Fall Back into Winter

We left Vernon on Nov 10 for a three week trip to Mexico.  I left a pot of ivy geranium with its bountiful crimson blooms guarding our front door and a pot of bold yellow and purple pansies keeping their eyes on our back deck. It had been an unseasonably warm and long fall with no frost.  I did not expect them to last until we returned but could not  bring myself to toss them into the compost while they were still in full bloom. 

Silver Star Mountain Resort  December 3

Soon after we left snow blanketed Vernon and a metre was deposited on Silver Star Mountain.  Then a week of unusually cold weather cemented that snow to the ski runs.  My flowers had expired but we returned to wonderful early season ski conditions.
Two days after flying into the Kelowna International Airport, we were on the slopes.  It was sweet, about -5 degrees, soft fresh powder, and sun.  Below the valley was stuffed with gray cloud.

Looking east from Silver Star Mountain towards the Monashees

Within the last two weeks we have experienced a remarkable variety of ski conditions.  The first day was cool with the inversion.

  A week ago Friday the mountain was wrapped in mist, but the downhill runs were dressed with fresh snow.

 

Scenes off Comet Chair December 5

  Then a warming trend moved in accompanied by moisture.  First there was wet snow but that deteriorated to rain, except for the higher parts of the mountain.  We persevered, while most of the locals stayed home.  Wednesday was a wet day and the Nordic trails were mushy.  We stayed on the lower trails.  But by this Friday the air had cooled.  The bottom trails were a bit crunchy with the remnants of the earlier rain but we headed up to Coming Round the Mountain and the trails were good.  We inspected the new warming cabin and the intersection of Coming Round the Mountain and Alder point Loop.

 Captik Cabin, from the Okanagan Nations first language meaning "Legend" Dec 12

It did seem a bit strange though.  We had never been up on the Star without the trees being covered with snow.

Coming round the Mountain trail Dec 8

 Cooler weather now prevails and no precipitation is forecast for at least a couple days.  We will return to the upper trails tomorrow.  They will be perfectly groomed and we know we will have a good ski.  We also know we will have the trails to ourselves as Vernonites do not venture up to the mountain unless they think the conditions are absolutely perfect.  It will also be sunny, While we wait for snow the valley will be full of gray cloud and the mountain will be bathed in sunshine.