New Year’s Day Snowstorm

Wraptitude—home of the best espresso on The Mountain, and the Five-Star “Logger” breakfast burrito

The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows. —George William Curtis, American writer and public speaker (1824-1892)

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What better way to wake up on New Year’s Day than to a fresh blanket of snow. They said it was coming a week ago snow backed by Arctic air that will be staying with us for a while. The snow started falling in the early morning hours, and it snowed all day. This is the first snowstorm of 2017, and it is our fourth snowstorm in four weeks, unusual for the Cascade foothills. With lingering cold temperatures, we still had snow on the ground from the previous storms, a foot deep in places.

To start the New Year, we went to our favorite coffeehouse “Wraptitude” for some takeout, which included espresso, and the five-star, “Logger” breakfast burrito. After breakfast, and after cleaning bits of burned paper from the microwave (Chris, forgot that the burritos were wrapped in foil-lined paper) we walked to the Sandy River. Heavy snow was falling almost straight down, and the temperature was a balmy 33° F. Dressed in proper layers from head to toe, we were as warm as toast.

New Year’s Day snow along the Sandy River

Young fir and cedar forest

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) aka kinnikinnick

Solitude

Snow-covered willows

Every twig and stone outlined in white

We could hear the river before we could see it. A mellow swoosh, muffled by winter white. In the woods, along the path, our tracks were the only tracks in the snow. We spent the rest of the morning along the river enjoying the peaceful scene of falling snow that gathered on every rock and twig. It was like being inside a snow globe, and it was beautiful.

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Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous 2017!

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