Nature

A snowy divide: Monochrome Monday

I took this picture of a snowy divide in my front yard last winter. Snow mutes colors and I decided to accentuate that by showing this image in black and white.

Though it may be a while before I get much snow at my house, snow is beginning to accumulate at higher elevations. In Bend, there’s a snowy divide based on elevation. I live at an elevation of 3,400 ft.

My home is in an ecoregion with low precipitation. Precipitation last year totaled 5 inches. Sagebrush and western junipers are the dominant plants where I live. When I drive about 15 minutes to the west, the elevation increases. Pine trees become the dominant plants. As you travel farther to the west, you approach the Cascade mountain range. Snowfall amounts increase dramatically.

Here’s the view from one of the live weather webcams at Mount Bachelor Ski Resort, 40 minutes from my house. The base elevation is 5,700 ft and the top elevation is 9,065 ft. The average snowfall per year is 410 inches. Yeah, that’s a lot!

As I watched the webcams of snow accumulating on Mount Bachelor, I was reminded of a famous quote: “Winter is coming.”

Monochrome Monday

SoyBend

Centered in Bend, Oregon, my blog branches out into nature, history, and art-related topics.

View Comments

  • That IS a lot of snow! It's pretty but I'd rather not see any here in London this winter, we don't handle it well :(

    • Yes, it is, Sarah! I understand why you wouldn't want a lot where you live. It's pretty, but driving can be a challenge. ❄️

  • It won't be long before we start getting hints of the white stuff (fingers crossed)..which also means we'll be getting ready to head south ha.

    • When I first posted this, there were only a few inches of snow at Mount Bachelor. Now, there is more than two feet. Winter is on it's way!

Recent Posts

Old Hay Cart: Monochrome Monday

This old hay cart is inside the P Ranch Long Barn at Malheur National Wildlife…

2 days ago

In our journey through life: LAPC

In our journey through life, layers of wisdom accumulate in us over the years and…

3 days ago

Bend Foodie Crawl 2026

On April 26, we participated in the Bend Foodie Crawl 2026. At this event, you…

5 days ago

Northern Paiute shelter & saying: Wordless Wednesday

Northern Paiute shelter & saying at the Oregon Trail History and Education Center, Glenns Ferry,…

7 days ago

Star Catcher mural: Monday Murals

The Star Catcher mural in downtown Portland, Oregon, was painted by Rustam Qbic in 2015.…

1 week ago

Clouds and quotes: LAPC & WS

For this post, I'm showing several pictures with clouds as a major element. The Lens-Artists…

1 week ago