We spent almost six full days up at the cabin at Bench Creek Ranch this last week.  Every time we go up there, the experience is different.  This trip we saw winter trying hard to hold on and spring fighting to take over.

Snow remained on the ground around our cabin (3000 ft elevation) and above/below a bit.  The deepest drifts, discovered on long hikes around the ranch, were about 24″ deep.  The roads were snowy, icy or muddy.  I had hoped to take some training runs up there, but that just wasn’t possible!

The skies were not bald, for sure–full of interesting clouds and magnificent beauty.

More amazing sky…

And more….

Here is the view from the front of the cabin–the meadow view we enjoy so much.  The aspens and larches were not even starting to leaf out yet.  This photo was taken the day we left–notice that the snow is reduced to near the trees.

The sun fighting to part the clouds.

This is hilarious.  I wanted to remind myself to look up deer droppings when I got home.  There were some piles of really large deer-like droppings and some tracks that looked much bigger than any deer tracks I’ve ever seen.  I suspect there may be a moose afoot.

Here is a group of sagebrush buttercup blooming on a hillside.  These brave little wildflowers were the only thing I found blooming–almost the only thing that had started to leaf out.  They have small leaves and relatively big flowers, always glistening with water droplets.

One of my hiking buddies–Mona wrapped up from the cold.  It got close to 60 degrees during the days, but down in the 20’s at night. 

Leon brought a bag of stale cashew nuts to feed to the critters.  Steller’s Jays apparently can’t get enough cashews. They are skittish up in the mountains, not like the raucous, confident city Jays.  I had to be really patient to get these pictures on the railing of the cabin porch.

The seasonal stream was running under ice through the meadow.

Another meadow picture–you can see there was more snow earlier in the week.

This week was a bird-fest.  We have a flicker house that Leon built and we set in front of the cabin.  Here, a pair of Williamson’s Sapsuckers approach.  The house is a popular telegraphing station for all the woodpeckers.  Because it is hollow, tapping on it resonates throughout the meadow.

A Red-Breasted Nuthatch that visited the cabin one day with its mate.

Bodhi enjoying the sunshine.

Mona had a grand time exploring and hiking.

Another Bodhi pic…the sun was too bright for his eyes!

Here is another Nuthatch peeking between the cabin logs.

Super cute Bodhi on the porch.  He’s eleven-years-old now, but he hiked with me a like a puppy.

I would call this photo, “Little Dog, Big Sky.”

There weren’t a lot of animals, or even birds out, so it was the sky, trees, and mountains that I enjoyed on my hikes.

Close-ups of the Sagebrush Buttercups.

And another…

This a bad picture of a chipmunk–just had to prove that some of them were awake!

At the 100-plus year-old homestead near our cabin, I could really see how the Douglas fir trees and the Ponderosa pines were more yellow in winter than they are the rest of the year.  You can make out the yellowish green with the wood as a contrast.

Bodhi waiting for me…impatience written all over his face!

This was the ultimate turkey trip.  I heard a tom gobbling near the cabin every morning, the first time I’d ever heard that.  And a hen crossed the meadow one day towards his concert.  The next day, he sauntered past us in the near meadow, as well.  Turkey tracks in the snow above.

Two male Williamson’s Sapsuckers at the flicker house.

We had a funny experience in the little town Republic, east of Tonasket.  As we finished getting gas, I noticed a deer crossing the main street and going down a side street.  We followed in the car and I popped out when we got close.  they seemed very tame.  Leon threw me some carrots and I threw some to them.  The deer in front here was a carrot fan.  Eventually, he ate one out of my hand.  It was surreal.  Deer near there are usually very afraid, since hunting is so common there, but Leon pointed out these were likely “city deer,” used to people and handouts.

The meadow the day we landed–notice how much more snow was on the ground than when we left.

Our first walk…and the dogs were ready.

Off on their own–so many smells to explore!

Hauling wood from the woodshed to the cabin.  It was in the 40s int he cabin when we got there–took about two days and a lot of logs to really warm it up.

Big sky over the meadow when we first landed on Saturday.