Life in Routt County, CO during January, documented by Hallie Myhre.
January was a great start to 2022! There were many days spent on Mount Werner at different events and skiing. The Music Fest at Steamboat is a Texas country music festival that takes place at the being of the year. Known as “Texas Week” by locals, the event attracts thousands of fans and packs in over 200 hours of music in just five days. There are great free concerts to attend, but watch out for all the warm weather drivers on the icy roads!
The Annual Bud Light Cowboy Downhill is a fun event in January. Each year during the National Western Stock Show in Denver, PRCA and PBR competitors are invited to Steamboat Resort. The night before the race, the base of the ski area is lit up with hot air balloons and music. The next day the cowboys and cowgirls compete in a one-of-a-kind dual slalom race that includes a jump, roping a cowgirl, and throwing a saddle on a horse (yes, a real horse). During the stampede, the most popular event of the weekend, all of the ProRodeo competitors race straight down the course at the same time, always resulting in big crashes. After the racing, there is a free concert on the outdoor stage.
The end of January marked the start of lambing season. A set of twins were born on the morning of the 20th. A little ewe lamb and her significantly bigger brother have been growing quickly since. A week later another ewe went into labor on a bitter afternoon when the temperature had already dropped below 0°F. The single ewe lamb was pretty big and her momma need a little human help. Despite the cold temperature and difficult delivery, she was on her feet and nursing in no time. When she is not jumping and running around with the other lambs she is usually napping in the lamb warmer, can’t blame her! This January brought some of the coldest temperatures of the winter so far along with 19+ inches of snow. The snow-packed trees and frosty mornings make for some of my favorite winter scenery. As usual, there were stunning sunrises and sunsets. Happy 2022!
