Not really Colorado architecture...

...but the scenery around the concrete condo my friend owns makes up for the building facade many times over!

From the (sea?) water...

One of the cool things about Summit County CO is its high lake, Lake Dillon. Two marinas vie for title of highest marina in the US. The Frisco marina is just a few short blocks from my friend's condo. There were several dozen sailboats and pontoon boats buttoned up for winter and stored on shore. I loved the incongruity of a sailboat at the base of these incredible mountains. I played with a lot of angles, but I enjoyed seeing Peak One through the metal prow, and the flare from the early morning sun sold me on this choice of photos to post.

How about a pair of Fourteeners?

Although there are three mountain peaks in this photo, only two, Gray's and Torrey's, are fourteeners, mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation. From the left, the peaks are: Grizzly, Gray's, and Torrey's. There are more than 50 14ers in the state of Colorado. If you are ambitious, you can summit the pair of these in a single summer's day.

Tiled artwork depicts actual scenery

This painted-tile wall on the side of a building in downtown Frisco, Colorado depicts the start of the Ten Mile Range (Peak One, the white mountain partially hidden behind the pine tree) and some fall aspens.

Knock knock...

Who's there? People on the other side of the doors of this old jail would have to wonder who was coming to visit! The jail, preserved from 1800s mining days, is now part of a natural museum park in Frisco, Colorado. The white "No Smoking" sign on the door is a reminder of the 21st century. I decided not to Photoshop it out.

Jumping, leaping, bouncing . . .

Not all the fun at the ski slopes happens on the snow. In the base-area village at Keystone, there are shops, restaurants, and little family-oriented diversions such as this to entertain the visitors. Here, you hook yourself up to a harness and boing yourself as high as you can go!

This little girl is getting quite a ride!

I see a bad moon rising . . .

Well, not really bad. Pretty spectacular, in fact. Driving to dinner one night, I accidently ended up in the "scenic overlook" ramp of I-70. Driving out of it, my friend started yelling "Stop the car! Stop the car!" This moon, rising over the mountains across the lake, was the cause of his excitement. Still in the overlook area, I screeched to a halt and we grabbed our cameras and fired off some shots. I posted one of the other shots at the Village earlier. All shots were either handheld or resting on the car for a tripod, 1/20 shutter speed (shutter priority), f/4.6, ISO 100.

Ultimate recycling

Remember the ski fence in front of the Outpost? This beautiful log building is the Outpost, at the top of North Peak at Keystone ski resort in Colorado. When the mountain was cleared of trees to make the runs, the trees were milled into lumber and logs and used to build this restaurant.

Oops!

If you fall while skiing, you will probably say more than "oops". If you do fall, the ski patrol can get you safely down the mountain in one of their rescue sleds. These two patrolers were practicing their skills.

Use caution when exiting

Ski school students are protected from the elements as they ride up the "magic carpet" through this artificial tunnel.

Who has the right of way?

There are many intersections to watch for as you make your way down the mountain.

Um...I don't speak Snowboarder...

I have no idea what these warnings mean, but I'll be extra careful to avoid doing either of these questionable-sounding practices in the presence of the ski patrol (I hope)!

Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time

Like many 365 bloggers, I have some of the more difficult themes in my head, wondering what in the world I will photograph. Stopping for a rest at the Outpost in Keystone, I find a small display of ice sculptures. They are all transparent! This shot is one of my favorites. 5280' make a mile, but at over 11,000 feet, the Outpost is more than two miles high, so I'm not sure of the significance of the sculpture.



I like this close-up of the zero: Click to enlarge and you can see Breckenridge ski resort, through the pine trees...another fun place to ski!

Interrupting our regularly scheduled ski-trip programming...

I've been tagged by Mary Lou, Terri and Sunny. Here is the 6th photo in my 6th photo folder...a welcome breath of SPRING! These are some cherry blossoms from a nearby park in May of 2008...



Tomorrow, it's back to the slopes!

What's big and yellow and has really scary teeth?

On the chairlift at Copper Mountain, we kept riding above this thing. Finally skied down to check it out. Best we can figure, this snow cat was fitted with a special auger to help shape the half-pipes that dot the ski mountain. Snowboarders ride the half-pipes and do tricks. The blade on this had an incredible spiral. I included a shot of the entire machine to put it all into perspective.

No angels here...

Which one of these runs might YOU choose?

Ski vid for Kim and Tammy

This is from last year (we didn't take any video this year). I'm in the middle, waving my arms like a bird at the very end... :-P

Getting from here to there

Skiers get around the mountain using navigational aids like this trail map.

Beware! Be safe!

How do you know which runs you can ski? Resorts use a common ranking system. Green circle = Beginner. Blue square = Intermediate. Black Diamond = Advanced. Double black diamond = Experts only. It can be dangerous to venture down a trail above your ability.

Things that make you go "hmmmmmm"

Not all things that go make sense. This ski bike combines, well, skiing and biking. Where are the brakes?

Easier than hiking up!

Not all of your ski trip is spent going downhill. First, you have to get UP the hill. These gondolas provide warm, fast public transportation to the top of the mountain!

Good fences make good neighbors

At the top of North Peak, in Keystone Colorado, is a gorgeous restaurant/bar called the Outpost. This line of skis makes a great fenceline, positioned as it is between the run that gets you here, and the entrance to the building.

"I am the eagle, I live in high country ... "

"The Eagle and the Hawk", John Denver

You might recall my (borrowed) photo of ACTUAL bald eagles back in February. This patriotic statue of the U. S. national bird is on the shores of Lake Dillon, in Summit County, Colorado, where I'm spending part of my spring break. Come along on my ski trip over the next few days!

Did you see what I saw??

This trio of referees at a recent indoor football league game confer after one of them drops a flag against the home team.

". . . and thereby hangs a tale".

"The Taming of the Shrew" Act iv. Scene 1.

Selected works from one of the most famous authors in history.

2 months into my annual "lose a few pounds" resolution

and still going strong! Some of these are helping me along!

Eenie, meenie, minie, mo . . .

. . . actually, I'm more of a believer in rock, paper, scissors. Here's a literal take on that theme!

What looks to be a gemstone embedded in the left-most rock is indeed a garnet. When visitors arrive at the ferry docks in Wrangell, Alaska, they are greeted by tables of school-age children who dig and chip garnets from a nearby ledge. Since the garnet is my birthstone, I had no trouble helping to support a local kid's "mining" efforts by bringing home this one. If I remember correctly, I think this set me back about $5 U.S.

Decisions, decisions . . .

Out to lunch with my friend Rita, we ponder all the yummy choices on the menu. Funny thing, though; no matter how often we eat there, and how good all the food sounds, we each always order the same meal; Ultimate Grilled Cheese for me (with tomato, asparagus and bacon) and the California Reuben for her. Hungry now?

Worm (?), bird, lion

Those symbols, in Egyptian Hieroglyphics, spell my name V-A-L. I would not have known this, as Egyptian is not my Mother tongue, but my stepdad brough me back this cool necklace from a recent trip to Egypt and it came with a translation guide.

Getting better organized

I got a LOT of blog feedback on the little boxes I use to store all of my camera, GPS and MP3 chargers, cords, etc. I've always wanted one of those nifty label-makers but could never justify the $50+ price tag. Thanks, WalMart, for this $19 model! Now it will be more fun to be organized!

A chance to double-dip!

No, not ice cream. BillZ put up "furry" as a theme photo challenge at the Village, and this was my entry.

Here, however, I'm putting it in the category of "Toys". I'm hoping to find more interesting furry specimens when the weather improves.

Memories from the 1800s . . .

. . . silver and gold! Although these little souvenirs didn't actually come from the mining days, they bring to mind stories of eager prospectors, racing up the mountains with their equipment-laden burros, hoping to strike it rich.

These? My folks brought me back this little vial of gold flakes from an Alaskan cruise a few year back, and I can't quite recall where this somewhat tarnished silver dollar came from.

"It takes two, baby . . .

. . . it takes two!"

Playing around with some leftover Valentine's Day roses in my light box.