Weather is unsettled (and unsettling) this time of year at 6,000 feet eleveation in the Northern Rocky Mountains of southwest Montana. We'll have a day or two of gorgeous, blue-bird days (and yes, I saw our first Mountain Blue Bird earlier this week!) as shown by this view from Butte, America, south to the Highland Mountains:
But then in the evening you see the clouds coming, 50 miles or more away, rolling up the Clark Fork River valley. Looks like a ski day tomorrow!
A fresh snowfall comes overnight (an inch in town, more in the mountains), just enough to keep the backcountry skiing tempting. Morning dawns. Given the view from the front porch, you're not quite sure whether to dress for blizzard or sun:
By late morning, though, the sky clears, the air warms, and the snow melts. The crystalline blue views to the mountains of the Pintler wilderness west of our little city are breathtaking:
To fish or ski? That is the question. You can do both (ski morning, fish afternoon), but it really interrupts the work schedule!
Conditions change fast in the mountains. Great captures.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your dramatic images!..... we have changsable weather too, just don't see it comming 'till it's here?.....:)
ReplyDeleteCrazy weather! It can't make up its mind; but that's what makes for such interesting skies.
ReplyDeleteWonderful scenery and sky photos. The last shot is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI saw on the noon weather you all were cold and snowy again. Oh well, it is pretty anyway. Love all of these shots
ReplyDeleteOne of the prettiest states. You did a super job on all the pictures to reflect the blue skies.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos. That time of year.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's im[possible to get bored with the weather in the mountains!
ReplyDeleteSerene Views! The last one is a stunning shot!
ReplyDeletePixellicious Photos
Magnificent views! And amazingly changeable weather. Happy SWF and have a great weekend!
ReplyDeletei would do both even if i don't know how to ski! :D
ReplyDeleteI think,if there is going to have to be snow, I'd vote for skiing.
ReplyDeleteYup, just like life at 6900 feet in Utah! If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. Yes, a bit of fishing soon would be nice. Our season is open but the biting is slow so far. I had a friend move to Butte to be the Superintendent of Schools. She always talked about how beautiful it was there. - Margy
ReplyDeleteThose blue skies are just stunning! I quite like spring snow when the sun is shining...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful skies!
ReplyDeleteGreat scenes and captures.
Big decisions, huh, ER???.... That is such a crazy combination for us here in Tennessee.... Nobody fishes here much all winter ---and in spring, we hopefully don't have snow... Isn't this world we live in just gorgeous?????? Great pictures.
ReplyDeleteBetsy
"Crystalline" captures the view perfectly. Too bad so many parts of our world are losing that kind of view....
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteYou always capture such great scenes of Montana's great mountains and sky!
The one of the clouds moving in {second one} is beautiful when enlarged... love all the shapes and angles of the clouds over the mts. It would look great framed!
I laughed at your last comment about not knowing whether to ski or fish!
Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving such thoughtful comments.
I liked the one you left about plate sizes. The older plates are smaller... quite a bit smaller...
I have Corelle sandwich plates that Chris and I use as dinner plates sometimes... it keeps portions at a more 'appropriate' size.
Happy Thursday!
~Maria