Snow, sun dogs and sunshine

I live in Wyoming for many reasons, but at the top of my list is the sunshine factor.  And so these last few weeks of persistent rain and snow have been hard. I know that the moisture is good, there will be good 'feed', reservoirs full -- blah, blah, blah -- but it makes me cranky.  Last week took the cake when the rain turned to snow.  Then the snow turned back into rain again.  We had something like 4" of snow here in town.  Is there anything more depressing than rain falling on snow?!

But finally, FINALLY the sun came out last Friday.  I had planned to bike up the switchbacks in the Sinks Canyon.  This is the same place I ski in the winter.  At the last minute I put my snowshoes in the car.  And good thing....

The situation on May 20, 2011 on the Popo Agie Falls Trail.  This storm dumped 47" of fresh snow in the Wind Rivers.

The "outhouse" picture as Laura calls it (it's a rock).  Middle Fork of the Popo Agie. 

I followed moose tracks for awhile which helped, but then the tracks went down to the river and I was sunk.  It actually got too deep for snowshoes, at least for me, in May.

I was on the trail for about 10 minutes when the sun broke free of the clouds and there was the most glorious sun dog (rainbow around the sun) that I have ever seen.  Hallelujah!