World Cup Aspen 2012

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Bronwyn

In November 2010 I wrote my first post about World Cup here in Aspen. This year I slipped the GS yesterday and was a slip-station chief today for the slalom. I am always somewhat terrified (strangely!) of going sideways down a World Cup race course as fast as possible to erase the racers tracks for the next racer – particularly at the beginning of the season! So I skied on Thursday and then  put my skis in for race slipping tuning at Hamilton Sports here in Aspen who are the only shop I truly trust for this type of tuning. I am still alive so they did a great job 🙂 Although I wonder if I am maybe getting a little too old for this it is humbling to be slipping with people who are about 20 years older than I and I hope to be doing this for the next 20 years! To be this close to the best women racers in the world is an awesome experience. Here are pics…

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Waterskiing and snow skiing!

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Bronwyn

In June 2011 I wrote a post in which we had gone river rafting and snow skiing all in the same weekend….. well this week I put my water ski away and grabbed my snow skis and was on snow the next day! I got back from Lake Powell late Wed night and hit Aspen Mountain for opening day Thursday!!!! Is this the coolest place to live or what???

So I found out that not many people go to Lake Powell for Thanksgiving. One day we went about 25 miles to see these amazing ruins and only saw one single solitary boat the whole trip – they were fishing. Here are some pics…

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The last raft trip for 2012….

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Bronwyn

After last year’s beautiful trip to Utah for the final raft trip of 2011 we thought we would do it again this year. This trip was really special as we didn’t get any rafting with camping trips in this year as the rivers were so low. So we just did a few day trips. Even our dog was excited to be rafting and camping!!!! Although as we drove out through a torrential downpour for at least two hours I was doubting the wisdom of my dedication to this trip… We were so lucky – we drove into the sun and had beautiful weather for four days! The fall leaves were gorgeous. The girls caught fish and played in the river. I put up my hammock and read. From our tent we looked out across the river to see snow on the top of the La Sal Mountains and we were so warm and cozy. So glad we went!

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Doc Holliday’s Grave

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Bronwyn

It was definitely about time that I went to see Doc Holliday’s grave in Linwood Cemetery in Glenwood! I didn’t even know where the cemetery was and I have lived here since 1997!. So a friend offered to show me. It is a pretty hike up out of Glenwood Springs with beautiful views. A lovely old graveyard with a Potter’s field is where Doc Holliday is thought to be buried in an unmarked grave. There is a marked grave now in place to remember him by.

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Thomas Lakes again!

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Bronwyn

As you all will know by now it wouldn’t be Fall without a hike to Thomas Lakes! See the Archives for previous posts and a good comparison to the very low water levels in the lakes. I was really shocked at the water levels this year. On the way there a cowboy was rounding up a few stray cows 🙂

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Fall colors on the Snowmass Lake Trail

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Bronwyn

After last weeks adventure to Carter Lake we were ready for a relaxing hike to enjoy the spectacular fall aspens. What better choice than Snowmass Lake trail? This trailhead is only 30 minutes from Basalt and depending which way you take 30-50 minutes from Aspen. A perfect fall bluebird day with every step eliciting “Oh wow!” exclamations. We are unbelievably fortunate to have this right in our backyard and never take it for granted.

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Carter Lake

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Bronwyn

After reading a local newspaper column about a nearby lake that I had never heard of before we decided to try to find it. This had the added benefit of driving up past Ruedi Reservoir which has to be some of the most beautiful fall scenery in the area.

                                                                                                                                                      Finding Carter Lake via the shortcut described in the newspaper article proved to be quite difficult so we ended up at Savage Lakes for lunch then took the marked path just before Savage Lakes to Carter Lake. This lake is truly beautiful and obviously very rarely visited. A true feeling of wilderness and also a clear understanding that one is very far from help should one need it.

From there we followed a very little used trail to a water diversion structure impressively built between cliff faces. On the way to the water diversion we passed a stunning waterfall. Once at the water diversion we must have somehow lost the main trail as the trail that we had been following ended abruptly. Getting back to the road from there was quite a bit dangerous and I was very glad to have my dog with me as she is a great trail finder but I was definitely concerned for our safety.

After a scary creek crossing we connected with a trail which led us back to the road. I do not recommend anyone try this. Next time I will start from that trail at the road end which is impossible to find unless you know where it is and difficult to find even when we came out of it! We will start from there and see how one is really supposed to get to the water diversion.

True wilderness has very real risks but it is so beautiful and unspoiled. I now have even more appreciation for the pioneers in this area.

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Rock Art on Arbaney Kittle trail

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Bronwyn

Today I decided to do something new and descend my beloved trail a completely different way. The views from the top were a bit hazy so the fall colors did not photograph well despite looking spectacular. On my way to the new descent I came across some really cool rock art and took pictures of two pieces – there were also some intricate smaller ones. The new descent was a lot of fun although with all the bears around I was very glad I had my dog with me because I did not see anyone at all on this trail. Very different views and a completely different feeling… Next time I will do this as an ascent and see how long it takes 🙂

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Fall drive to Crested Butte

Posted on September 17, 2012 by Bronwyn

We missed doing this drive last year so were really looking forward to going this year. From Basalt it takes about 2.5 hours to drive via McLure and Kebler passes to Crested Butte. What a stunning drive. Kebler Pass is said to be home to the second largest aspen grove, so the second largest living organism on the planet, all aspens in the grove sharing the same root system. This year we saw a lovely combination of yellow, lime green and red leaves. We had lunch in Crested Butte and did some fun shopping then drove home.

 

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Fall from Arbaney Kittle trail

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Bronwyn

Beautiful fall mornings have been taunting me since I injured my toe two weeks ago and I can’t hike very well in flip-flops! So today I gingerly put on my trail shoes and headed up Arbaney Kittle. Sheila (my dog) was ecstatic about getting out for a hike! The colors are really beautiful on the hillsides with the scrub oak in all its fall finery. I took this picture in the opposite direction from which I normally photograph so this is looking into the Frying-Pan Valley and towards Red Table Mountain. You can see the tapestry of color on the slopes of Red Table Mountain – lots better in real life – I think my cell phone camera is wearing out!

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