 degrees since 1913 - but that should end today.

In May we broke the record for the longest run of days OVER 100 for that month.

Global warming = weird, unusual, extreme, and f**ked-up weather everywhere. Whether we like it (under 100 in June, yeah!) or don't like it (over 100 in May, boo!), its not good.

[Canuckistanian]

13. Is that common in Oregon?

I see that your elevation is near 6000 ft on your butte, is that why there's snow?

[DemoTex]

16. It is not common this late in June.

The eastern side of the Cascades has been unseasonably cold and wet for weeks. This morning's snow was from a low pressure system aloft that is moving across the region today, pumping in cold wet maritime air.

I am at 6400 feet. The lookout that is 20 miles to my southwest is at 5500 feet. He had no snow there. My guess is that there was no snow below about 6300 feet.

[The Gunslinger]

14. It's almost 100 in N.C. right now..................That looks nice.

[winyanstaz]

17. Although I sometimes go back to visit family and friends...

one of the reasons I have not missed living in Wyoming is that it often snowed on the fourth of July in the Bighorn Mountains.
I prefer it here in the PNW as it rains far more than it snows and I like the rain and the forests here.

[DemoTex]

18. Remember, most of my dispatches from the wilderness are in my DU Journal

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/DemoTex

[Ezlivin]

19. Looks like that here in Texas, too!

In my freezer, because I just got through mowing the lawn in 99° (111° heat index) heat.

That snow sure looks refreshing when you're wringing sweat out of your clothing!

[KoKo]

20. Awesome...Nick's pawprints down those steps.....

Glad he made it back up.

Sweltering Carolinas. Down at Hilton Head...had us at 105 with heat index. Vacation... We spent early morning late afternoon at beach when we could deal.

Cats were locked up. No screened porch or way for them to do what they do at home. Pissed off cats...bad place for rental with no screened porch.

They could empathize with Nick.. Do you ever get "that look?"

[seabeyond]

21. i think it went over a 100 last couple days here in amarillo, tx. was in a cool, rainy cape cod and

came back to .... this. yuk. melted my fudge i was bringing back. hubby forgot to get ice the last day drive.

i like yours better.

[havocmom]

22. Send it my way. We are gonna push 90 tomorrow and no air at work

We got hit with one whomping big thunder storm Saturday night, just after I read your post about cool weather hitting you to make summer.

Can't even remember how many July 4ths I spent in my survival parka when I lived in the mountains. But, you will probably have nicer weather.

Stay snug. Have some tea.

[kevinbgoode]

23. I just love these pictures. . .and look for your posts each time

I come here...:-).

That looks like quite a climb up those steps to get to the tower...does Nick enjoy the view and does he bark at critters from the top?

[Mind_your_head]

25. Love those pics of the pawprints (dawg) being first down the stairs!

:rofl:

:hug: