The Melt has Begun

The Melt Has Begun

It struck abruptly on the first full week of March. The temperature hovered above freezing regularly for the first time this year and the melt was on. While this is my first experience living year round in Island Park, as a flatlander, I had experienced some of the melt’s effects before.

I was introduced to the mud season in May of 1981. I was a police officer for Pocatello City and fellow officer, Wally Peterson invited me on a bear hunt. He had access to a cabin in the foot hills above Ashton. I was thrilled to tag along. Leaving the paved roads, we drove up a dirt road that deteriorated into little more than a Jeep trail. The remaining pockets of snow along the road or the small puddles in low spots were of little concern but as we continued, we encountered more snow and deeper puddles.  Six or seven miles in, Wally drove his truck through a large mud puddle. The truck sank up the axles and we were there to stay!

It was getting late so we set up camp. We gathered wood and started a camp fire on a small island of dry ground surrounded by water and mud. We broke out the stove and cooked on the tailgate. The conditions were more reminiscent of a Louisiana swamp than the Rocky Mountains. After sleeping in the back of the truck, we hiked out and found Wally’s friend, who extricated the truck with a tractor.

Like the first Christmas tree displays at Wal-Mart, mud season has its initial seasonal indicators. Several of the restaurants close down, many residents head out of town, mostly to warmer climates and the sound of snowmobiles screaming down the trails becomes less frequent.  Water and bare pavement replace the snow base on the roads and the long underwear gets packed away until next year.

It is as if the high country and its residents are taking a much needed break before the onslaught of summer visitors. I am looking forward to the changes that accompany mud season and I want to thank those in advance who will pull me out from the mud holes in which I will get stuck!