finally back!

i'm going to leave the photos smaller b/c there are so many- click to enlarge...

i haven't been to fairfield in quite a while- lots of stuff going on. steve was up last weekend when i was in denver to get started on the baseboards so we can get the upstairs carpeted. seems odd to put down baseboards before carpet, but that's how it works.

i was completely useless for anything other than company & i just headed out with the camera.

the marsh is full of water. this will be down to more marsh-like conditions as the weeks go by.

seems a bit early for a lot of the birds too. last year i remember lots of yellow headed blackbirds, but i think it must have been a little later. i only saw a few this weekend, but this guy was quite obliging.

 the cranes are back & boisterous. i could hear them all around me, but it's really hard to get very close. i was lucky enough to see (and hear) some courtship dances, tho not close enough to get good photos.

i think that the one on the left is a youngster due to not having any red on its head. 
    

we took a drive in the afternoon to get the jeep out (and look for cranes). saw these guys running through a field.

the first wildflowers are starting to peek out.

and we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

this guy was sitting on a fence post in the field behind us this morning

i went out again sunday morning looking for cranes. i found a herd of them off one of the farm roads. it was so cool to see so many of them in the same place.

and then back to the marsh.

i got a few shots of these guys dancing, but the photos aren't very good- i need to bite the bullet, set up the tripod & start shooting manually. i needed a faster shutter speed.

and a shore bird

and while i was off playing steve was slaving away.....

and that's it for now! it'll be 3 weeks before i can make it back up, steve may get there sooner..... next up for me, the camas lily bloom- hoping for a good one this year.

ski

Well what can I say except no work on the project because the pictures speak for themselves.  It's winter, snows on, such as it is.  The first 1/2 dozen are from the Telluride Colorado area.  I was lucky enough to go on a once in a lifetime trip heli-skiing with 4 others.  Great group, super snow and about as lucky as it gets for weather when it comes to heli skiing. 

Below is an arial view of Telluride as we popped over a saddle at about 13 thousand feet on our way over to another ski spot.

The group just ahead of us getting picked up.  Yep they get close when the heli lands.  Real close.  This is just before he touches down.  The heli part is as exciting as anything I've done.  Skiing was no slouch either.

One of so many fantastic views.  I couldn't begin to take photos that do the mountains justice.

The sign below is within the Telluride ski resort boundary.  I found it amusing.  Certainly haven't seen one of these in the backcountry where I ski.

 Next up is a 5 day trip into Big Creek Idaho.  The accomodations below, included a wood fired hot tub.  Yes every backcountry hut needs one.

The plan being adjusted after a look at the map and road ahead, or lack of one so to speak.

The fangs to the right.  We did get right by them the next day, but it was stormy that I couldn't get a clear shot of them as they were in the clouds and we were just at the base of the cloud layer.

The shot below is a mine shaft that we didn't fall or ski into.  Would have been hard to get right into it due to trees above it.

And now we move back to the mountains above Fairfield.  We are on the ridge at about 9600 feet elevation.

The canvas that will get painted with skis in about an hour.

Up top looking out and down to Fairfield.  See it way out there on the flats?

And finally the canvas with our tracks on it.  :)

That's it for now.  I have way more photos and video than I can get on here now, maybe later.

Springs coming and I need to make the most of the snow while I can.

Don't you know.  Oh, and there is that darn day job too.

Backcountry Ski Adventure or another fun ski adventure

I know the blog says it is about the house project, but I did mention changing it to the adventure blog. So if you're looking for house info you'll need to go back to the oldest posts. Otherwise I hope you enjoy some of the photos from our part of Idaho.

O. K. this winter has been one, that, as a backcountry ski person I don't really like. The reason is, there is a layer of unconsolidated snow down near the ground. We had storms come in cold, then go out warm and wet. The other way around is preferable. We've had surface hoar buried under new snow and be slow to bond. This adds up to some rather complex situations for safely getting around, up and down the mountain while sledding and skiing. Unfortunately we've had some avalanche deaths in the past couple of weeks in and around some of the areas we like to play. One at Sun Valley, a skier. And then a snowmobiler from Fairfield was killed in a large slide last Thursday. The sled one really should have been avoided.

I feel bad for the family and friends. It has to be horrible to dig your friend or relative out and not be able to revive them. I can't even begin to imagine. The ride out would be horrible. The danger in the Soldiers, and other mountains north and east of there has consistently stayed around the considerable, to high range, most of the winter, so it really is a huge drag that someone has died while out having fun. So much more I can say, but that's enough. My thoughts go out to the victims' families and friends, because they now have the toughest part to deal with.

That said we've had the avy radar on extra high this winter. We've been skiing low angle stuff, always one at a time to a safe zone, continually monitoring snow conditions as we tour and the such. I don't need to get into a dissertation on snow safety. And so far so good.

Here come the latest batch of photos from our fun yesterday.

The transportation shot. 3 types, correct? Pickup, snowmobile and skis.

Heading out after parking the sleds. If you click on any of the photos, they should enlarge to the size of your screen, as I tend to shoot them in a larger, slower for me to download format. Give it a try and let me know how it works. Steve T. taking off clothes. He had some kind of thin mesh back warm front looking vest on. Interesting. Yeah I know how it works. : )

This is a look at the sawtooths from where we parked the sleds.

The photo below is of us digging a snowmobile trap? No, digging a pit to do some shear tests so that we know how stable the snowpack is. Well for that specific spot in which we are standing. It does give a person a good idea as to how volatile things are.

The clear view of Wolf Mountain.

And now we have the wild life shots. As I came trudging up the skin track I looked down and what did I see? A spider crawling along in the snow in the middle of the track. It (couldn't decide if he/she) soon crawled up the side of the track wall and went on its way across the snow. No one else seemed to excited about it. I thought it most interesting. Anyway click on the photo and get a better look at it.

And then a little further up the mountain I hear some rustling above me and what do I see, but a large grouse sitting in the tree. So at this point we are about 8500 feet in elevation. I'm always amazed at animals and things that live in some rather inhospitable enviroments, well at least for me they're inhospitable.

Next up is the lunch view of Warbonnet, definitely click on this one and enlarge. I never get tired of looking at this part of the sawtooth range.

More Sawtooth views.

The sun came out and from where I was standing, the snowy contours of the hillside looked like whipped cream.  I might have been hungry.

Eric dropping in on the fun run.

Steve T headed down  the fun run.

See Steve H. standing way down there in the burned trees. I made the photo xtra large for you.

The maps are out. This can mean one thing and one thing only. More climbing. Look! There's a lake down off the other side of this ridge. I bet we can slide over here and then down there and come back up either here or over there where you were pointing. So the big question is will we get to use the headlamps on the way out to the snowmobiles?

The happy bunch up on top.  Steve, Steve and Eric, photo taken by Steve.  Maybe we make Eric an honorary Steve. I believe he'd turn us down. Makes me wonder what all the Steve's moms and dads were doing or thinking at the time they decided to name their kids Steve? Probably standing in a hospital somewhere. Well maybe not. No offense Mom. Steve McQueen, Steve Allen, Steven Stills, Steve Lawrence, Steve? I know all about my namesake but that is a whole nother story.

Interesting thing is there is what appears to be a fumarole up on the top of Tyee kind of near where we are standing and where we sat to eat lunch. Or just a spot that has warm air coming out of the ground. Air is gas sort of, right? Didn't take a picture, maybe someone else did and I'll add it later. Anyways Eric added some snow on top of the rocks that are down in this hole and when we came back up it had melted off. Interesting.

See link. http://volcano-pictures.info/glossary/fumarole.html

And so we did go down to just above the lake for the third run. As we climbed out the sun broke onto the peaks of the Sawtooths. click it.

And this last photo, of me, I shall title "Searching for oxygen while sucking gas at 8700 feet".

Last post I mentioned something about funny how the sled engine heat feels. Hmmm?   It didn't make much sense to me when I read it later.  Must of been full body fatigue.  Last night  as  I was sitting on my sled doing 15 mph,  following a newbie sled rider, I remembered that thought. See why my mind wanders?  What I was trying to say is that the heat feels comforting on my feet and I think what a great red sled I am so lucky to be riding. It takes me into some of the most beautiful places on earth as well as to some unbelieveable fun. I think that is what I was trying to say. Oh look! A straight away and room on the left! "Red" can go to 60 in about 50 feet or less I think. So sorry Steve, hope I didn't roost you much.

We did manage to make it back to the sleds just before sundown. Yes we did ride out in the dark, again. But that is part of the fun. It can be quite pretty riding out with the moon up and the lights off. Or with the lights on.  I highly reccomend it.

So for now that is all I can come up with. Enjoy the photos and remember to click on them for added value and viewing pleasure. Send out all your happy thoughts of goodwill for all the living things out there in this big old world. Can't hurt.

Steve