Mystery in the Mountains

I have been baffled about something all spring. Over winter it was barely noticeable as it just blended in. But while we weren't paying attention, it was growing. Larger. And larger. Until suddenly it was undeniable.

The Snow Heap.

People, it's officially June and it's still there. What it is, or was, or was supposed to be is a mystery that we may never know. Check it out.



Admittedly, the photo doesn't do it justice. I know what you're thinking; the mad lady finally cracked. That is not snow, it is simply a white building on the distant hill.

Yeh, I thought that, too. Let me tell you that when the snow melted around here, it was clearly visible as a very large white monster on that far horizon. When there were no trees to shield it, it just stuck out like a fat woman at an anorexic convention. There was no denying it's existence. And it was huge. As in, above the treeline just behind it huge. The warm spring sun glared off it, making it that much more noticeable. It commanded attention.

So I told myself that something of that immense size couldn't be a snow heap. You'll notice in my stellar photograph up there that Seven Springs (the local ski resort) is visible just off to the right. You'll also notice that Seven Springs (the local ski resort) doesn't have any snow visible anywhere. Seven Springs loves snow. They make snow. They make their living off of snow. You can always count on white streaks down the slopes to stick around well after snow has melted elsewhere. And yet, there is Seven Springs, blending in with the landscape because there is NO SNOW.

That mystery snow was dome shaped. And large. (Have I mentioned that it was large? Because it was. If you'll notice, you can't even see houses from that distance, and yet you can see that snow heap. It's THAT big. And in that photo, it's considerably smaller than when it was first spotted.) I had myself convinced that it was a dome shaped utility shed. Big enough to hold Big Foot's monster trucks. Or a double decker airplane hanger. Or something equally immense.

But then it started shrinking. While it was clearly above the treeline, with each passing month it is shrinking below the treeline. And now it's so small that only one of Big Foot's trucks could fit into it. Which makes it most definitely a snow heap. And now that we've determined that it is, indeed, snow, we are just as clueless as to why (and how) someone would stack snow in a mound that high. Was it the dump for the entire city of Pittsburgh's snow removal crew? Did they drive up onto the crest of it and dump down the back side? Did the heavens have a hole in them this winter and funnel everything directly into one spot?

Unfortunately, the world will never know. But you can scratch your head right along with me now. You're welcome.