Ski Sierra Nevada

Wacky West weather means snow on the 4th of July

A summer that looks a whole lot more like winter has travelers across the West scrambling to revise their Fourth of July itineraries — or at least their packing lists.

Ski poles are replacing fishing poles at popular hiking and camping spots where late-winter snowstorms blanketed Western mountains from the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada.

"A lot of people are calling it the trifecta day, where they're going to ski in the morning, mountain bike in the afternoon, maybe do something on the lake in the evening," said Julie Mauer, a spokeswoman at Sierra ski resort Squaw Valley, which saw record-breaking snowfall this season. The resort plans to open four ski lifts on the upper mountain and promises free commemorative July 4 t-shirts to the first 5,000 guests who show up on Monday.

At Crystal Mountain, south of Seattle, spokeswoman Justus Harris said she expected to see "a lot of bikini tops" out on the slopes. The National Weather Service is predicting mostly sunny skies on the mountain on July 4, with a high near 59 degrees. The mountain hasn't been open this late in the year since 1999.

An unseasonably strong low-pressure system has brought above-average rainfall to California's Central Valley and the Sierra earlier this week, and the National Weather Service on Thursday issued a flood warning for much of the region, cautioning that warming temperatures leading into the weekend will accelerate snowmelt and cause rising water levels in rivers and streams.

At lower elevations, the spring thaw has led to surging waterways, turning normally easy crossings perilous and raising flood concerns.

While ski resorts are hoping to entice visitors with the prospect of dense snow combined with mild temperatures, campers and hikers are less enthusiastic about the wacky weather. Popular campgrounds at Yosemite National Park are closed and visitors have been warned they may encounter snow, high water on roads and slippery mud. Flood warnings are in place in some areas.

Fresno County resident Jan Woertendyke, 56, and her fiance — both experienced hikers — were planning a weekend backpacking excursion to Yosemite's Ostrander Lake, which sits at about 8,500 feet. But after seeing ominous-looking photos posted online by other hikers last week, the couple decided to cancel their trip.

"I can't see hiking uphill with a 30-pound pack on my back on a solid trail of snow the last mile," said Woertendyke, of Clovis.

Torrox and Nerja – Tours for Expats & Tourists | Expat Village

Whether you are just visiting or you have fulfilled a dream of moving your entire life to the Eastern Costa del Sol – enjoying “the Best Climate in Europe” is intoxicating for a while. However life moves on – even in “Andalucia County” and after setting up your new home or settling into your accommodation you might start to feel an urge to explore your new neighborhood and surroundings further.

Nerjas main attraction is the natural archaeological caves with wall paintings dating from the Paleolithic and post-Paleolithic periods. It has a fascinating array of stalactites and stalagmites and during summer you will be able to attend both international concerts and ballets.

Visiting the mountainous outback with natural parks and white washed villages is a must. This is where you will find the past and the present materialized side by side. Black dressed elder women are selling avocados and other vegetables from boxes outside their houses while young senoritas in jeans are walking rapidly through the streets talking in their mobile phones.

If you are keeping to the main roads you will do fine in an ordinary car, however some parts of the natural parks requires a 4-wheeler. If you don’t feel like driving there yourself it is possible to book a jeep tour of the countryside.

If history and architecture is your thing you don’t need to be bored in Andalucia. In Seville you will find one of the finest works of gothic and baroque architecture at the Cathedral and “the eighth wonder of the world’, the Alhambra Palace in Granada, is only an hours drive away.

In general exploring and sightseeing are not limited to tourists. You can visit Ronda, an ancient Spanish town with old Arabic houses, go skiing in Sierra Nevada or shopping in Gibraltar. Your imagination is the limit.

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