The Perfect Snowflake
 

The weekend after Christmas, J and I went up to the mountains to go tubing. We like to go to a ski resort that has great runs, and a 'lift' that pulls you and your tube up the hill. As good as it is to not have to trudge up the fairly steep run, it's also nice to have time to throw snowballs with J, or just think about things as you're headed up.

While we were up there, it began to snow. I didn't think much of it until I was staring at my black snow pants and I saw snowflakes. And by snowflakes, I'm not talking about the powdery, the chunky, the wet, or any kind of snowflake that I see on an almost daily basis off the mountain... I'm talking about perfect snowflakes. Big ones, where I could see every detail, I could see six arms in their identical perfection. They were all different... just like I'd been told.

Here's a cool website that came up right away during my search on snowflakes.

In all honesty, I think I've seen a perfect snowflake before, but I really don't remember when. Until this past year, snowy areas I've spent time in were primarily low altitude, and by the time snowflakes got to me, they were probably all beaten up by the wind. If nothing else, this was the first time I really realized how amazing they truly were.

Today, on my way out to the parking lot across the street from my office building, more snowflakes were coming down, and it got me to thinking about my perfect Rocky Mountain snowflakes. I looked at what was gently falling upon my dark parka, and they weren't even close... just clumps and chunks, broken bits and pieces of what was perhaps once a perfect snowflake... just stuff flitting off the mountaintops, banging into buildings and streetlights, only to end up as the dirty road snow I've come to loathe.

But really, what are snowflakes. By the time most of us see them, we're thinking about shovels and snowblowers, brushing off our cars and digging our way out of our driveways. We're probably also thinking about all those stupid drivers, going too fast, too slow, swerving everywhere. And for what? Just to get out of the way of a little snowflake.

Wow, that's cool! And who new there were snowflakes being made year round in sunny southern California?

Ooh, pretty, E!

I confess I have never in my life seen a perfect snowflake, up close, in glorious detail.

This is the closest I've come to the perfect snowflake!

Deebs beat me to it ! :snap:

BTW: Lovin' the website, E.

I know just what you mean. When we went camping last year to Sequoia for Memorial Day weekend and they had unexpected snow, I sat by the fire and watched it snow.

My husband has a video of me discussing the same thing as I see one that's fallen on me.

I say - Wow - it's a snowflake that looks like a snowflake - or something simiarly lame - but well - here - you can see for yourself my lameness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wldL5...e=channel_page

Haha! I was thinking the same thing as I posted this!

Haha, I love your reaction... "It's like an asterisk, with arms!"

Hehehe, that made me laugh too.

I am awed by you and Betty. Your outdoor adventures with J are impressive to me. And when I watched Betty's youtube video, besides laughing at her reaction to the snowflake, all I could think of was how cold I would be. I am no camper. But camping + snow? That would never happen.

I just recently saw The Gold Rush...


Camping in the snow, to me, would cause Donner Party nightmares.

My hat is off to you, Betty and blueerica! :snap: :snap:

What a fabulous site. And I always thought the snowflakes in Adventure Thru Inner Space were pretty cool and perfect ;)

I really love the photos.