This essay was originally written and posted a few years ago, but since we’re currently sinking deeply into the spring mud-season, I went back in and made some changes, updating parts of the essay to fit these CoVid-19 Post-Pandemic times.

Word Count: 844

Schizophrenic Time

In the Rockies

Ah Spring time.. Often the most promising few months of the year since you now find yourself looking forward to summer with its multitude of outdoor pleasures. Here in Silverton spring can sometimes be one of the nicest times of the year. It’s been a long, at times bitterly cold winter, since we’re slowly emerging from the pandemic lockdown that’s gone into a second year, and now that summer is just around the corner-you’re walking around with a hitch in your step. Like the season itself you somehow feel rejuvenated. No more sidewalk or roof shoveling to grumble through. Which your back might appreciate if it could talk.

Not so fast buddy. Springtime here in the San Juans can also be the cruelest few months of the year. In my case spring skiing is one of my favorite ways to transport myself down the mountain. It can also be a total crapshoot. Did I put on enough Sunscreen? Where’s my sunglasses? Have I gone out on the mountain a little too early in the day and right now the snow conditions feel like boilerplate glare ice gone berserk? Just be patient and two hours later it’ll transform itself into corn and you’ll be able to turn in it like a hot knife sinking through butter.

Then the snow gradually disappears and something you haven’t seen in over six months-Terra Firma, reveals itself. Wow, this is pretty neat. Wonder what happened to all that snow? Unfortunately, if it didn’t go downstream, it more than likely bonded with the dirt to create this gooey stuff called mud. You know. The same material your mother used to say bonded to the bottoms of your feet like fresh roadkill stuck to the underside of a car tire. She also threatened to give you a one-way plane ticket to Hell unless you took off your shoes every time you walked in the house.

Mud season is definitely one of the disadvantages of springtime here in Silverton. There’s a lot of this mud stuff all over the place? Definite understatement actually, and kind of like saying its fairly green in most parts of Ireland.

Oh well, I can deal with this mud stuff now that summer is on its way. At least the sun is shining and the skies are a beautiful cobalt blue. Another great day in the mountains.

Then dawn breaks and the weather schizophrenia has totally kicked in. Its cloudy, the wind is blowing like a banshee rampaging through a college sorority built on an ancient Indian burial ground, and the sky is this bizarre mixture of rain/snow. I know some of you might find this hard to believe coming from me, but this is one of the few times I don’t want it to snow. Then again, who cares what I think.

Why couldn’t the weather be like it was yesterday? All this new snow when it does melts will turn the streets into a fresh quagmire. Once again, I’ll find myself hop-scotching over the puddles from one island of semi-solid mud to another. This obviously sucks harder than a Souped Up Hoover at a vacuum cleaner rally.

On top of that, spring can also be frustrating for another set of bizarre reasons. You jump in your car, cruise to lower elevations where winter has loosened its grip even more, and on a nice sunny day the change of season is really in evidence. The grass is getting green and trees are budding out. I’ve even witnessed evidence of people planting seeds.

Slide back into the car, drive over the pass and that kind of thing won’t even happen up here for another six weeks. That pile of snow on the corner, even though it’s melted slightly from the February peak of 28’, still won’t disappear for another month. Mud is in evidence all over the place, and now that more of the snow has melted away the trash and dog droppings that were previously buried under prolific mountains of white stuff are starting to appear as if out of nowhere.

Is it any surprise that half the town disappears during that last week of March when school lets out for spring break? Not really. Sub-tropical environments look mighty fine during the latter part of the month.

Fortunately, little by little winter loses its grip on things as spring progresses. If you’re fortunate enough to leave town for a week or two when you return, one by one the snowbirds are starting to reappear. Parts of town seem to be rousing themselves out of winter hibernation and new life is beginning to happen. The days are getting longer too, which is a very welcome phenomenon in and of itself.

Don’t get lulled into a false sense of complacency though. Tomorrow the forecast is for winter to reappear with a vengeance. As a coworker of mine once said when people asked him what he did last summer here in Silverton, “Went on a picnic that day, doesn’t everyone?”