It has been extremely gloomy for far too long here in Boise with the inversion that has settled over the valley. It has been over a week since we have seen even a glimpse of the sky. Day after day the forecast says clear and sunny, but all that we are experiencing is gross grey smog. I can't remember the inversion ever being this bad or sticking around this long in the winter before. It is definitely rubbing off on all of us — wanting nothing but to stay grumpily indoors. I'm now positive that the only reason this cough of mine is still barely lingering is due to this gross air.
Yesterday I decided we'd had enough and it was time to breathe some fresh air again and get outside somewhere were we would enjoy it. We made the hour drive up to Idaho City and it was well worth it. Breaking through that thick grey and seeing the sun again was like waking up from a week long depression induced slumber. I'm thinking a lot of other folks from Boise had the same idea of a Sunday drive in search of sunshine because Idaho City was packed full of people and their pups walking around enjoying the weather. Some of them were even enjoying ice cream cones!
We ventured 20 miles further up the highway, with the hopes of driving up a scenic overpass backroad to a secluded hiking trail. But the further we drove on, the deeper the snow piled quickly. The road was completely covered in multiple feet of snow with no way for a vehicle to trench though so we headed back to town in search of a simpler trail. We ended up walking the airport loop; an easy, casual trail that followed along the small airstrip up there, winding peacefully through thick pines. I cannot tell you how much of a treat it was. The breathing was easy and the sunshine felt like gold on my skin. We may have wandered off trail a bit, not wanting our hike end. If I had not been focusing on balancing on the ice and snow, I would of taken a video of Pippin happily hopping in and out of the snow piles. That pup couldn't get enough of the adventure, fresh air, and fun in powder form.
Looking back through these pictures today while peering out my window at the thick grey inversion is a little heartbreaking. I'm just happy we were able to treat ourselves yesterday and I'm crossing my fingers for a storm to come through and blow this yuck away. My lungs will be happy when it clears.
Hoping you are well,
xx Emorie
what is an inversion? Is it smoggy there?
ReplyDeleteAn inversion? Like pollution or just fog?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, glad the mountain air agreed with you!
i'd never heard of inversion either but the grey polluted sky sure sounds gross. we get really bad pollution here too in the air since we're in a valley, but it is nearly almost always sunny at least, too much often times. anyway, the scenery here is gorgeous, glad you could enjoy it! and that your car didnt' get stuck in that snow pile!
ReplyDeleteYep, very smoggy and grey. The gross air piles up in the valley up against the mountains when the air is really stagnant, like it usually is this time of year. We just need some serious wind or a storm to move the air through, but we haven't gotten anything mavin through for weeks it seems.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure it's mostly pollution. It's really gross, and terrible for people like me who have very sensitive bodies. I can't get rid of this cough! Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThankss for the post
ReplyDelete