mountains

Maroon Bells and the Spectacular Fall of 2011

Maroon Bells located near Aspen, Colorado was incredible to photograph this year. The rains this summer produced one of the most gorgeous fall foliage displays seen in the past 30 years here in the Roaring Fork Valley. This video was made with stills taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel camera, video from an iPad, and iMovie. 
 

Snowmass Balloon Festival 2010

Here is a slide show of photos taken on the second day of the Snowmass Balloon Festival near Snowmass Village, Colorado which ran Sept. 17-19, 2010. The first day, the balloons have a race down valley, so I was able to see them hovering over Red Hill in Carbondale. The photos here from the second day were a great opportunity. The balloons stayed in the area and it was a wonderful treat to see them up close. Parking is very accessible to this beautiful event. It was a calm and clear day... perfect for photography, especially with the fall leaves beginning their changes. Please enjoy!

Happy New Year Twenty-Ten!

A new year, a new decade, a new state, a new home, and a new job!  David and I welcome 2010 with enthusiasm and wish a fruitful new year for all our friends and family.  We spent our New Year's Eve quietly in the comfort of our cozy townhouse. We got the movie "Up" and got take-out from local restaurant Beijin Tokyo, a great restaurant we'll visit often now that we've tried their food... yummmm! We saw the blue moon as we drove around. Blue moons on the last day of the year occur only every 19 years so what a great treat for the final day of the year!

On New Year's Day we lounged around a bit but then took a walk on the Rio Grand Trail, a 40+ mile trail that stretches from Glenwood Springs to Aspen.  Hikers, walkers, bicyclists, cross country skiers, horseback riders, dogs (with owners), and snow shoers use this trail year round for commuting and recreation. No motored vehicles are allowed on this trail so it makes a peaceful and safe place to get some exercise and solitude.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We took photos and videos of the beautiful scenery including a gentle stream that follows the trail and the cross country skiers that were about. We noticed temperatures were not too bad.  It was 32 degrees but no wind at all and we bundled up so we were quite comfortable the whole time.  We still comment how much difference temperatures can feel with a lack of wind.

As we begin our new year, we look forward to new adventures, new seasons, and new opportunities in Colorado.  We look forward to meeting new friends and hope that our friends from Amarillo will keep us up-to-date with their news.  Happy New Year everyone and may you all have peace and joy in your lives in 2010!

Sunday Drive to Snowmass and Aspen

Today was a refreshing drive to Snowmass Village and Aspen.  We took David's sister, Karen to see how the wealthy spend their money.  Of course Sadie is always welcome on our trips.  She loves the ride and loves to be greeted by all the people on the streets.  Beautiful skies and sunshine led the way for us.  We exited too early  for Snowmass Village but were glad we did as we found spectacular snow covered mountain views.
One cannot capture the powerful and spacious mountains of this area with a humble photograph but perhaps the reader can pretend breathing in frosty mountain air and use their imagination with the photos I have here.

We briefly stopped at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center.  I've been catching notices in the Post Independent newspaper about the various classes and events offered here.  It looks like a perfect place for a retreat or hmmm... oboe camp or harp camp perhaps.  The facility looks like it's comprised of several buildings including a dining hall. One building we entered had a large open room with a labryinth laid out on the floor.  Ambient music was softly playing and a poster with instructions on how to approach the labryinth was displayed. I hope to come back to this place and possibly take a class or two.  There are several craft type classes including photography, painting, journaling, etc.

As we approached Aspen and our usual covered garage parking area, we spotted a paraglider in the air.  Karen and I promptly got out of the car while David and Sadie parked.  To our surprise, not only was it amazing to see a paraglider in these cold temperatures, but we could tell he had skis on too. I can't imagine a more interesting way to break your leg but apparently this person is much more experienced than I. (ha).

As we shopped through the many clothing, sports, and art shops in Aspen, we were often stopped by people on the street asking what kind of dog we had.  Sadie is a Keeshond/German Shepherd mix and quite unusual compared to the many Golden Retrievers, Boxers, and other better known breeds.  We had Sadie all "dolled up" in her yellow jacket with the fleece collar.  Sadie is always very popular in Aspen especially with the ladies dressed in higher fashion.  They find her quite adorable.

The Road to Maroon Bells

In September, David and I took a drive to a place called Maroon Bells, which is a mountain in the Elk Mountains about 25 miles from our town of Carbondale.  There are two peaks - South Maroon Peak (14,156 ft) and North Maroon Peak (14,014) with Maroon Lake at the foot. This gorgeous scene has the reputation of being the most photographed spot in Colorado.  The drive through the White River National Forest is not bad either with its meadows and pine forests laced with golden Aspen trees.  It was interesting to learn from the locals that these groves of Aspen trees are really clonal colonies that started from a single seedling and spread via root suckers.  Aspen with their shimmering leaves and stark black and white bark can live 40-150 years above ground but the root system lives longer than that.  That can be a big plus when surviving forest fires.

The Maroon Bells are also known as the Deadly Bells because they're dangerously unpredictable for hikers.  Unstable weak points of mudstone fracture beneath the climbers feet without warning.  The Bells got their "deadly" name in 1965 when eight climbers died in five separate accidents that year.  That convinces me to stay the photographer on the basin floor where it's safe.  That view is enough beauty for me to last a lifetime.

We chatted with the Forest Ranger on our way out and learned that the entrance can be closed from as early as October and not reopen until late May due to avalanches.  She said that this past season picnic tables were found split in half from heavy snow.  We also asked about hummingbirds since we noticed the hummingbird feeders hanging from the roof.  They are quite abundant in the  summer.  The Rangers keep hummingbird feeders filled outside the entrance building and if  the feeders run too low, the hummingbirds actually fly inside their office and hover in front of them with a hungry look on their beaks.  I can't wait to see these amazing little creatures next spring.
Now come join us on our Fall drive through White River National Forest and the Maroon Bells.  If you like the photos in the video, you can see the still shots in my photo gallery. The video is more enjoyable if you watch it full screen.  To do that, click on the 4 arrows to the left of "vimeo".

The Road to Maroon Bells from Janet Lanier on Vimeo.