The sun shining in through the windshield was both blinding and warm. Deer grazed placidly along the hillsides. Brown prairie grasses and dried rabbit bush adorned the roadside. It could have been early fall, except the naked quaking aspens told the truth. It was mid-January and not the first week of autumn.

A spontaneous late afternoon exploration trip to Moon Lake Reservoir revealed open roadways, an empty lake, and nearly a total absence of snow.

David Rasmuson and Anna Farnsworth, both of Salt Lake City, had come to their cabin in Duchesne for the weekend. They took advantage of the unseasonable weather to go for a hike in the Ashley National Forest near Moon Lake the weekend of Jan. 14.

“Last year we got stuck in the snow, about a mile down the road from here,” Farnsworth said. “There was about three and a half feet of snow.”

The lack of snow opened up recreation opportunities for the pair that they usually wouldn’t enjoy except in the summer. No skis or snowshoes required.

“We hiked up into a meadow on the east side of the lake,” Rasmuson said.

Looking at the mountain side above the lake, which has an elevation of about 8,100 feet, there was no substantial snowpack evident on the craggy slopes. In fact, while the lake was frozen, the shore line and dam site were devoid of any snow.

That lack of snow, while opening up recreational opportunities for some, is wrecking weekend plans for others.

Dave Papadakos of Vernal is an avid snowmobiler. Most winter weekends, he could be found high on the trails in the Uintas, riding his snow machine.

Except for this year.

“I haven't even taken the cover off it,” Papadakos said. “It's out in the shed and I haven't even started it this year. That's never happened since I owned a snowmobile.”

Papadakos said he could usually start snowmobiling in November or December, sometimes as early as October, taking his machine to Wolf Creek Pass, Lake Shore Basin or anywhere high up.

No dice this winter.

Papadakos hasn't been stuck inside all winter, though. He and his son have been ice fishing most weekends. Still, he's optimistic that a good snowfall will let him go riding again.

“I'm sure we'll end up getting some good snow,” Papadakos said. “Sometimes our best snow is in the spring, so maybe the best is yet to come.”

Tom Elder, with the Uintah Mountain Club, is an avid hiker who is seeing mixed blessings coming from the winter with no snow.

On one hand, the lower elevation trails are open to hikers when they wouldn't otherwise be. Elder said his hiking club has been able to dispense with snow boots and other winter necessities when hiking.

But other winter activities, like cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in the Uintas are out of the question.

“I'm not happy with it at all,” Elder said. “I've got friends who are gonzo skiers, and they haven't had much of a season at all.”

Water watchers aren’t worried yet, even though December set records for lack of precipitation at the Salt Lake International Airport. The Jan. 9 report from the National Resources Conservation Service SNOTEL website indicates that the Duchesne River drainage snowpack is 81 percent of average.

A Saturday snowfall added some inches to the Basin and mountains.

Maybe on the next trip hikers Rasmuson and Farnsworth will need a snowmobile to get to Moon Lake.