East vs. West

This is the time of year in the Bella Coola Valley that the folks living in the western end of the valley get a head start on all the spring chores.  Most of the yards and gardens west of the Salloomt Road area are bare of snow while the bare areas to the east are confined to sunny exposures and around buildings.

On a day by day basis the retreating snow doesn't seem to move, but if you are gone for a few days then you notice some progress on the melt line. The eastern end of the valley will catch up quickly as we slide into the later half of March.  Eastern valley dwellers will more than make up for the longer winter when summer comes and the climate is slightly warmer and dryer than the west.  Grizzly