Island Park Idaho

There are basically five seasons in Island Park.  Summer (which is notoriously short-lived,) fall (which is beautiful beyond belief and lasts forever,) winter (which can be long as well, but brings a peace and solitude unmatched anywhere else,) and then, before we get to spring (which can be short as well,) we have the mud season.  That’s what we’re headed into right now.

The snowmobile association has announced they’ve stopped grooming the trails.  That’s the clue for those of us who live here that the mud season isn’t far behind.  You can imagine how much water there is everywhere when six feet of snow starts melting in earnest.  As most of the roads in the subdivisions (and most of the driveways) are dirt, that melting provides a mud hole without comparison.  Of course the resorts have paved parking lots, but if you’re going to a cabin — well, be prepared for all things dirty.

One thing I’ve noticed about the locals, they don’t bother with trying to hide the fact that there’s a mud season in Island Park.  They don’t wash their cars until it’s over.  There’s no use in doing so, really, but even the clean freaks have learned to just let it go for a couple or three weeks — no use in making yourself crazy.

The thing I’ve learned about the mud season is if you can just avoid looking down, you can almost convince yourself spring is right around the corner.  Some of the old timers here have perfected that technique.  I’m still working on it.  But I know that if I stay with it, just like spring, it will eventually come.