Spring seems to be reluctant to show itself this year. Here in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon we celebrated the first day of spring (March 20, 2023) with a Winter Storm Alert, forecasting up to 48" of new snow above 3000'! Fortunately we didn't get nearly that much at our 1300' elevation, but even 2/3 of the way through April we are still getting snow. Of course this is good news for areas so hard hit by recent drought. Last I heard, Oregon was at 172% of normal snow, California about the same, and Utah at 201%! All the extra snow should help refill some of the lakes and reservoirs that are at historic lows but it will take several years for them to fully recover from so many years of drought.
The late spring may have caused some RVers and campers to postpone spring cleaning and other preparations for a new recreational season. Although we might not be able to get out and enjoy all of our favorite places for camping and outdoor recreation for a while yet, it is still a good idea to being preparations. It usually takes a little time to get everything out of storage, cleaned, re-provisioned, and ready for the new season. It seem like no matter how carefully we perform our winterization procedures, we always find something that needs repair or extra cleaning or other extra help before we are ready to hit the road. Pests can infiltrate tents, sleeping bags, clothing, and provisions even when we have them stored in the most secure ways we can devise. The last thing you want is to unroll your tent or sleeping bag in camp and discover is has been soiled or devoured by ravenous insects! Such a discovery is never fun, but it is a lot better to make it at home where we can do something about it well in advance of needing to use it on an outing.
Having a delayed start on our outdoor activities can also give us a chance to do a little more research and a little more planning. Doing so can enhance our summer activities more than you can imagine. Whether you are looking for new places to go and things to do or just learning more about your favorite haunts, spending a little time on the Internet asking some relevant questions can yield a plethora of fun and useful information. Knowing more of the geological and historical aspects of where we are headed can be a lot of fun and add greater depth to out enjoyment. My family and friends had been dirt biking around Randsburg and Searles Station in the Mojave Desert in California before I learned that one of our usual campsites (Garden City) had once been a major stop for the famous Borax 20 Mule Teams and then a primary rail center. All that remained when we were there was a decaying railroad water tower. Not too far from there is also a small monument erected by an Eagle Scout at the site of an X15 crash to recognize the sacrifice of Major Michael Adams, American's 27th Astronaut (having flown the X15 to more than 266,000 feet) and the first official astronaut casualty. The concrete marker isn't grandiose, but it sparks the imagination. Try Googling "X15 crash site" for details and photos.
Given the long history of many of our state and national parks, you can almost always find lots of interesting stories regarding past and even regular ongoing events that can be fun to know and fun to share. Some places, like Yellowstone and Devils Tower, have tons of geological features you will enjoy learning about too.
I have a couple of "spring" poems I find kind of fun:
FIRST:
Spring has sprung
The Grass has riz
I wonder where the flowers is!
SECOND (actually kind of focused on summer, but starts with spring):
Spring has sprung
Fall has fell
Summer's come
And its hotter than ... it oughta be!
About a week after posting this lament on the delayed spring we suddenly had several very warm days, with temps getting up to 95F! But now the highs are back down in the 60s and even down into the 50s in the coming days. So, you never know what the weather is going to do! Don't like the weather? Just wait a minute!
Well, only a week or so after the late Winter Storm Alert we are back to 80 and 90 degree days. The trees have leaves and lawns need to be mowed every week. Guess it is about time to start planning this season's outings.
Enjoy the delay!
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