Rail Jam & Rain

Well it seems despite the unusually warm weather the rail jams have marked the start of the ski season. Snow is being made on Stowe as we hope for some lower temperatures and the turning of the lifts. November 14th @ AJ’s Ski and Sports in Stowe MMSC team member Will Hibbs took first place in the men’s ski division. Everyone was in good spirits as it proceeded to pour for the entirety of the day. Of course no competition would be complete with out fresh hot dogs and that Ipod spinning some of those fresh jams. Congratulations goes out to all the athletes!

Hiking in November

Usually it is safe to assume that November in Vermont will be cold… or at least cool. With a predicted high around 40 degrees in Burlington I made the dire mistake of dressing for the mountain conditions. After being spoiled by the mild West Coast weather I have taken to overdressing which for the most part has been a success. Of course as I have said before Vermont’s weather is unpredictable at best! I think the high for the day was around 65 and the top of the mountain around 45 degrees. Besides properly dehydrating myself I spied these roots in search for the same water.

Matt Siber

This is one of my favorite contemporary artists. I first saw his work about 2 years ago when he came and did a lecture at The University of Vermont, later I saw his work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His last two series are both brilliant and yet so simple. Take a look at his work. Matt Siber

Camels Hump & Mt. Mansfield

In the great state of Vermont, standing at the top of Pinnacle Peak over looks the Waterbury/Stowe valley which lays home to Camel’s Hump and Mt. Mansfield. Topping off as the highest peak in Vermont, Mt. Mansfield is 4,380 feet above sea level. The Killington Peak located in Rutland (the second highest peak @ 4,226 ft) rivals Camel’s Hump elevation by a mere 161 feet.

Jet Stream

I have never seen an airplanes exhaust casting a shadow behind it. Vermont’s weather is a constant change where ‘partly sunny’ is almost meaningless. My view on this meteorology should be advertised as ‘its partly sunny somewhere’, might not be where you are but somewhere in this state it should be!

Fall Back

Unfortunately Day light savings time will be in full effect come November 1st. Enjoy the daylight before it is gone. Every morning I try and leave a little earlier so I can take some pictures on my drive. The other day the sun was out which is definitely an oddity. I could barley see the traffic lights as I drove east but when I came to a bend in the river with the sun to my right the fog was rolling off as the river sat tranquil. Get out and enjoy the sun before we enter the limited light of winter.

Mammoth Lakes, California

The winter of 2004 I moved to Mammoth Lakes, California. Some of the best skiing in America as well as a beautiful place with Yosemite national park and a lot of geological interest. In the valley which is an ancient volcano is home to countless geothermal hot springs as well as evidence of a past civilization. Here is a picture from Bishop, California of some petroglyphs I took.

A few years later as I was studying photography at The University of Vermont I bought a book titled American Images: New Work by Twenty Contemporary Photographers. A New York photographer, Linda Connor was featured in this book and this is one of her photos of the same place. Enjoy!

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Dwindling car sales

Did you know the model T produced by Ford starting in 1909 gets the same mpg as a 2010 F-150. Now that’s what I call innovation! A lot of people have been looking at alternatives. In Florida the retirment community has tried to cut back on costs and hold on to their social security cheese. Don’t be scared, grandpa is going green… I’m electric baby!

Tool Shed

This brings new meaning to the term tool shed. The ’shed’ is erected via the two school buses that not only add structural integrity but really speaks to the cultural aesthetics of northern Vermont. Yut!