More Spring/Summer Snowtales

This June ski trip was with my good friend and fellow physics grad student, Adam Light. The destination was North Star Couloir which streaks off of South Arapaho Peak. I really enjoyed this trip as it was my first experience using crampons and an ice axe. I've been on several steep, very icy slopes with snowshoes or just snowboard boots and was usually scared out of my mind. It's hard to enjoy the climb when you're scouring the snow surface at every step looking for any sort of pit to grip with the tip of your boot. This time, we were scaling icy snow at a 45-degree slope without batting an eye. I gotta get me some of these.

Anyway, on to pictures...

We were considering Skywalker Couloir (the one behind me here), but on account of the 60 degree slope near the top, the deep glissade path down the center, and the disgruntled skiers sitting beside the trail calling it "quite sporty," we decided to head to North Star.
up and over is the way to North Star...
Workin' the new gear...
Over the pass there were some great views to the West. Here's Adam, making good use of the crampons...
The base of North Star Couloir...
Digging in! Getting steeper...
A quick stop for lunch halfway up the route and then we were off...
A nice view up the couloir...
Adam had a really heavy pack and skinny ski boots...
Views on the way down...
Another fine spring ski trip. We should really do this more often.

Wyoming

Where has the summer gone? Not to blogging, clearly...but to creating blog-able memories like this one!

Wyoming. We live so close, but still hadn't made the trek until this summer, when -somehow- we each found a span of 4 days to unhitch ourselves from life and drive with only a hint of a plan.

Thankfully, we were welcomed. and mesmerized by turbines.
Our trek started at Curt Gowdy State Park where we camped one night and spent a day mountain biking on their network of trails. That evening we cruised west through Vedauwoo, an area of rocky outcroppings amidst flat vistas and gently rolling hills. It's a well known rock climbing destination, but we just hiked and scrambled.
And met THIS guy.
After spending a chilly night at 9,000 feet and hanging with THIS guy...
...we headed up through Medicine Bow National Forest, hoping to hike. We got some great views from Snowy Range Pass (10,800 ft.), but were met with 6-foot snow banks in all the trail head parking lots. Alas, we weren't outfitted for snow hiking, so we moved on to lower ground. We stopped for a bike ride on our way down the other side of the pass. The trail was sloppy but the views unbeatable.
On a special side trip to Saratoga we sought out this public, free, paved hot spring, aka. "The Hobo Pool". Unfortunately, the water was too hot to enjoy. Too hot, as in 120 degrees. No wonder it's free.
Embracing our inner hobos...We spent that night off some side road south of Saratoga, where we ran into THESE guys.
Our final outing was a lovely hike up Sheep Mountain in the southern portion of Medicine Bow. Much of the trail was on exposed rolling hills, which made for more killer views Gorgeous. Thanks Wyoming! You can come visit US anytime!