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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Winter tires



Everyone here has at least two sets of tires. "All-season" tires only cover 7 months of seasons. At this time of year beefy winter tires with aggressive treads and ice-gripping rubber are what go on the vehicles. Collections of alternate tires are a common sight beside carports and sheds.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Progress


Things are moving quickly with the new craft store. Just a three weeks ago it was nothing more than < this >.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Snowing



The view across the lake today isn't much more than a wash of grey. The deep cold snap has broken and it's now "warm enough to snow."

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Trees and tree shadows


This photo was taken at 2:36 pm. The sun stays low in the sky at this time of year. By what would normally be considered mid-afternoon we're just over an hour from sunset and the trees are throwing long, long shadows. This shot was taken from Highway 6. The rock face is not natural; it's been blasted to allow the highway passage by some bluffs at the edge of the lake.

Sunrise: 7:15 a.m.   Sunset: 3:56 p.m.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Frigid lake



It's really cold out for November. Clear skies and sun today. Temperature around -11ºC with a fresh breeze over the lake making it feel much colder.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Curled tight


Rhododendron leaves tightly curled against the suddenly frigid cold of dusk.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Closed


The snow on Goat Mountain is creeping ever nearer to the village. The local hotel has a "closed" sign beside its main door on this dreary weekend. The Tourist Info office, noted on the blue highway sign, is closed until spring. The hotel parking lot is empty. There is no traffic meandering by. It's the absolute nadir of the tourism year just now. In another few weeks the snowmobile tourists and skiers will start showing up.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Season's passage


To those inclined towards the motorized vehicle style of back-country recreation, there are just two seasons: ATV'ing and snowmobiling. We're now on the cusp of the season's change. Today we spotted the first snow machine in the back of a pick-up truck. It won't be long before all the ATVs are in sheds for the winter and snowmobile-toting vehicles will be everywhere.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Tight fit


It's a tight squeeze at the community fitness centre. This photo shows about a third of the space. There's also a very small gymnasium attached. It might not seem like much but it's an amazing community asset. On a cold dreary school holiday in November there's a steady stream of teens, families and adults amicably rotating through.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

No. 2 Pumphouse


The pumphouse that is part of the Village of New Denver water system gets a picturesque treatment, situated as it is in a small park on the waterfront.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Wood heat


Firewood: the fuel that warms you three times over: once when you split it, once when you stack it and once when you burn it. At most homes this year's firewood will have been drying at least since spring.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Church, mountains, cloud


Catholic church in the foreground, Valhalla Provincial Park (with fresh snow) in the background.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

New Paint


The little café at the main intersection in New Denver has got a fresh paint job. 

Friday, November 5, 2010

Mail


One of two walls of mailboxes where New Denverites pick up their mail. 

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Socked in


Fall always includes a certain amount of dreary cold weather. When things are overcast here we not only miss the blue sky, we don't see the mountains. As the socked-in weather drags on through November it's enough to make us look forward to proper winter. But at least small breaks in the cloud remind us that the mountains are still out there.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Construction


Another new business is going in along the main street. The foundation is being build with the styrofoam forms shown in the lower right. These fit together like lego bricksand are then filled with concrete. The styrofoam remains in place as an insulating material. This business will be a craft store and is being built on the vacant lot that was once home to a giant outdoor chess set.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Where clouds are born


We often see this on cool damp days, especially on the slopes above creek canyons, where cold air from higher elevations follows the topography down towards the warmer moister air at lower elevations. Many of the larches on exposed slopes are past their yellow stages and dropping needles now.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Larch


All spring and summer you could have mistaken it for a pine or spruce. But at this time of year the larch, a deciduous conifer, suddenly casts its lot in with the angiosperm hardwoods, turns yellow and begins to drop its needles.