The Flood

After a week of rain, snow, more snow, melting snow, more snow/rain, and snow melt from the mountains, the soil of the Palouse is saturated. Paradise Creek was running higher today than I have seen it before, and the trail was flooded in places.

I didn't see the first patch of flooded trail until I was right on top of it. When I biked to Pullman this morning, it was still snowing/raining, and I had my head down against a strong wind out of the west. The first flooded section was only a couple of inches deep. However, the section of trail just before the tunnel under Sunshine Road was much deeper. I took a picture of that section this morning, and I also recorded myself biking through it later in the day - at about 6:30pm. The first part of the video is of the water rushing under the bridge by Airport Road in Pullman

I leave an extra pair of socks in my office in case I get really wet on my ride in to Pullman. I had my soggy clothes hanging on my bike so that they would dry faster. Fortunately, I didn't have office hours or visitors - They would have wondered at the sight of my drying socks, jacket, and biking tights. Everything was dry by this afternoon when I suited up and headed for home. The ride back was dry and clear except for the one patch of still flooded trail.

Last days of winter?

Today is the last day of winter - at least on the calendar. But as I write this post, it is snowing like crazy outside and the temperatures are still in the low 30s. Last week was spring break at WSU. The kids in Moscow also had their spring break, and so did Lysa at the University of Idaho. I had hopes of biking together as a family, enjoying the sunshine, and relishing the approach of spring. All my hopes were dashed with the onset of a new round of foul, winter weather.

Nevertheless, I am feeling a sense of accomplishment. I managed to bike through the winter despite the cold and snow. At times it occurs to me that perhaps I was lucky in that the snowfall was not as heavy as other years. Then I remind myself that both WSU and UI closed their campuses for a day back in January because of the snow. This season we had temperatures in the low teens, we had ice, hail, freezing rain and ferocious wind. I biked through it all (ok, I confess I didn't bike in hail).

Biking to work today epitomized my winter biking experiences. I biked through slush on the way to Pullman, and then on the way home, the snow started falling harder, the temperatures dropped, and I encountered some icy spots on the trail. Hooray for studded tires - I am certain that they saved me from a painful fall.

Generally speaking, people's driving habits deteriorate with the worsening weather. Motorists tend to be a bit more aggressive and less patient with me. I had folks cut me off, not wait at crosswalks, and drive too close - perhaps hoping to give me a face full of spray. I don't blame anybody; afterall, I don't like driving in cruddy weather either. But I particularly don't like to bike in it!

The high point of the ride today - the last ride of winter - was the sight of winter wheat. The green blades of the new spouts are like fuzz on the fields. Today they poked above the white snow. I took a picture of the field across the highway. The greening fields reminds me that spring really is just right around the corner even if it doesn't feel like it.

...and it most definitely does NOT feel like sping this morning - our first day of spring on the calendar. Lysa took a picture of the accumulated snow in front of our house. We must be at about 6 inches already, and it is still coming down.