Mountains Covered in White

Snow has finally arrived! Since last posting last week, we have had a week of snowflakes falling in our mountains.

Some places like our beloved fire lookout tower on Tahquitz Peak,8,896 feet, got more snow than others.

Northern Flicker

Mountain Chickadee

Mountain Quail

Western Grey Squirrel

Our backyard is definitely one of the "hotspots" in town with the natives.

For me, hiking on a trail or road with little or no tracks is the best! On this day, I was able to follow in the tracks of a snowshoer and a snowboarder until I reached the top when I created my own path in the snow.

Once I reached the top of this road, I quickly realized how cold it must have been up here while I was staying warm by our wood-burning stove.

Ice covered branches replaced snow on the manzanitas, oaks and pine trees. On some of the trees, the ice is sculpted sideways. Imagine the wind and freezing precipitation. Brrr...

The only birds I saw in this frozen landscape were the tough Mountain Chickadees and the Western Bluebirds.

Although it is much more difficult getting around and keeping warm on these snowy days, we aren't complaining one bit! Our forest and creeks are filling up with much needed replenishing water.

Edit: I do have one teeny, weeny complaint after waking up this morning...frozen pipes and no water...reminds me of one of my very first posts when a burst pipe created a waterfall and I tried boiling snow for water. Definitely wasn't one of my better ideas.

Click on photos to enlarge.
Photos and content by Robin Roberts.