We’ve crossed over Malad Pass and are driving past the village of Malad. On
the far side of the valley a long thin line of fog lies against the
foothills. Inversions are the general rule in the valleys when high
pressure sets in holding the cold air down in the valleys. The snow on the
ground keeps the air cold and reflects back what sunlight gets through
without warming the air so that it rises. The result is a cold fog laced
with smoke from wood-burning stoves and car exhaust. Foul smelling,
unhealthy stuff. I dont remember having inversions when I was growing up
out here, so they may be a product of our much more polluted air and
environment.

We’re headed to the airport to send Helen on an airplane back to Denver
where her son will meet her and take her back home. Helen has been a very
pleasant guest and we’ve enjoyed having her visit. This should have given
her a good break from her daily life in Castle Rock. The week has passed by
quite rapidly.

After her plane leaves, we’ll drive into Salt Lake and meet my brother
Perry and his wife for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in Trolley Square. That
may be followed by a quick visit to Best Buy and then we’ll head back home.

As we drop down into the Salt Lake valley, the haze and fog is increasing.
The inversion still reigns supreme in this valley. When we lived in
Pleasant View (near North Ogden), our house was up on the bench (a flat
area on the hilllside where Lake Bonneville once has it’s shoreline) and
was usually above the inversion. The valley below us was a sea of white and
often quite picturesque. Being down in it was much less pleasant!

The inversion gets broken up when the high pressure ridge breaks down
resulting in big canyon winds. The winds blow away all of the smog and
haze. That is usually followed by snow or rain, either of which are
welcome. We do have some snow forecast in Pocatello for Sunday.

So, it’s another driving Saturday. We’re having a pleasant day and all
seems well with our world.

————————–
Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld