2020 Travel Begins

So, after a 2019 full of travel to places near and far, the year starts up again this week. Here's to hoping everyone has a good 2020 and all your travels will be safe.

Bristlecone Pine Lollipop Tree

The Bristlecone Pine is a great name, but I see this particular one as a Lollipop tree. I love the starkness of the trees in this area. We were hiking to see a glacier on the way back from Vail last week and these trees stuck out as being unusual. They certainly are growing in a harsh environment as the snow just a little bit higher and behind me stays all year round. Anyway, it looks like a lollipop to me!!!

Three Bare Trees

If you are not an Evergreen tree up in the Rockies, you can get pretty naked during the winter. These trees don't even have a protected covering of bark on them. I love the starkness of the shot although I should have shot with less depth of field to help the trees stand out from the background. Oh well, maybe next time. These were taken on a hike to see St. Mary's Glacier on the way down from Vail, near the town of Idaho Springs. I am not sure we saw a glacier but it was a nice, tough but short hike at altitude, so more difficult than you would expect for just a one mile hike. Maybe the glacier was on the other side of the hill shown below but we were tight for time and couldn't hike to the top. That's Jono way out there in the distance walking on what I hope was a very frozen lake. He survived but made us very nervous.

Evergreen Trees in Vail

When things are this pretty (and you are dressed for it), you don't care how cold it it. A scene from the chair lift near the top at Vail.

One Last Peak

Had to post one last peek at one last peak as Shot of the Day leaves the Vail picture files. Just can't get enough of these views. The air is so clean and sharp, even before you edit the pictures. I wish I could make Vail more than a once in a year, 3 day trip. Just when you start to get your ski legs under you and breathe up at that altitude, the trip is over. Oh, well. Maybe next year.

Windy Vail Peaks

Here is another view of the peaks near Vail with a little wind or clouds up near the top. Every time I go out west and see these mountain peaks it just refreshes my soul. So beautiful. Those living out west are lucky to have these views but I wonder if those of us who are flatlanders just appreciate them more? The drive back from Vail had a lot of those views (our drive up was in the dark and in near white-out conditions--that was an amazing experience as well). Soul refreshed. Now back to work and family. I can also confirm that skiing is an anaerobic activity and, despite the amazing breakfasts that Samantha, Joe Jr and Joe Senior made for us, you can lose a pound or two while skiing. Got to keep it off!!

Peaks from Vail

Just got back from a weekend of skiing at Vail and the views from the top were just amazing, as you can imagine. This is a view looking towards the west and over some of the back bowls in Vail, which, we were told, have some of the best skiing in the world. I haven't been to that many ski resorts but hard to imagine anything much better. The runs go forever at Vail both on the front side but especially in the back bowls. It took almost half a day of skiing just to cross from the left side of the mountain to the right side and then over to the back bowls. Caught a first day of snow and then a second day a bit on the seasonably colder side but the third day, pictured here, was just about perfect. I wish I was able to get out and ski more. Great sport and a great Shot of the Day for the first post in 2020. Have a great year.