Snow and Show in Big Sky

Explore Big Sky shared a lighthearted video on facebook the other day about a spring snowstorm.  I made a throwaway comment that it looked like global warming, and soon a stranger replied that it's called climate change, and it is real.  Apparently, I struck a nerve.

Just to be clear, I think climate change is real.  The proof can be found in Big Sky.

But I'd also say there is proof that humans are capable of responding to climate changes, even when the temperature falls or rises 50 degrees overnight.

During this past week, we've had 71-degree, sunny weather, a rapid drop in temperature that came with about six inches of fresh snow, and then a melt-off that returned a snow-blanketed golf course to green fairways within a couple of days.

Having spent most of my life domiciled in Southern California, it is easy to get lulled into thinking the norm is mild temperatures that may never change 50 degrees from the coldest day of the year to the hottest, but when I was stationed in Wyoming while serving in the Air Force, I learned that there can be four seasons on the same day in the Rockies.

While "Mud Season" is avoided by most seasonal visitors to Big Sky, it really can be quite pleasant, as long as you don't have an ideal temperature that you believe should never deviate.  The hiking trails are lightly traveled, a nice change from summers that have evolved busier thanks to Disney Advemtures touting Big Sky in their Yellowstone National Park family tours.  In addition to tour buses, many cars carry in families who balked at the Disney price tag but wanted approximately the same summer adventures.

We hiked Ousel Falls a couple of days after the big snow dump.  Water levels had swelled with the newly melted snow.  For the most part the trails had already dried to damp but firm clay, with occasional muddy spots and patches of snow.

With bears having been recently sighted in the area, we proceeded with caution.

Big Sky is not a big city, but there always seems to be something happening, if we choose to get out to find it.

New York's Broadway may be shut down, but Lone Peak Thespians put on a production of "Legally Blonde" for four performances at Warren Miller Performing Arts Center.

We went to the gala opening at 4 PM on the afternoon after we hiked Ousel Falls.  No red carpeted lined by paparazzi awaited us, and that's just the way we like it.

The kids in the cast played their roles with infectious enthusiasm.  I have to say that much larger Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach had considerably more singing talent when our daughter Amy was in the performances, but we loved the show in which the lyrics were delivered with bravado and good humor, albeit more sing-songs than melodic arias.

The best singers IMHO were the boy who played the lawyer/professor, a girl who played the beautician and another girl who was the fitness instructor/accused murderess.  They stole the show when they had their moments on the stage, but the rest of these local high schoolers shined in their own ways.

Thanks to theater-lover Amy for giving me an assist over the phone to convince her Mom to go to watch this hillarious, sometimes politically-incorrect play.

Who knows what next week will hold in terms of climate change?  

I can forecast days will be happy and full of new adventures.

The same golf course two days after snow-covered photo above

Creek off our "Trump trail" near the Hanson's house.

South Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River

Snow off side of Ousel Falls Trail