Saturday Snow on the Sandias

This will represent the third posting test.

Friday was cold and snowy in Albuquerque and a gray cloud hung over the mountain all of the day. From my office I could see on occasion that it was snowing on the mountain and the forecast called for 1-3 inches in the higher elevations.

Later that evening it started to rain off and on at home and I wondered just how much snow they may have been getting on the summit. When I was awakened in the night by the sound of rain on the skylights, I was sure that the mountain would be covered in snow in the morning.

True to form, it was, but it took hours and hours for the cloud to start to lift so that the mountain could show it’s true colors.

I thought about heading on up to the summit because I was sure that I would be able to have a fine time taking shots with the high contrast of the snow and hopefully, blue skies. About an hour after the first shot, you can see that the sky was starting to clear.

Finally in the early afternnon I started to get together the winter clothes and the cameras and I headed on out to the top of the mountain.  I was anxious to see just how much snow there was accumulated up there, for sometimes what appears like a lot, disappears in short order.

I drove all the way to the summit in the bright sun and and found to my dismay just as I arrived at the summit, the clouds were rolling in, and they were serious.

I had to fight for a parking spot as the lot had not been cleared.  I suspect that the folks figured that it would melt soon enough, but there was between a foot and a foot and a half on the ground.  I quickly used my four wheel drive and slogged into a spot out of the way and I hurriedly grabbed my gear.  I was hoping to get at least one shot before the sun disappeared.  Actually I was hoping for a ragged sky which would add drama, but after one shot in the clouds, and one in the sun, the summit was engulfed in fog.

One in the fog, the next in a ragged moment in the sun.

I’ll continue with part two of this story tomorrow, working my way around to the cliff edge of the summit where we will wait on the sun.