[Rockhounds] Nifty snowpack link...

[Julie Siebel]

Thanks so much! I found that link through a really specific Google search 
(which I now forget) and tried going back a few levels, but didn't find 
anything, likely because I left the "ftp" in. Duh. (I tried looking up the a 
few of the locations in TopoUSA, but only hit about every third name.) So 
here's hoping for a heatwave...I'm going to be checking the darn thing daily 
from now on.

I'm really hoping it's clear. Calvert Hill was one of our favorite places. 
We camped right at the pond in the pit, and poked around there just a bit, 
while taking trips to other places. Unfortunately didn't figure out where 
the coolest stuff was until the day we were leaving, and have wanted to go 
back since then. When we went last time we were in the Acura; this time 
we'll have a bit more room in an Isuzu Rodeo, and there's this great bolder 
there - about 18 inches in diameter - that was striped white and smokey 
quartzite with chunks of epidote in it. I wanted it...bad. I'm trying to 
talk John into grabbing it this time, but he says if we do, we'll have to 
leave one of the dogs behind :P

Thanks again,

Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lanny R" <lanny.r at roadrunner.com>
To: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors" 
<rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2008 10:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Nifty snowpack link...


> Hi Julie,
>
> Thanks for the Snotel files. I checked where the sites were located by 
> going to the Snotel web site and map, for Montana:
> http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/Montana/montana.html
>
> On the text file you are using, look under "Missouri Headwaters."  Calvert 
> Creek is listed. From looking at the web site for the Snotel  individual 
> sites, I see that the measuring site is on the Calvert  Creek that is 
> about a dozen miles west of Calvert Hill. There also is  a Calvert Creek 
> on the south side of Calvert Hill; kind of unusual to  see two creeks of 
> the same name so close together. The listing shows  111% of average 
> currently, not bad, and 14 inches compared to an  average of 12.6. The 
> Calvert Creek Snotel site is listed as being at  6,430 feet elevation, so 
> is probably similar to Calvert Hill.
>
> There's another site at Mule Creek which is on the SE side of the 
> Pioneers, 15 miles or so SE of Crystal Park. This one is at 8,300 feet 
> elevation; and shows 105% of average still on the ground. For Calvert 
> Hill and Crystal Park, it looks like the situation is typical,  although, 
> spring is staying kind of cool, so snow melt is going to  continue to lag.
>
> It took me a little while to find appropriate sites. I wouldn't have 
> thought to look under Headwaters of the Missouri, after all, that's up 
> north. For those geographically lost, the creeks flow into the Big  Hole 
> River, to the Beaverhead to the Jefferson to the Missouri. Thus,  for this 
> area that is on the east side of the C ontinental Divide,  it's all 
> headwaters of the Missouri.
>
> Have a nice trip.
>
> Lanny
>
>
> On May 9, 2008, at 1:07 PM, Julie Siebel wrote:
>
>> I just found this link that lists snowpack for Montana:
>>
>> ftp://ftp.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/data/snow/update/mt.txt
>>
>> I took a guess and figured if you changed "mt.txt" to "id.txt" (for 
>> Idaho) or "wy.txt" (for Wyoming) or whatever snowy state you want to  go 
>> rockhounding in and wonder where the snow is at, it will show the  data 
>> for that state as well. Neat. Works great for Montana, Idaho,  Wyoming 
>> and Oregon - didn't test any further.
>>
>> Now if I can just figure out which of those 60 or so locations is 
>> closest to Calvert Hill and Crystal Park...
>>
>> Julie
>>
>>
>> -- 
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