Slush is Clean Mud

As daytime temperatures in the caldera consistently hover above freezing, the snow begins to melt. Slush is simply the transition from snow to mud.  Unlike the snow in the valleys, the snow does not disappear like the truth during a political campaign. The snow softens and condenses into a heavy slush that freezes at night and thaws by day. Adding to the slush are weekly additions of wet snow which actually increases the depth of the slog.

Driving through mountain slush is just as difficult as driving through mud. Your vehicle sinks in it, traction is impossible and if you hit a deep spot, your vehicle comes to an abrupt halt. Walking in it is just as difficult. After sinking down to your knees, your efforts to extricate your foot from each step results in your boot getting almost sucked off of your foot. The only advantage to slush over mud is your feet are cleaner when you extricate them!

There is no way to navigate around slush. It is too heavy to remove with a snow blower. You can’t dig a path through it because the semi-liquid immediately fills in any hole as it’s made. One accepts that the slush wade is inevitable for a while.

With the arrival of mud season is the certainty that the appearance of the ground is not far behind. With the change comes the anticipation that projects postponed for six months can begin. Objects that were dropped in the snow many moons ago suddenly reappear. Snow machines replace the ATVs at the rear of the garage as their owners anticipate the opening of the trails. After seven months of white, it will be nice to see green again!