The Great Annular Eclipse of 2023
I am still remembering the Great American Eclipse of 2017 with fondness and surprise. Even to a trained physicist like me, the sudden disappearance of the sun for a few minutes in the middle of the day was surprising, even startling. It’s probably my fondest memory of a natural event, together with the sight of lava falls on Hawai’i, the Big Island of the state. But there was a much more convenient eclipse happening in 2023. Continue readingSnowboarding Trips
The Great Canada Snowboarding Adventure The Great Canada Snowboarding Adventure GCSA Schweitzer GCSA RED Mountain GCSA Kicking Horse GCSA Lake Louise GCSA Revelstoke GCSA Sunshine Village GCSA The Long Drive Home GCSA Summary The Grand Tour of the North The Grand Tour of the North: Seeking Fresh Powder Edition GTotN: Planning GTotN Day 1: San Diego to Sun Valley GTotN Day 2: Best Western Tyrolean Lodge and Ketchum, ID GTotN Day 2: Sun Valley Resort GTotN Day 3: Sun Valley to Jackson Hole GTotN Day 4: Lexington Inn and Jackson, WY GTotN Day 4/5: Jackson Hole GTotN Day 5: Jackson to Big Sky GTotN Day 6: River Rock Lodge and Big Sky, MT GTotN Day 6: Big Sky Resort GTotN Day 7: The long way home GTotN Day 6/7: Holiday Inn Boise Airport and flight home GTotN: Conclusion
Steamboat During the Bomb Cyclone
It was (and still is) an amazing snow season, one of those you can tell tall stories about to your grandkids surrounding the fireplace. But the crown of the worst storm of the many definitely goes to the one that dropped a blanket of white from Aspen to Chicago. It marked the lowest barometric pressure ever recorded in Colorado, with some of the worst winter winds recorded. What a better day to do a road trip? Continue reading
Rocky Mountain National Park / First Open Week!
Colorado is justly famous for its mountains. The Rockies rise up in the middle of the continent like a wall meant to stop colonization and make the place rugged, remote, and scenic. Alas, humanity is really good at beating down nature, and the Rockies were no match for our relentless pursuit of wealth and suburbs. By now, there are homes everywhere in the state, except where Federal land ownership prevents construction. Continue readingGTotN: Conclusion
It is Presidents’ Day 2016 as I write this. The sun has come out and it’s going to be a warm day in San Diego. The yellow jacket is staring at me on a chair opposite this computer, while the board and gear are still firmly lodged on the living room floor. It’s a mess, a glorious mess. This adventure was amazing. I saw places I would remember forever, had more fun than I thought I could have, was less stressed out than I thought I would by the constant need to move, move, move. Continue readingGTotN Day 6/7: Holiday Inn Boise Airport and flight home
To the West, the airport, to the right the Holiday Inn. I was happy about that, because I really didn’t want to deal with any kind of traffic in the morning. Location for the Holiday Inn is perfect, and the rooms are really nice. In fact, this was probably the nicest room I’ve stayed at during the entire trip. The only downside: I got a Hotwire room. Some hotels have the nasty habit of giving guests the crappiest rooms just because you ordered it with a discount. Continue readingGTotN Day 7: The long way home
One thing I failed to mention in my write-up of the snowboarding day in Big Sky is that it was “unseasonably warm.” It was mid-February, when temperatures should have ranged from 15 to 38 (low high). Instead, it was 38 to 50. Locals told me it felt like May. I had checked the weather before going up the mountain and made the right (if scary) call: only the Tesla base layer and a cotton sweater on top. Continue reading
GTotN Day 6: Big Sky Resort
The shuttles come only once an hour and I wanted to be on the mountain early. To make sure I wouldn’t miss it, I was out and about around 8, for a departure at 8:35. I thought I was going to freeze my heini off, but it was actually temperate. The bus arrived and I boarded with a small bunch of people. The driver then left at the appointed time and we started winding our way up Lone Mountain Road, the main road towards the lifts. Continue reading