Indian Summer - 2024

It's been a beautiful month since returning from Oregon. Some more wondeerful biking and then early subvstantial snowfalls on the mountain boding well for the ski season ahead. Snowmass and Ajax opening a week early. Skinned up to top of new Coneyglade lift to today and down Max Park. Thence into Aspen for Tosca - Live at the Met. M starts work tomorrow amd me on Monday although I've been doing 2 or 3 days a week mostly training new drivers. The Town have had the usual difficulty recruiting. Nice to be in demand at 78 !

Corvallis , OR - Oct 17 to 22 , 2024

Corvallis Repertory Singers that Duncan has joined performing James Whitbourne's Annaliese

which sadly we missed by one week.

Lunch at The Gathering Place Farm restaurant for lunch , Duncan reporting on his "Amsterdam experience"

Doing our " soccer Mum " bit . An 8.15 kick off

The star performer - Maggie

Oli and Maggie

Noe Granny Rye's piano and Grandad's ( my father's ) 1940's toboggan which we had so much fun with as kids in Edinburgh

Duncan , G , Maggie and Oli

M, G Duncan Oli and Maggie at Newport beach on a very Scottish day

Maggie taking part in a x-country 3K race

Maggie and one of the older stars against whom she was competing

 

Aspen to Crested Butte G & M with Agustin - Oct 12, 2024

Maroon Lake at 6.45 am. Dropped off here by Agustin ( in our joint car - we share to with Agustin ) who then drove 3 hours round to Crested Butte and started hiking from the other direction leaving the car for us at the Crested Butte trailhead .

The next 8 pics are in the wrong order, so starting with the next one below is
5 mins from the Crested Butte trailhead and 11 miles from Maroon Lake .....
 

Almost there - within a mile from the car! 

Coming down over West Maroon Pass. The trail runs just to the right of the small  pinnacle in very center of pic which is top pf the Pass at over 12,000 feet

Agustin

This is where we crossed with Agustin.  We got here first and were worried he might have headed to the left here in which case he'd have a 20 mile hike home instead of 11 !  Big relief to see him running up the trail .  Took him for the hike 3 hours and us almost 6 !

after 3,000 feet of climbing , here we are at top of Pass

Passed Crater lake and heading up underneath the Maroon Bells

A rocky section of the Pass. Much easier to ascend than descend though.

Between Maroon Lake and Crater Lake shortly after 7am

Sun now up ( and thawing out ) as we climb towards top of Pass

With Agustin the following day. A great joint expedition.

Back in Colorado - September 2024

    Back in Colorado and straight into bus driving. This pic from the driver's seat on  the Snowmass Balloonfest weekend. About 30 of them in the air at the same time !                                                                        

M on Airline trail heading to Aspen

Capital Peak and Mt Daly from top of the South Rim Trail 

Horseranch trail heading to top of North Rim trail

Last phase of the Mall development

Clear and precise trail signage

Coming down off Village Bound

p

Kessock Ferry Swim

This is how it ended up - for me anyway !

A barbecue after the swim with the Kellys at Balnafettack

M's inspiration Sheila

The Swim

Looks an awful long way - and it was.

M "completes" making it back to the South jetty. At about exactly the same time I was being escorted  into an ambulance with hyperthermia  on the North jetty !

Anna, friend, Jane and Elin

Scotland & Ireland - July 2024

With Cormac at the Commando statue , Spean Bridge

M with Cormac looking over to Inverness castle

A happy laddie

Training for the Kessock swim , but joined by Cormac

M, Margie, Anna. Jane. Johannes, Elin and Catherine

Cormac, Richard , sister Ros and Jeremy 

Cormac , M , Johannes and Ben from Australia

Ben, Anna, Elin, Johannes, Cormac and M

Cormac and Aunty Martha

Elin, M, Martha, Jane, Meghan, Cormac, Angus, Anna, and Iona

Meghan and Angus at Landmark Carrbridge

Cormac, Anna, Meghan, Angus, Elin, and Iona

Elin

Anna

A night with Wilf Stevenson in SW Co. Cork

Evening view from their house - stunning

Iona, Meghan and M minutes before Iona's swordfish sting

Lisa , Johnny Gilfoyle, M , Alan and Dennis

Cormac and Iona at the Rock Pools at Kilkee

Keith, M and Fiona to stay at Balnafettack

M, Cormac Meghan and Iona

My cousin Vivi and her friend setting off from Balnafettack en route to Glasgow on hill tracks.

The Rock pools at Kilkee were sheltered from this - just !

The Kellys to Inverness. Laura, M and Tim

Tim getting the full Russell experience