Christmas and Photoshop

I got ice tools for christmas. I played around down the road at a waterfall, took some pictures and worked some photoshop magic.

In Pennsylvania

Here is a picture taken from the live webcam at Ski Roundtop. ...Pennsylvania skiers ski in Jeans.

Where's Waldo

Came here over fall break to scope out ice climbing potential. Catskills, NY
This picture is like a where's waldo. I AM in the picture.

Finally.

Skied Rountop top to bottom last night. 165 turns. I counted. Too bad i left my poles in Alaska so that was interesting. Conditions were better than some mid-winter conditions there because there was NO ice. Heard some whumpfing and felt some settling, but that is likely due to the nature of a snowpack almost exclusively manmade.

The car when we got back

Tried to get pictures of turns

Guitar Hero

Snow Observation

Click to see larger.

Old and New

Below are two historical photos from 1898, during the height of the Gold Rush. It shows the rough conditions encountered by stampeders.

In the background the Sawtooth Range can be seen. It's fun to compare to the newer pics I took in 2008 and 2009.











The red line is the line skied this summer.

...Which gets me really excited for next summer. I am training hard to get in good shape to focus my summer on progressing as a skier and climber, and sharing that with other folks. Can't wait.

Skype

A Climber's Hands

Andrew McLean made a good article about how he admires alpinist Fred Beckeys hands. Maybe one day my hands will look like that. for now, after climbing tonight, they look like this:

Meteor Shower at White Rocks

Tom and I hiked up white rocks in PA to watch meteors from 2-5 this morning. Saw about 10 awesome ones but also enjoyed the hike. It was in the upper 30s- winter is on the way in PA.
Some pics

BACON!!!

The Avalanche Handbook

Im currently reading The Avalanche Handbook. This book is definetely not for the faint-of-heart. If Bruce Trempers book is an Avalanche awareness lesson, this is a full blown Avy curriculum textbook. Unfortunately, this makes it a heavy read, with lots of confusing charts and firgures etc. I am attacking this book one page at a time, and if I come across something I can't understand, I stop and research it until I understand it. After two weeks I'm on chapter 2.

Some content from the book:

An example of some of the intense any data.

Snow is so cool!!!!!!!

Alaska: behind the scenes

I like to post classic "Alaskan" Pictures of big mountains and glaciers. But here are a couple other takes on alaska.

AMG SKAGWAY

I shook the camera to blur the fire until it spelled my name

Sam. The three legged dog with an underbite

Birdsboro Rock Climbing

Day trip from school to sport climb. mostly 9s and 10s.

Stream Crossing on a cable.

5.9 slabby loose rock reminiscent of AK

Camping on Roundtop

Went up to the top of Roundtop with Gary for the night. Slept on the sunrise proch of a lift house at the top of Gunbarrell. Made bacon and vegetable soup and slept well.

Since I don't have a facebook, I want a place to put some of my pictures.