Montrose, CO (12/17 & 12/18/2016)

Another winter storm came through Friday night and into Saturday morning, dropping up to twenty inches of snow in the mountains, but only 5-6 inches here in the valley.  As soon as the roads were clear, I got out to take a few photos around town, starting with my street.

The adobe hills looked like giant snow drifts.  Surprisingly, I found the trail of someone who drove into the hills without the benefit of a snow plow.  It would be interesting to know the outcome of this adventure, one that I would be unwilling to attempt.

I particularly enjoyed the homes and ranches with Christmas decorations, all the more attractive in the snow.

I started to drive toward Black Canyon, only to find more snow on the road than I was willing to deal with.  Still, I got high enough to get a couple photos.

 

Back in Montrose, the ducks were enjoying the icy waters of an irrigation canal, and the historic buildings at the Museum of The American West were enhanced by the blanket of snow.

Sunday was a brilliantly sunny day, with a temperature of 22F in Montrose.  Once again, I headed for Black Canyon to check out the canyon walls covered with snow.  The road was open only to the visitor center, with the rest of the road reserved for cross-country skiing.  Trails in the park are available for snow-shoe hiking, and I spotted one couple putting snow-shoes on before taking a hike. Even without snow-shoes, I was able to walk to a couple overlooks, glad that I had worn my waterproof boots.