About the best capture I could get of the earth shadow during sunrise with a phone (or Belt of Venus, thanks for the info @KrajciTom
) #SierraNevada#Mountains#California#Sunrise
#ForkedMeadow#California received about 4" of ice pellets and snow overnight although it's a bit hard to tell with certainty because the ground was warm at the start so much of the early precipitation did not stay frozen.
The overnight low was 19f and it's currently 26f.
There will be heavy thunderstorms today which would cause more snow for the meadows. It will be interesting to see just how much we get.
As light dawned on a very cold and windy morning we hurriedly packed up our tent and waited in the lieu of some rocks for the sun to arrive. The cold wait was worthwhile as the morning sun started to touch the summits and quickly spread to the ridges. A magical time of day to be in the mountains.
As the sun went slowly down to the west of Granada we were left with a brief but beautiful sunset over the peaks of the Sierra Nevada. We watched the sun dip below the horizon and then the clouds illuminated with color, before the cold had us hurrying towards our tent.
It's currently 24f and there's about 2 ft of new snow on the ground since yesterday at #ForkedMeadow#California which absolutely outstanding for the water year.
This is a relatively late and cold storm for the central #SierraNevada where for the last decade or so the snow usually has let up by April. But things aren't normal with the weather anymore in the #Sierras and the mountains are having odd weather just like everywhere else 😬
It's currently 13f after an overnight low of 11f at #ForkedMeadow#California . We received a dusting of snow in the last few hours but no new major accumulations after the #blizzard turned out to be a bust.
The next storm is due in on Tuesday. Fingers crossed we get a few more feet of snow. Every snowflake counts!
It's 32f and snowing hard at #ForkedMeadow#California after a high of 44f and 0.2" of rain today. Hopefully we can pick up some good snow overnight so the central #SierraNevada#Mountains can build a good base.
1/2 We (re)rediscovered Manica parasitica in the Sierra Nevada. Originally, this ant species was thought to be a free-loading parasite that uses the nests and brood care of its host Manica bradleyi for its own survival.
Instead, "Manica parasitica" is tapeworm-infested Manica bradleyi.
2/2 We also confirmed the observation made by the Wheelers back in the '60s that Manica parasitica is really "shaky". Maybe this is an "adaptive manipulation" by the parasite?
Heading up to the hills tomorrow, hoping to enjoy some winter mountains. Weather forecast isn't great, with snow showers and low cloud, so maybe we shall be heading down with tail between legs? 😂. Anyway, any mountain trip is enjoyable, no matter what the weather. Looking forward to it!
What a fabulous sight to finally see the south side of the Sierra Nevada with snow. It's not a lot but it's a start. This is an image looking north up the Barranco de Poqueira towards Mulhacén, the highest mountain in mainland Spain (3482m)