Snowflake Monday

How about a presidential snowflake for Presidents Day?!? This is my DeCaLiBro snowflake, and Mount Lincoln contributes the "Li" portion of the moniker. Yes, you guessed it; the mountain was indeed named for Honest Abe.


The DeCaLiBro is another set of 14ers I’ve actually climbed. One of the four summits I’ve climbed twice in winter-like conditions but not calendar winter, so those climbs don’t count as winter ascents, darn it.

DeCaLiBro is the truncated name of four fourteeners that typically are climbed together in a day because the summits are so close together. The roundtrip hike of Mount Democrat, Mount Cameron, Mount Lincoln and Mount Bross from Kite Lake is 7.2 miles.

Mount Lincoln is the 8th highest peak in Colorado and 11th highest peak in the contiguous US. It is the highest of the DeCaLiBro.

A mountain bike trail climbs Bross and circles over to Lincoln. So I guess you know one of the challenging rides I'm hoping to successfully undertake one day!

The DeCaLiBro is pockmarked with old mines. Much of the high altitude land is owned by mining companies. In 2005, landowners cut off recreational access to the peaks, fearing liability in case of injury, citing dangers due to presence of old mine workings. (You’ll come across some really rusty and sharp surprises throughout the hike; trust me!) The nearby tiny but bold town of Alma inked a deal the following year to lease the peaks for a nominal fee to reduce potential liability to owners and make the peaks once again available for recreation. Alma is almost entirely dependent upon tourist traffic, and peakbaggers make up a gigantic part of tourist traffic in Colorado’s high country.

Here’s a little Alma trivia. The town sits in thin air at 10,578 feet and is the highest incorporated town in North America, stealing the title from Leadville, the 400-feet-lower home of the mountain bike race made famous by Dave Wiens, Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis, upon incorporation. Another mountain town that sits at just 9,000 feet, Winter Park, decided it wanted the elevation crown and annexed its nearby ski area the following year. Alma responded, tongue in cheek, by vowing to annex the DeCaLiBro summits, which would kick derrière and take no prisoners, since very little can exist year-round above 14,000 feet on American soil. Take that, Winter Park! There are no fourteeners close enough for Winter Park to annex.

Alma was named after the daughter of the town’s 1800s grocery store owner. Hmmm. Perhaps gutsy yet humble Alma deserves a snowflake of its own.

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 5.5 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

DeCaLiBro Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 6 (counts as 1 dc and ch 3), 1 dc in ring, *ch 6, 1 dc in ring, ch 3, 1 dc in ring; repeat from *4 times, ch 3, tr into 3rd ch of starting ch 6 to form 6th ch 6 sp of Round. Do not pull magic ring too tight.

Round 2: Ch 2, working over post of tr just made, [yo and draw up loop from tr sp below, yo and bring through 2 loops] 5 times, yo and bring through all 6 loops on hook (cluster made), *ch 10, cluster into next ch 6 sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 10; sl st in starting cluster.

Round 3: *3 sc in next ch 10 sp, ch 6, 3 sc in same ch 10 sp; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 4: 1 sc in each of next 3 sc, ch 8, *1 sc in each of next 6 sc, ch 8; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in each of next 3 sc; sl st in starting sc.

Round 5: 1 sc in each of next 3 sc, ch 10, *1 sc in each of next 6 sc, ch 10; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in each of next 3 sc; sl st in starting sc.

Round 6: 1 sc in each of next 3 sc, ch 12, *1 sc in each of next 6 sc, ch 12; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in each of next 3 sc; sl st in starting sc.

Round 7: Sk 1 sc, *1 sc in each of next 2 sc, ch 11, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in next ch, 1 hdc in next ch, 1 dc in next ch, ch 6, 1 sc in each of next 2 sc, ch 9, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook (picot made), ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 2, 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, ch 2; working back down last ch 9, sk 2 ch immediately before 1st sc picot, 1 dc in each of next 2 ch, ch 3, sk next 2 sc in main body of flake; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.

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