Spring breakup

With as many days above freezing temps as we've had already, I have to wonder if we'll have an early spring... and if breakup will be a nothing deal.  It's always the same question, year after year... how long will travel be impacted when we lose the snowpack?

Some years, it takes six weeks of transition between running the snowmachine and driving the four wheeler to haul loads up the mountain.  Other times, we can smoothly switch from one mode of transportation to the other, as long as chains are in use.

This year, with very little glaciation showing on the mountainside, we might even get away without the use of chains for the ATV.  Time will tell how it all plays out, but 2010 planning for the inbetween season seems of utmost concern, since there is so much feed going up the mountain, and fresh food going down.

Normally by now, we're running the generator less and less to keep batteries topped off... letting solar power take over the energy supply for our homestead.  But now I have 25 gallons of milk to manage each week, not to mention 20 dozen eggs, nor the fact that these numbers should double in the next two months... and all these things require reliable cold storage.

So it looks like we're going to have to rethink how things operate to contour the program to our lifestyle.  I certainly don't want to be running the generators more than absolutely necessary.  We'll figure something out, I'm sure.  We always do.