Well, I don;t know about ya'll but I'm pretty psyched about winter ending here real soon. That means it's time for me to go and dust my gear off that I haven't used since September and have a nice look over it all to see what I have, what I want/need and don't need.

Maybe this is a bit pre-mature since it is only early March, but up here in Alaska it's been in the 30's and 40's and great. Considering only a little over a month ago it was -50 out, I'm happy and getting a little anxious. Only a few months until I probably go out and do some walking before I leave Alaska for good so I've got to get in what I can. Plus, that means shorts, sandals and 23 hours of light, lol.

Winter Ends?

Even here in Orygun the winter ends - sometime in July.
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

There certainly are Winter people and Summer people. I would think that those of you live north of 60 degrees should most probably learn to enjoy the cold, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />dark, monotonous, <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />long <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />winter nights and figure out something that requires those exact things. Like shadow kiting on snow by headlamp or something. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Heck I'll bet you get 6-8 weeks of summer huh? But its always daylight - thats cool.

I love to camp in the same areas Summer and Winter.
Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />YMMV

What's winter?

It's all relative. We came back from our Saturday hike feeling depressed that triple digit temperatures are coming too soon!

We're off again in the morning trying to make our hay while the sun shines (but not too much).

Point Forecast: Rural Cochise County, AZ
32.3N -110.39W (Elev. 3198 ft)

This Afternoon: Mostly sunny, with a high near 73. West wind between 11 and 15 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 39. West wind 5 to 14 mph becoming south.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. South wind 7 to 9 mph becoming north northwest.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 39. North northwest wind between 6 and 9 mph.

Sorry to rub it in.

Yeah, in the last three days, I planted my tomatoes and did a day hike up Rincon Peak. Won't be as nice a hike when June rolls around. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Phat; I was up in Tucson last week and did a quick count of Alberta license plates. Almost as many as Arizona. Are you the only one left up there? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Yeah, I'm getting excited too. We got about 6 weeks of really prime Ozarks camping here starting about now. After that it's iffy for a few more weeks, then it's time to head for the rivers and lakes to stay cool until Fall.

Bill

I think its the REI rebate...i am now dreaming of pack on the back weekends! I can't wait!

I can start tomato seeds next week, if I can shovel enough of the snow off my garden to get some dirt and compost. I was thinking this last week about some summer bping. Not for a while yet, another snow camping trip to Lassen in three weeks.

The grass widows and desert parsley are in full bloom at the east end of the Columbia River Gorge, and the trilliums are starting to bloom at the west end! The other spring "bloom," ticks, is active too. At my place it hit 64 this afternoon.

On the other hand, there's still lots of snow above 1500 feet in the Cascades, a bit frustrating for those of us non-snowshoers trying to get more elevation gain into our conditioning hikes. People planning "spring break" backpacks in areas that are usually open year-around are going have to go to the beach instead. The snow level is supposed to drop to 2,000 ft. again tomorrow.

Yeah, up here in Fairbanks it's in the upper 20's to low 40's and I'm already walking aorund without a jacket on. Once it hits 50, it is time to break out the shorts, lol.

I'm hoping to get one or two hikes in up here too before I go back to Idaho. I know last year when I went out on Memorial Day for a nice weekender, there were still huge tracts of snow that were feet deep up above 2,500 feet. I think we hiked 'til 11:30 PM one of those days too because it was still light out, lol.

Going back to ID will extend my backpacking season and the weather will be a little more predictable too. Less rain, I like that. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Feels like it somedays !

But yeah, I know lots of Alberta "snowbirds" who winter in Arizona.

I hike year round so it doesn't matter to me. But I am excited to se the snwo going away and to start commutting via my bike. And to plan some pretty extended bp trips in prime alpine scenery.