Mountain Monster

Hoarfrost Up High

White Fog Begins

It Grew Whiter and Whiter

The mountain monster called Hoarfrost descends upon Elmira like a ghostly spirit white as dry bones. This is not the gentle Mists of Elmira that can rise from the bogs of this valley any time of year. In fact, it's pure pleasure to feel the air cool in summer after the sun settles west behind the Blue Ridge and watch mist agitate the surface of Elmira Pond as if it were a mysterious wafting cauldron. In winter, vally fog is common.

What caught my eye with this bleached-white fog was how bright it appeared. It began like a layer cake until it touched the low-hanging cloud ceiling. Then Hoarfrost, that ice-breathing monster of higher elevations, paid a visit -- for three long days of blinding white.

Hoarfrost is the result of water vapor turned to ice crystals. Here in northern Idaho, we have much water vapor given that our weather patterns are moisture-drenched courtesy of the Pacific Ocean. We get dumped with moisture and when moisture evaporates, it rises. When the clouds and fog clears, you can see what Hoarfrost did at the tops of the mountains, leaving trees caked in crystalline white vapor.

Rarely does Hoarfrost make it down the mountains. The valley floor is too warm for his icy touch. But this white fog, blinding as it was, hid Hoarfrost's sneaky descent. And I heard monsters:

Yes, Todd calls me the Cowardly Cowgirl. I think every strange sound has monster potential. Yet, I have a curious nature. Curiosity won over cowardliness and I did venture to the barn to realize that Hoarfrost had settled above and was spitting ice onto the metal roof:

My best explanation (beyond that of a visitation by a Mountain Monster) is that the rising water vapor met with freezing conditions high in the Ponderosa pine over the barn and ice crystals rained back down on the metal roof. Strange, but with explanation. Hoarfrost was messing with us.

Linking up with Abracabadra for Wordless Wednesday. Photos & videos by Charli Mills.