Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Big Disappointment
Well to start off I've been sick with some sort of stomach virus since Wednesday. I'm starting to feel much better tonight and I'm hoping to actually eat solid foods tomorrow! I've been living off Jamba Juice, jello, and yogurt.
So I went to get the mail today and found out that by the time our application was selected in the Mt Whitney lottery there was no room for any of the dates we selected. So that means no permit for us! I'm very disappointed about this. I was so looking forward to getting to the top of Whitney this summer. Our only hope is to check the availability calendar when its posted and see if anything will work for us. If so then we can try and book that. But most likely it be weekday dates.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Lost and Found Vacation (and photos)
Dave and I have decided today on the way home to nickname this trip the "Lost and Found trip".
On Monday we woke up to very overcast gray clouds! We knew the snow was on the way. The morning wasn't to bad, just gray. Which is tough when your skiing because it is very hard to see all the bumps and moguls when the light is that flat. About noon or so the snow started and didn't stop all day. So the visibility got worse, but we still had a good time. I was pretty much forced to ski the "easier"( double blues, etc..) stuff all day because I couldn't see very well. I did do a few black mogul trails, but it was very tough to see them. We only made it up on Sublett Lift once, because the wind was horrendous. By the end of the day we had some nice powder for our last few runs.
So now for the real reason of the nick name of this trip. After lunch we decided to take the gondola up the mountain. We got up there and put our skis on and Dave realizes he doesn't have his poles! He left them in the gondola! Ooopss! So the lift people said they'd call down to the bottom and have them hold the poles for us. So Dave has to ski down the hill with no poles. Which isn't to big of a deal, its just hard to get used to. We get to the gondola...and no poles! So we go back up again...still no poles. So we figure maybe someone took them or something. Dave got a rental pair for the rest of the day. About 3pm we decided to take the gondola one more time. Guess what...they were there. So we managed to lose and find a ski then lose and find ski poles all in the same trip! Pretty crazy huh.
So I know I've totally slacked on posting photos. Ski trips for us are so busy. I hardly find time to even take photos. As I won't ski with a camera, since I'm a bit daring on skis. So my photography is limited to on and off the slopes time only. I haven't gone through them all yet, so I haven't picked out my favorites. But here's a few that I quickly picked out :
Moose Crossing
One of the moose who frequented our condo complex
Sunrise light on the mountains behind our condo complex (It was -2 degrees when I took this photo at ~7:45am)
Hope you enjoyed some of the photos. Check the smugmug site soon for more.
On Monday we woke up to very overcast gray clouds! We knew the snow was on the way. The morning wasn't to bad, just gray. Which is tough when your skiing because it is very hard to see all the bumps and moguls when the light is that flat. About noon or so the snow started and didn't stop all day. So the visibility got worse, but we still had a good time. I was pretty much forced to ski the "easier"( double blues, etc..) stuff all day because I couldn't see very well. I did do a few black mogul trails, but it was very tough to see them. We only made it up on Sublett Lift once, because the wind was horrendous. By the end of the day we had some nice powder for our last few runs.
So now for the real reason of the nick name of this trip. After lunch we decided to take the gondola up the mountain. We got up there and put our skis on and Dave realizes he doesn't have his poles! He left them in the gondola! Ooopss! So the lift people said they'd call down to the bottom and have them hold the poles for us. So Dave has to ski down the hill with no poles. Which isn't to big of a deal, its just hard to get used to. We get to the gondola...and no poles! So we go back up again...still no poles. So we figure maybe someone took them or something. Dave got a rental pair for the rest of the day. About 3pm we decided to take the gondola one more time. Guess what...they were there. So we managed to lose and find a ski then lose and find ski poles all in the same trip! Pretty crazy huh.
So I know I've totally slacked on posting photos. Ski trips for us are so busy. I hardly find time to even take photos. As I won't ski with a camera, since I'm a bit daring on skis. So my photography is limited to on and off the slopes time only. I haven't gone through them all yet, so I haven't picked out my favorites. But here's a few that I quickly picked out :
Dave on the sleigh ride ( I tried to get a candid shot, but he noticed the camera and turned and looked at me, oh well. It's still cute. )
Some Elk at the Reserve
More Elk
At the elk reserve... the bird in the tree is a Bald Eagle
Moose Crossing
The Snake River
One of the moose who frequented our condo complex
Sunrise light on the mountains behind our condo complex (It was -2 degrees when I took this photo at ~7:45am)
Hope you enjoyed some of the photos. Check the smugmug site soon for more.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Review of Jackson Hole, WY
Ok, so since I get lots of hits on this blog with people searching about places we have been, I' m going to continue with our review of our latest vacation.
Jacskon Hole, WY - March 2008
The Aspens Condos: Great deal for the price. We got a 1 bedroom condo for $110 a night! But I know studios were going for about $85 a night! The complex is about 4 miles from Jackson Hole Resort (Teton Village) and 7 miles from downtown Jackson. There is a shuttle bus, but we had a rental car, so we drove to the ski resort everyday. The condo complex doesn't have a hot tub, but the sports complex right next door does. I believe some of the condos include a membership to the sports complex. If not, you'll have to pay extra. I would stay here again. But if money weren't an issue I'd go with a place in Teton Village. In my opinion I'd give this place 3.5 stars (out of 4).
Jackson Hole: This was an awesome place to ski! I just loved it! The steep terrain and powder were great. Dave didn't like that the lifts seemed slow (they weren't high speed quads). But I think this kept things from getting skied out. I don't know if it was the time of year we were here, but there were hardly any lift lines at all. If you come during the mountain festival, lift tickets are much cheaper. Some of the best snow for us was on the Sublett and northeastern ridge chair lifts. Although Thunder Lift seemed pretty good too.
Food: We at at Q - BBQ. It was good, but not great. We also went to Calico for dessert and that was yummy. Another night we at at the Wort Hotel. That was completely yummy and we would totally recommend that. For drinks were really enjoyed the Mangy Moose at Teton Village. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar was interesting, but not all that it seemed it would be. The bar was neat because each barstool was a horse saddle. However they only took cash and all the beer was in bottles (nothing on tap). Oh I almost forgot. Check out the brewery (I forgot the name right now). They had good food and pretty good beer. We heard Blue Lion was good as well, but never got a chance to eat there.
Things to Do (besides skiing):Definitely go on the sled ride to see the elk at the preserve. You get up nice and close to them and it was a great experience for only $12 each. Grand Teton NP was also good. But not to much to do during the winter. I'd suggest renting snow shoes before you enter the park. Or else enter by Moose, WY and go cross country skiing or snowshoeing there. The interesting part was seeing people ice fishing on Jackson Lake. Go to the town square. It's kinda touristy, but neat. Lots of shops and some western bars.
Dollar Rental Car:They had the best prices when we went. The downfall is that the cars are offsite, so you haev to rely on the shuttle bus to get to and from the airport. But they gave us a 4WD Rav 4.
Jacskon Hole, WY - March 2008
The Aspens Condos: Great deal for the price. We got a 1 bedroom condo for $110 a night! But I know studios were going for about $85 a night! The complex is about 4 miles from Jackson Hole Resort (Teton Village) and 7 miles from downtown Jackson. There is a shuttle bus, but we had a rental car, so we drove to the ski resort everyday. The condo complex doesn't have a hot tub, but the sports complex right next door does. I believe some of the condos include a membership to the sports complex. If not, you'll have to pay extra. I would stay here again. But if money weren't an issue I'd go with a place in Teton Village. In my opinion I'd give this place 3.5 stars (out of 4).
Jackson Hole: This was an awesome place to ski! I just loved it! The steep terrain and powder were great. Dave didn't like that the lifts seemed slow (they weren't high speed quads). But I think this kept things from getting skied out. I don't know if it was the time of year we were here, but there were hardly any lift lines at all. If you come during the mountain festival, lift tickets are much cheaper. Some of the best snow for us was on the Sublett and northeastern ridge chair lifts. Although Thunder Lift seemed pretty good too.
Food: We at at Q - BBQ. It was good, but not great. We also went to Calico for dessert and that was yummy. Another night we at at the Wort Hotel. That was completely yummy and we would totally recommend that. For drinks were really enjoyed the Mangy Moose at Teton Village. The Million Dollar Cowboy Bar was interesting, but not all that it seemed it would be. The bar was neat because each barstool was a horse saddle. However they only took cash and all the beer was in bottles (nothing on tap). Oh I almost forgot. Check out the brewery (I forgot the name right now). They had good food and pretty good beer. We heard Blue Lion was good as well, but never got a chance to eat there.
Things to Do (besides skiing):Definitely go on the sled ride to see the elk at the preserve. You get up nice and close to them and it was a great experience for only $12 each. Grand Teton NP was also good. But not to much to do during the winter. I'd suggest renting snow shoes before you enter the park. Or else enter by Moose, WY and go cross country skiing or snowshoeing there. The interesting part was seeing people ice fishing on Jackson Lake. Go to the town square. It's kinda touristy, but neat. Lots of shops and some western bars.
Dollar Rental Car:They had the best prices when we went. The downfall is that the cars are offsite, so you haev to rely on the shuttle bus to get to and from the airport. But they gave us a 4WD Rav 4.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Found: One Red, White, and Blue Ski!
Today was a great day for skiing. It started out rather cool with the temps at 7am running about -2 degrees! But it quickly warmed up some after a couple of hours on the slopes. Today was filled with Blue Skies! Which is great for skiing because it means you can actually see all the bumps in the snow. Before going down for lunch, Dave suggests that we go down Moran Faces one for time and look for his ski. Michele figures its pretty hopeless at this point with the snow being packed down but agrees to go. The snow on this trail was horrible today, so not to much fun skiing to the halfway point. Anyway we got down to the spot where we remembered the fall happening and started poking round with our poles. After about 5 minutes of poking, Dave starts frantically digging in the snow and laughing! Yes he found his ski! How amazing is that! It was like a finding a needle in the haystack. We were so happy to find the ski! This is a trip that we will never forget!
The rest of the day was great. We skied lots of great trails. Michele got to practice some moguls and we even made it all the way to the top! We can't wait to be back on the slopes tomorrow for more great skiing. It's our last day and then its back to reality.
Yesterday we drove around the snow covered Grand Teton National Park. We even got to see people Ice Fishing on Jackson Lake. In the afternoon we went souvenir shopping and headed back for the hot tub. After a trip to the hot tub we spotted 2 Moose in our condo complex!
The rest of the day was great. We skied lots of great trails. Michele got to practice some moguls and we even made it all the way to the top! We can't wait to be back on the slopes tomorrow for more great skiing. It's our last day and then its back to reality.
Yesterday we drove around the snow covered Grand Teton National Park. We even got to see people Ice Fishing on Jackson Lake. In the afternoon we went souvenir shopping and headed back for the hot tub. After a trip to the hot tub we spotted 2 Moose in our condo complex!
Friday, March 21, 2008
Missing: Lefty
Height: 163cm
Weight: 4 pounds
Color: Primarily Blue with red, white, and orange
Distinctive Markings: R in a circle tatoo on the back
Last Seen:3/21/08 on Moran Face (black diamond) at Jackson Hole on Dave's Left Foot
Have you seen me? Because we sure haevn't!
So today was an interesting day of skiing with one of the worst skiing experiences we have had yet. No there was no broken bones, but after about 2.5 hours of skiing Dave and I decided to end the morning with a black diamond. This trail had about 1.5 feet of powder! Dave went down but came up with only one attached ski. However, soon he slid and flipped and the other ski came off.That ski went flying down the mountain. So Michele skis down and finds the right ski. Dave meanwhile tries to reach his left ski and realizes its been buried in the snow. Therefore Michele takes off her skies and climbs up the steep slope to help him. Dave and Michele end up searching through piles of snow for an hour and the ski never turns up! . But luckily Ski patrol was nice enough to give Dave a "loaner" ski! He turned that back in and gave his sob story to the rental place and they comped him on a ski rental for the rest of the day. So who knows when and if the ski will ever turn up! Probably in June when Jackson Hole thaws out! Note to self....stay off knee deep powder trails in the future.
Unfortunately this was the first day of skiing on a 4 day trip. So Dave will have to rent skis the rest of the time. Other than that the trip has been great!
We made first tracks this morning and when I say first tracks, I really mean first tracks! The snow fell all night long. So we were able to make our own tracks down our first run in FRESH powder!
Weight: 4 pounds
Color: Primarily Blue with red, white, and orange
Distinctive Markings: R in a circle tatoo on the back
Last Seen:3/21/08 on Moran Face (black diamond) at Jackson Hole on Dave's Left Foot
Have you seen me? Because we sure haevn't!
So today was an interesting day of skiing with one of the worst skiing experiences we have had yet. No there was no broken bones, but after about 2.5 hours of skiing Dave and I decided to end the morning with a black diamond. This trail had about 1.5 feet of powder! Dave went down but came up with only one attached ski. However, soon he slid and flipped and the other ski came off.That ski went flying down the mountain. So Michele skis down and finds the right ski. Dave meanwhile tries to reach his left ski and realizes its been buried in the snow. Therefore Michele takes off her skies and climbs up the steep slope to help him. Dave and Michele end up searching through piles of snow for an hour and the ski never turns up! . But luckily Ski patrol was nice enough to give Dave a "loaner" ski! He turned that back in and gave his sob story to the rental place and they comped him on a ski rental for the rest of the day. So who knows when and if the ski will ever turn up! Probably in June when Jackson Hole thaws out! Note to self....stay off knee deep powder trails in the future.
Unfortunately this was the first day of skiing on a 4 day trip. So Dave will have to rent skis the rest of the time. Other than that the trip has been great!
We made first tracks this morning and when I say first tracks, I really mean first tracks! The snow fell all night long. So we were able to make our own tracks down our first run in FRESH powder!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Moose in the Median
We made it this afternoon to Jackson Hole, WY. It's just so crazy that we are in Wyoming! So far it is awesome. So beautiful! Snow everywhere! We wok up very early this morning...4:30 to catch a 7am flight. (Thanks Arielle and John for letting us stay with you last night!)
The surprise of the day was the Elk National Refuge! We knew it was here, but had no idea you could take a horse drawn sled ride out to the Elk! So of course we did that and it was awesome! I got tons of photos.
Afterwards we hit the Snake River Brewery for beer and food. After buying some groceries for the next few days, we went to the condo. As we turned the corner, I hear Dave say "ummmm...". I look up and guess what's in the road. Well I should say walking in the middle of the road...a Moose! OMG! IT was awesome. I said last night the one thing I wanted to see was a moose walking in the road. much like Northern Exposure. I don't know if its just me, but this whole place makes me think of the show Northern Exposure.
Well we can't wait to hit the slopes tomorrow. Check back for some photos of the elk.
The surprise of the day was the Elk National Refuge! We knew it was here, but had no idea you could take a horse drawn sled ride out to the Elk! So of course we did that and it was awesome! I got tons of photos.
Afterwards we hit the Snake River Brewery for beer and food. After buying some groceries for the next few days, we went to the condo. As we turned the corner, I hear Dave say "ummmm...". I look up and guess what's in the road. Well I should say walking in the middle of the road...a Moose! OMG! IT was awesome. I said last night the one thing I wanted to see was a moose walking in the road. much like Northern Exposure. I don't know if its just me, but this whole place makes me think of the show Northern Exposure.
Well we can't wait to hit the slopes tomorrow. Check back for some photos of the elk.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
March Madness
The month of March has been crazy for us. We've been gone every weekend and this week we are going on a small vacation!
This weekend was wine tasting in Paso Robles for the Zin Festival!!!
We had some great wine, good food, and even better chocolate fondue.
This weekend was wine tasting in Paso Robles for the Zin Festival!!!
We had some great wine, good food, and even better chocolate fondue.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Happy Hour
I made this drink at home just to take some photos with my 5D. (I'm totally like a kid in a candy store with my new camera). I just can't get enough of shooting with this camera! and I wanted to practice using back button focus. Of course I got to enjoy the drink when I was done. The bad news was I broke the glass as I was putting it in the dishwasher.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Do you have lightroom?...
If so, check out this link for some free presets! They are awesome.
http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/2008/monday-presets-2/
Here are some examples.
http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/2008/monday-presets-2/
Here are some examples.
Original File:
Some of the presets on this photo
Rudolph
Yeah, I'm totally Rudolph right now...bright red sunburned nose! I must have used the sunscreen at least 6 times in the 2 days we were skiing. But I guess it didn't totally work! Oh well. The price you pay for loads of fun!
We had a great time at mammoth this weekend. Dave and I decided to hit up the top of the mountain first thing sat morning since the snow is usually really nice at that time of day. He totally surprised me as we were going down Cornice Bowl...who come flying by me! Dave of course! Go Dave! I'm so glad that his level of skiing is improving and he's feeling more comfortable with speed. It really allows us to enjoy the challenging trails together. He told me that is the fastest he has ever gone on skis. Later on we decided to race down another trail. It is so fun to have us both skiing at the same speed.
Sunday I was very proud of myself. I started the day out on a mogul trail and didn't do to well. I didn't fall but my technique was not that great. So I decided to end the day on another black mogul trail. This time I did great! I nailed almost every mogul! Go me!
Sorry no photos. I don't know why I even bother to bring the camera on ski weekends, I never have time for photographs!
We had a great time at mammoth this weekend. Dave and I decided to hit up the top of the mountain first thing sat morning since the snow is usually really nice at that time of day. He totally surprised me as we were going down Cornice Bowl...who come flying by me! Dave of course! Go Dave! I'm so glad that his level of skiing is improving and he's feeling more comfortable with speed. It really allows us to enjoy the challenging trails together. He told me that is the fastest he has ever gone on skis. Later on we decided to race down another trail. It is so fun to have us both skiing at the same speed.
Sunday I was very proud of myself. I started the day out on a mogul trail and didn't do to well. I didn't fall but my technique was not that great. So I decided to end the day on another black mogul trail. This time I did great! I nailed almost every mogul! Go me!
Sorry no photos. I don't know why I even bother to bring the camera on ski weekends, I never have time for photographs!
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Photography Resources
If your an amateur photographer like me who is constantly trying to improve and you haven't seen Flash Flavor yet, check it out! I'm constantly reading photography blogs and stuff to learn and improve. This one give me high goals for flash photography! I wish I was this good, but then again if I were I'd be a professional photographer!
www.flashflavor.com
www.flashflavor.com
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Weekend at Home
So this weekend we were actually home the entire weekend! The first in a while (and I think the only one this month!). It was still pretty fun. So Friday we met our friends Arielle and John for dinner and bowling! I bowled a 205 in my first game! Guess I still have some of that magic touch! Dave did well the second game (can't recall his score). Saturday we had some much needed cleaning to get done around the house and then it was off to Lake Elizabeth Golf Course. I tagged along with Dave for an afternoon of golfing to take photos with my new camera. It proved to be a good practice afternoon for both us. Dave worked on his golf game while I worked on photography techniques.
An attempt that worked pretty well at high speed sync flash with a sunburst!
I love how I framed Dave hitting the ball with the golf cart!
I completely froze though and couldn't wait to get back in the car. It was only like 50 degrees, but the wind was a killer. Gotta love those wind chills! Saturday night it was off to our friends house for dinner. It's always nice to go over there and spend some time with there kids. They are just so cute! Then we got up early on Sunday to go skiing at Mountain High. Another cold wind chilled day. The skiing was okay, the snow was not what it was a few weeks ago. But it's always good to be out on the slopes. Unfortunately the winds kept my favorite area of the mountain from opening. Then it was off to come home and watch the MD game, which turned out to be very disappointing. They were winning by 20 points and lost the game at the very end! Not a good note to end the weekend on. Next weekend we'll be skiing at mammoth. So check back for photos! The new camera is working out well. I really like it! The raw photos have been huge...ranging in size from 12-16MB!!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
