Ski Season is here, or so it seems

New skis have shown up, new boots have shown up, and nobody seems to care about the fact that you can find killer deals on summer clothes. I love this time of the year, when people start getting all amped up for ski season, even when we really won't have snow for another 2 months or so.

I used to ski every month of the year, and for 36 months, no matter how much snow there was, i would try and hunt down a place to go, whether it be St. Mary's Glacier, or Rollins Pass or some 14er with a Couloir. Last September I missed my first month in 36, and then my streak was ruined. October didn't see a single day because of the lack of snow, but then november and december blew in some good snow. I am hoping that this year the snow starts early, because I want to go out and get after it.

While looking for photos for ads, I came across a couple from last season that I really liked, and as it turns out, one of the photos that Bent Gate is using for the Backcountry Gear Guide ad is of me in some blower pow. i am pretty excited.

Well, pray for snow, continue enjoying bikes, and start waxing those skis.

Weddings, Travel, and Work

I think i might become a Wedding Photographer. I would of course have to buy some new cameras, maybe some different shoes, and come up with some kind of way to distinguish myself from everyone else, and maybe charge, but it could be a good gig for me. I mean, free food, I get to snap photos of people I don't really know, and its not like there is a whole lot of variation in the photos themselves... how many times are you going to be taking photos of the exact same wedding party. Once you have your system down, it should work.

I recently shot photos for my friends Lindsey and Zac, and it was a lot of fun. I sort of missed out on enjoying the ceremony, but it felt good capturing the moment for them. Looking back at the pictures (and there were a lot of them) was interesting, and the whole decision process on what to keep is WAY harder than actually taking the photos I think.

But then I got to go to another wedding, where there was one main photographer, and about 1000 people with cameras it seemed (even though there were only 100 people or so at the wedding...) I imagine it would be very difficult to try and sell your photos to the family when you have so much competition.... maybe I will make chocolate covered business cards or something to keep all of those "amateurs" occupied.

Traveling is a lot of work. Flying standby is stressful, plane tickets are expensive, and hotel beds are not really all that comfortable. I don't mind it, especially when i get to see people that I care about or would love to see, but I am glad that I do not do it for work right now. Those were different days of living on the road and trying to pick the same hotel chain (courtyard marriots are all very similar, as are La Quinta inns and a lot of best westerns) so you can build up points. Choosing a dog friendly hotel is also way easier than choosing a dog friendly airline (although you now can fly with little dogs that fit under the seat, which leaves out rally) which leaves you with Southwest as one of your only options.

Ok, enough for today.... I just finished up with work, and hope that tomorrow is a little less hectic than today was....
Enjoy some photos from Zac and Lindsey's Wedding!

Thunderstorms and Rainbows

There is something comforting about thunderstorms to me. Some of my fondest memories are during thunderstorms or hurricanes actually. Here in colorado, the thunderstorms pass all too quickly it seems, but today, there was one that came in with such gusto, that my memories came rushing to the surface, just as quickly as the storm rolled into town.

I have been helping a friend with his roof, and while there was not really a forecast for weather, there is always a 50% chance that the weather guys are wrong. We put most of the finishing touches on the roof this morning at about 8am, just before the waffles hit the table, and i'm glad we did.

Leaving work, it started to sprinkle, but I stopped by my old neighbors house with the dog to say hi and congratulate them on their recent engagement. Right as i walked inside, the storm rolled in and CRASH BOOM! lightning and thunder galore. The dogs were freaking out running in circles trying to find places to hide, and the wind picked up. I sat there in the kitchen petting the dogs and thinking of how fantastic the storms have been recently.

Nighttime Lightning storms, extended rains, flooding, and hail. Most people thing this weather is terrible, but it always brings a smile to my face. I remember having to evacuate the beach house during hurricane Bob back in 1991, and we went to the town hall and hung out in the basement. My cousin Rachel and I played cards, and it was one of the only times that i was actually able to play my game-boy for more than 30 minutes at a time. Then I remember another time at the beach, where we were playing monopoly because it was raining and storming and we couldn't go on the beach. Eventually someone came up to our house and told us that our boat was floating away, so we had to go chase it and I had to sit on the bow to weigh it down so we could get it safely to the marina!

Kayak surfing in Rhode Island during hurricane season was always the best, because nobody was around, and the surf was always up, with decent breaks. I can recall a couple of days surfing for hours without seeing another person on the beach, and going to grab a nice warm cup of soup and a hot chocolate when i was done.

There is something about the smell of static in the air, steamy pavement, and wet leaves slapping your face after a good storm. Not only is there something special about the storms, but without the rain, we wouldn't have rainbows.

Buffalo Creek Freeride Trail Building

Along with riding trails comes making sure that trails are built properly and maintained. It has been a year or so since I have had the opportunity to go out and do some manual labor and put some love back into some of my favorite single track locales. the Colorado Mountain Bike Association has teamed up with team Evergreen, the Forest Service, IMBA, and the FRMBP to build a new sweet trail through some of the burn area though Buffalo Creek. The purpose of this trail is going to be a gravity oriented, downhill/freeride trail with drops, berms, technical sections, and other fun obstacles that are different than Buffalo Creek has ever seen. The progress has been great, and things are starting to move along.

Here are some pictures of the build day!