Mid-winter on Blue Valley Ranch

It’s the dead of winter on Blue Valley Ranch, which means lots of snow and lots of cold.

The snow often comes sideways in the high country, and is just as likely to originate from the ridge just upwind as it is from the heavy clouds overhead.  Of course, at 9,000 feet in elevation, you are standing in the storm clouds rather than beneath them.

Winter is, of course, hard on wildlife as well, as these white-tailed deer can attest.  The animals are adapted well to life in the mountains, however, and can endure the hardships of deep snow and bitter cold until spring arrives.

Wind and frequent snow make keeping roads open a challenge, but nothing warms you up quicker than a bit of shoveling and plowing.

On the bright side, this winter season is shaping up to be at or even higher than normal for snowpack in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which is good news for filling reservoirs and irrigating crops this spring during the run-off. Things can change very quickly in late winter, however, as has happened before. We will keep our fingers crossed.