January Thaw

Without fail every January, a thaw hits Western Wyoming and a temporary snow melt usually begins. We are in a Winter Weather Advisory right now, with plenty of wind and moisture hitting the area. I spent the morning with Rachael skiing in Teton Village with some old friends. The skiing above the valley floor was fantastic; high winds and heavy snowfall are making for some great conditions. The valley floor is seeing rain today, particularly south of town, where we live. The temps around town are nearing 40 degrees, and it's very wet outside. It looks like this thaw will last a few days. It's likely that even warmer temps are being recorded over the hill in Idaho...I'll bet the South Fork and Henry's Fork are seeing some action today. Anyone out there fishing around here today? I would love to hear a report! While skiing today with good buddies John Holland and Jon Wylie, we were trying to plot a few fishing adventures for summer 2011. With growing job and family responsibilities, it seems like we have to plan earlier and earlier each year to pull off our favorite trips. We came up with a great idea (which we ran by our wives in the gondola today): a 20-day "punch card" that we can use from spring until fall to allow us that elusive "hall pass" to get out and fish. What do all the guys out there think of this idea? Stay tuned for my progress on this :) Attached are a couple of photos of a local friend that likes to visit our front porch from time to time. There are a handful of Moose that winter in our neighborhood, and this one decided to take a nap outside our front door. More soon!