The roads are always worst 10 miles from home

We had our second major snowstorm of the winter on Wednesday.  To celebrate, we went skiing up at Schweitzer Mountain.   It was a rather long drive getting to Sandpoint.  Plows were out in full force, but the wind across the Palouse caused drifts across the road in places.  It was worth the drive, however, as over a foot of new powder awaited us and we had an epic day on the mountain, despite having to deal with holiday crowds.

Frozen trees

Early morning sun on a cold mountain.

Backside of Schweitzer

Catching some freshies in the trees

The sun is coming out (slowly).

The skies cleared, and the temperatures steadily dropped overnight--to below zero.  With the temperature still in the single digits this morning and the wind chill making it feel even colder, we decided not to ski and spent some time in Sandpoint and driving around Lake Pend Orielle. Dawn comes late in midwinter  at 48 degrees north latitude.

Sunrise over Lake Pend Orielle

Frozen City Beach.

I guess the polar bear plunge is out!

In some areas, the lake was "steaming" because the water temperature was warmer than the air temperature, making for some eerie early morning sights.

 

Lake Pend Orielle

We drove home later that afternoon, and were treated to some beautiful views in the early evening light.

HW 95 in Benewah County

Winter is about the only time I can catch sunrise and sunset in the same day!