More than an annual tradition, Hogback Day is an official holiday at our house!

Confused? Let me explain …

Our neighborhood is perched on a mesa in the foothills of Pikes Peak, and we enjoy long sightlines to the east. For most of the year, as soon as the sun rises, rays wash into our east-facing windows. But in winter, when the sun travels south, a rocky, spiny ridge interferes with our sunrises. (Geologists call such ridges hogbacks. It’s true — I didn’t make this up!)

In winter, the hogback delays our sunrise. This means sunlight doesn’t stream in until well after sunrise — after the sun emerges over the ridge. On December 21 (winter solstice), the sun begins to travel north again. On February 25, from our vantage point, the sun has traveled far enough north that it rises over the eastern horizon.The hogback no longer delays our sunrise.

At our house, this is a happy harbinger of spring.

Sounds silly, but with 14,000-foot Pikes Peak just west of us, the sun sets at 3:00 in the afternoon in winter. Daylight is in short supply around here. Hence the celebration of Hogback Day.

Yesterday, Terry and Laurie Lee joined us in celebrating this distinctive day. We tramped through snow, bushwhacked through scrub oak, and scrambled up the spiny ridge. Our goal: an outcropping we’ve dubbed Solstice Rock. (On winter solstice, we see the sun rise over this outcropping.)

Sunny and warm, it was a perfect Hogback Day! Terry and Laurie have already marked their calendar to join us next year. Soon, people far and wide may celebrate Hogback Day!

Sunrise photos by Patrice Rhoades-Baum.
Group shot (Patrice, Mike & Jake) at Solstice Rock by Terry Lee.