Every Winter, billions of tons of snow fall from the sky and settle on the mountains. Every Spring that same snow turns into billions of gallons of water, and a potentially destructive force flows out of the hills. I am awestruck each Spring as the melting snow and ice peacefully departs the hills scarcely leaving a mark. The Good Lord builds good stuff and these mountains have been here long time.
The departure does not always occur peacefully as the residents of Crooked Creek sadly discovered Sunday night. 24 homes were lost as an ice damn broke free and the Kuskokwim River surged 30 feet. The unleashed power of melting snow and ice is a terrifying thing, but so often occurs without us even noticing. The above photo shows the Chugach Mountains with fresh snow falling as the old snow melts away…I hope it stays out of my yard.