Chinook Winds

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Monday, March 3, 2014

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Summer Garden Pictures

I caught this guy eating apples. I had a bumper crop this year.

I had so much fun taking photos of these carrots that went to seed.

More Carrot photos

Who knew carrots could be so photogenic

The new Hens

These Lavender Orpingtons have gotten huge

She so would like to be boss!

Scalplook lookout

The yellow is from the Tamarack trees, one word beautiful!

Scalplock lookout was the destination on October 26 it was a perfect day. When we started the day it was 32, but by the time we reached the lookout it was a balmy 60 degrees. Then on Sunday it snowed and was in the 20s only in Montana.

The First Day of Fall


On the first day of fall, September 22, a group of five of us hiked to Mt. Brown Lookout. What an amazing way to spend the first day of fall.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Summer Hikes

This was taken while hiking East Butte in the Sweet Grass Hills

This was taken while hiking the Highline trail in Glacier Park

This was taken that day too

Heading back from Huckleberry Lookout in Glacier Park

Indian Paint brush

Old Sun Glacier took this when we hiked Red Gap Pass

Ptarmigan Tunnel from the back side. We entered this way on our loop doing Red Gap Pass

Playing with my new camera

What are Chinook Winds?

Chinook winds blow in from the Pacific in late winter and early spring. Their moisture evaporates as they pass over the Rocky Mountains. Once the winds come down from the mountains onto the high plains, the air can be quite mild and extremely dry. When a Chinook takes effect local temperatures can warm up from as low as 5 degrees below zero to 60 or 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The air is so dry that when it hits snow, it sucks up the moisture, changing the snow directly into water vapor, bypassing the liquid phase that slushy phase-- entirely. Called sublimation, this is a common way for snow to disappear quickly in arid climates.
As you may guess these changes in temperature, little snow cover, but bitter cold temps make it hard for things to make it through the winter. We hope to have a 90 day growing season and 12 inches of perspiration in a year.