Disappearing Snow Pack

With our foot of snow and the constant thawing from the bottom where the ground was a degree or two warmer, the river started to rise.

We were still dealing with sporadic power issues, and barely getting around downed trees that still clogged the county road when we started watching the water levels as they rose above flood stage.

My driveway only had the Gator tracks from the mandatory two feedings a day for the herd across the river. The tracks were nothing but slop at the base. The water was rushing under the snow pack toward the river.

From daylight til 3 pm the river crept past the edge of the bridge and into the field, inching its way toward the county road.

The tracks you see on the left are made from the Gator when we cross the county road, beyond is the river. On the right is the small filed between Timber Road and the bridge. We had to drive through water to get to the bridge.

We tuned in to the Co-0p Facebook page for updates. The electric company posted the expectations for crest time of the river since so many customers are subject to the devastating effects of this one stream.

Just as predicted, the river crested and started to fall shortly after 3pm on our stretch of the waterway. Those neighbors that live closer to the coast, out past Jewell and Mist, still had rising waters for the next two days.

Minor damage was caused on our farm, although we did lose some of the stream bank areas, several old alder trees and some fencing along the grazing fields.