Snow Melt in the La Vare Valley and ...

.... out come the marmots (extra) after a hibernation of 7 - 8 months having lost up to 2/3 of their body weight! They achieve a state of suspended animation by slowing their heart rate to 3 or 4 times a minute. The amount of snow in this valley is huge this year. I did not dare go higher as the surrounding mountains are holding onto snow slabs high up which will eventually  release and funnel down into the valley. Already tracts of avalanche debris, including ripped up mature trees (extra), block the usual track. I can’t remember seeing it like this, neither can I remember seeing the beautiful flowers called spring snowflake (extra) which were in abundance with the spring crocuses where the snow had just melted. What a fabulous stolen morning, the forecast was for rain but it did not happen till mid afternoon.

Have a good weekend everyone.