Visibility

I uploaded my photos from yesterday. I have finally found how to caption the photos on Picasa, so you can simply go there and look at the photos in the album instead of checking each link from here. That may be more convenient.

After the winter solstice, we can now walk down to catch the bus at dawn.

Through the aspens of The Aspens, you can see two of the southern peaks in the background.

I took some photos from a clearing accessible through The Aspens. The peak on the right is "square-top." It's a popular mountain for "backcountry" skiing, but it is not safe to ski yet. If you look carefully you might see the snow-slide lines that indicate an avalanche risk.

A view out to the valley from the clearing off The Aspens run.

A photo of "choppy" snow and a tree-flanked run taken from the same clearing. The run below is Snowdancer, possibly the easiest blue run on the mountain and a favorite place to take my green and blue classes.

The Aspens are spaced close enough together that I can ski through the untouched snow between them at a leisurely pace, but snowboarders would find it very difficult, if even possible. Note that there are no tracks on this part of the run. I cut the first right after taking this photo.

One of several long views from the top of 9990, the highest peak at The Canyons. They were doing avalanche blasting there for a long time, so the 9990 lift only opened very recently.

From the top of 9990 you can see all across the valley. I am pleased with this picture.

People hike up from the lift to ski this short steep stretch of untouched powder at the top of 9990, right above the ski patrol's hut. I would have tried it too but I couldn't find a convenient place from which to climb up, and there was a forbidding "no hiking" sign posted next to the ski patrol hut and another sign warning not to try any backcountry skiing while there was still an avalanche risk out there.

I took a couple of photos riding up the Cabriolet from the parking lot and transit center today, when it was snowing heavily everywhere. It’s funny how comfortable it was in the snowstorm, compared to how freezing cold it was when I took all the bright sunny pictures yesterday.