From The Web: Google Street View via Snowmobile.

Whistler by snowmobile.

Best Cinematography: Sweetgrass Productions

Brown Dog's Ice Beard

Nell took this image of Dudley's sweet ice beard.

A Standard Chupacabra

via: Bi11y on twitpic.com The beast in slumber.

From The Web: Photographer Rob Palmer

Colorado Wildlife Photography at its best via Rob Palmer.

More Watercolors

Nell with Brown Dog near Arapaho Lakes in the Indian Peak Wilderness last summer.

A Pair of Watercolor Painting with Spring Skies.

This is Nell mtn biking at Twin Lakes Res. last spring.

Working on spring and summer clouds with watercolor.

This is me (my first painting to include myself) at Arches Nat. Park last spring.

Stream of Consciousness

Stream of Consciousness from RA Beattie on Vimeo.

Fishing from the Guide's point of view.

TRG's Generations

"Generations," a film on climate change coming fall 2009. from Teton Gravity Research on Vimeo.

via TGR
Within the span of a lifetime, one can observe the planet's changing climate. Mountain guides, skiers, snowboarders, farmers and climatologists across the world are all seeing change. Ski areas in the Northeast United States are feeling the effects of less snow. California farmlands are experiencing water shortages and the glaciers in Europe are receding at alarming rates. Skiing, which started as a mode of transportation, has become ingrained within mountain cultures everywhere.

AK-03 Columbia Glacier from Cliff from Extreme Ice Survey on Vimeo.

Big Mountain Master Jeremy Jones, "Deeper" trailer

Deeper from Anavak on Vimeo.

Train derails in Coal Creek Canyon

via Denver Post
Updated: 12/10/2009 01:09:52 PM MST
As many as nine train cars derailed on a bridge over Colorado 72 at the entrance to Coal Creek Canyon in Jefferson County this morning, sending a tanker car down to the highway below and leaving a second car dangling from the bridge.
Jefferson County Sheriff's department spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said the accident has likely resulted in a hazardous materials spill. She said no injuries have been reported.
Although about 15 emergency response vehicles are waiting at the intersection of Colorado highways 72 and 93, southwest of the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge, only Union Pacific officals have been allowed to go to the accident site, Kelley said.
Colorado 72 remains closed.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_13969065#ixzz0ZJoUhW4m

Updated: 12/10/2009 03:00:52 PM MST

About a dozen train cars derailed on a bridge over Colorado 72 at the entrance to Coal Creek Canyon in Jefferson County this morning, sending a "grain car" down to the highway below and leaving a second car dangling from the bridge.

Colorado Department of Transportation workers at a road maintenance facility near the crash site said they hears a loud crashing sound at about 11:39 a.m. and looked out to see cars tumbling off the track and rolling down the embankment toward them.

"It was unreal," said one worker, who refused to give his name.

The workers said the freight train was being pulled by four Union Pacific engines along track that makes a wide curve around the CDOT maintenance facility before it crosses Colorado 72 and begins its climb up the canyon. One derailed car tumbled toward the maintenance area but stopped short of hitting any structure there.

The engines stopped about 200 yards uphill from crash.

The workers said they rushed to the highway to make sure that the tanker that plummeted off the bridge had not crushed automobiles.

Jefferson County Sheriff's department spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said no injuries have been reported.

Colorado 72 remains closed and the bridge over the busy highway suffered damage in the derailment.

"It looks as though there is some damage to the bridge," Kelley said.

Among the dozen or so cars on the freight train was a gasoline tanker, Kelley said."There was one gasoline tanker and it was empty, thank God," Kelley said. "It would have been an entirely different situation" had gas spilled.Blue Mountain Estates, a subdivision of about 200 homes, has been cut off by the train derailment.Residents there received a reverse 911 call about the train derailment.Cranes on flat bed trucks have been arriving at the scene to clear the highway as soon as possible, perhaps by 6:30 p.m.Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/ci_13969065#ixzz0ZKEaamMQ

via reflector.com

Train derails west of Denver, car falls 25 feet
The Associated Press

Thursday, December 10, 2009
GOLDEN, Colo. — A freight train derailed near the foothills west of Denver Thursday, sending an empty grain car plunging about 25 feet to the roadway below.
The car didn't hit any vehicles on Colorado 72, a small highway that connects mountain communities to the Denver suburbs, and no injuries were reported.
The 94-car Union Pacific train was crossing a bridge over the highway at the entrance to Coal Creek Canyon when eight empty cars derailed, said railroad spokesman Mark Davis.
Colorado 72 reopened Thursday evening.
The tracks above it carry both freight trains and a soon-to-be reopened passenger train that takes skiers from Denver to the mountains.
It's not yet known why the train derailed.
The accident happened one day after a coal train derailed in Colorado Springs.

A picture of the Frieghtline and bridge where the derailment happened in the summer months. by Daviad Langdon

Firewood Frenzy

Unloading the last truckload of firewood.
This wood was cut by Boulder Country (fire & beetle mitigation) and made available to the community. The lumber is less than a year old as it fell in the summer months. It is sappy, extremely heavy and takes forever to cut into pieces. This wood will season for burning two years from now. Saturday morning there were 6 pickups waiting to cut and haul it away.


Brown Dog goofing off in the Willows.

This American Robin seems perfectly content in the snowy foothills of Boulder, November 15, 2009

Dudley at full tilt.

Charter for Compassion

“Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential for human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity.”

http://charterforcompassion.org/

Colorado Snow Report,.. Game On!

This morning's view of the Sleds(yahoo) and the Prius(doh).
Front range snow storms leave roughly 30 inches of POW in Coal Creek Canyon. More expected today.

ACL Fest 2009

* Banner image is at the ACL during the headlining Pearl Jam show when singer Perry Farrell joined them for a Jane's Addiction tune, Mountain Song.

Day 1Austin City Limits. Park grounds were like a golf course fairway.

Bassnectar

Brett Dennen

Ben Harper

Pearl Jam with special guest Ben Harper.

B52's

Mos Def

Eddie Vedder and his "hookem" touring stool.

A Muddy confrontation.

Nell's Flintstone feet.

A Caveman.

Smitty Market Lockhart, Texas.

Old Smitty Market

Kreuz Market, Lockhart Texas.

The Calm before the Storm.

This image was taken one year ago at my sister Morgan's Wedding in Parker, Colorado.

Yes, that is "dressed up" for me. The different in style between myself and my little bro is obvious. He's a real fancy pants, and despite my visions of a thick pelt of a mountain beard blasting from my face, he can grow the better beard!
... then again so can my sister! haa! Heyo!

Congratulation Mo and Mike, One year!


Note: Off to the ACL, in Austin tomorrow, I'm packing my bags!

Coal Creek Canyon: First Flakes of Ski Season!

Dudley's first day in the snow sports an ice-beard.
The Canyon got about three inches today. The first real accumulations of the season! Dudley acted like he too has been waiting all summer for this.
Waxing Iron On!