December in Tucson

Beautiful sunsets.

Looking west from just outside the living room doors.

And even some snow!

For those of you who know Tucson - I took this picture of the Catalinas looking north from Golf Links and Houghton.

Thanksgiving in Tucson

We had a good Thanksgiving with Wendy, John Henry, Mae and Lucy.

Pool time, snow time, good eats, and a visit to The Mini Time-Machine Museum of Miniatures.

Dodging snowballs!

"Snow Guy" with his makers.

What was left of "Snow Guy" with his destroyer.

Princess Cactus

Aspen in October - John Denver Week

We spent the last 5 days in Aspen (mostly for the John Denver celebrations and tribute concerts) but we hiked and biked too. On Friday, we took a 6 mile hike in the Maroon Bells

 to Maroon Lake and then to Crater Lake.

An avalanche area.

On Saturday we went to a "cookout" inside for more tributes.  We got to meet and talk with John's second wife, Cassandra (from Sydney) and daughter,Jesse Belle.

Then we visited a ghost town, Ashcroft.

On Sunday we went to the Windstar Foundation (a land conservancy) where there were more musicians and tributes.  The land conserves 1,000 acres with the purpose of regenerating wetlands.

Jim Connor, who wrote and is singing Grandma's Feather Bed.

Another concert Sunday night with the John Adams Band

Getting to Aspen

Why they call it Aspen. We took this picture from a little way up Aspen Mountain looking back down on the town.

Last Week's Hike

We took this hike on Sunday of last week, then drove to Tucson on Monday - spent a week warming up and now we're back in Keystone (yes there is snow on the mountains).

The hike up to the top of Mount Royal was only 4.6 miles round trip, but we started at 9,100' and climbed to over 10,425'.  Considering that the first .03 mile was flat and getting to the start of the climb, Bart has figured that the average gradient for the climb part was 16-17%.  All I know is that it was straignt up and then straight down.  I was very glad to get to the cairn at the top.

The view from the top.

That's route 70 way down there (which is where we started).

ASPENS!

We took a 5 mile hike on the Barney Ford trail outside of Breckenridge yesterday and then drove up Borreas Pass (which I am pretty sure Jil ran up).  The trail was dry...

and the aspens on the pass were spectacular!



A Quick Trip to Europe?

Some phone photos we took yesterday.

Nope. Vail,CO.

Colorado Springs Weekend with the Garden of the Gods and Pike's Peak

Bart and I went to Colorado Springs last weekend wher Bart joind the Jonathon Club from Los Angeles (as a ringer) for a doubles squash weekend against the host club from Colorado Springs, Guillermo's.  The team with the ringer won!  On Sunday Bart and I drove though the Garden of the Gods and then up to the top of Pike's Peak on the auto road.  The donuts were still as yummy as we remembered.

I have pictures in Tucson of Wendy and Jil and of Grandma Eleanor and Harley in this same spot.  I'll do a compare next month.

I have one of these from 28 years ago too. 

Labor Day in Louisville

We headed down the mountain Sunday to go to the Great Indoors and Ikea (that was a mistake on Labor Day weekend).  Then to Boulder for a little squash, before meeting everyone in Louisville for dinner and birthday cake.

Who knew that the Labor Day parade in Louisville would be so cool?  Everyone waiting for the start.

A lot of old cars.

Confetti.

Horses.

And Labor!

 



Stage 5 USA Pro Cycling Challenge

We've temporarily been moved from our condo by painters - drywall repair, ceiling and priming for new paint everywhere.  It turns out there's nowhere to go in a one bedroom condo when the whole thing is being worked on.  Nowhere, except the Best Western Ptarmigan Inn in Dillon, a perfect place to be for the bike race, since roads were closed around the area yesterday.  Not bad views from the balcony, either.

There were concerts here Friday and Saturday nights and now Sunday church service.

Stage 5 started in Steamboat at 11:20am and ended in Breckinridge around 3:45pm.  We left the motel at 11:15 and drove to Summit High School, parked there and rode our bikes the last 8 miles to Breck (all uphill).  It was a lot more fun riding back to the car at the end of the day.

Things were still quiet around 1pm; Phil and Paul were just getting ready.

Then it got a little crazy as people were everywhere trying too get a good view.

Then the cyclists arrived.

Just missed Viviani, who won - then came Castaneda, Oss and Van Widen. Bart was on one side of the finish line and I was just before the finish on the other.  At least I got Leipheimer in one picture.

An estimated 50,000 lined the roads in Summit County!