Gail & Glen's visit

Mary's cousin Gail ( who had been planning for last 2 years to join Mary on the Susuki camp at Beaver Creek but had to call off for health reasons ) and her husband Glenn drove up from Tulsa , OK to spend 3 days with us. A delightful visit, the highlight being the musical evening ( to celebrate Mary's violin teacher Heidi's birthday ) .  Very much a mixed ability group! Will try to post to Utube and include as link ( Meghan - help ! ) of the 5 of us playing and recorded on our Ipad. But in meantime,

these  give an idea of the fun we had.

Trail repairing - Rim trail

This was my 2nd day of volunteering for Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers a most impressive non-profit that organises days building new trails ( both biking and hiking ) , repairing them, creating new routes and generally enhancing the valley's rural outdoor facilities. Mary did it a few times last year and we did it together 2 weeks ago creating a new riverside walk in downtown Basalt. Hard, not to say exhausting, work , but very rewarding and good company. Then on Saturday , with Mary hors de combat with badly blistered foot after the Mt Elbert expedition, I joined the group for the day high up on the Rim trail above Snowmass.

Team leaders giving instructions at start of day - 8.30 to 3.45 with great food and drink laid on by RFOV at the end.

Mary's old boss Susan Cross now mountain manager for Skico at Buttermilk.

My team leader keeping an eye on me. This is a section on the highest part of the Rim trail on which Mary and I have had so many great biking trips over the last 7 years. Here creating a new diversion from a part of the trail that was getting worn.

Now re-instating the 'closed' section of the trail as the traditional afternoon storm blows in. About to put down grass seed and then cover with large amounts of dead tree material cut with power saw for the purpose.

Mt Elbert

A cracking day - Wed Oct 4, 2013 - and one to be savoured.

A long standing ambition of ours to summit Mt Elbert, at 14,440 feet, the highest of Colorado's 14ers.

Alarm at 3am, left house at 4, over Independence Pass and reached trailhead in pitch darkness at 5.15. Had huge difficulty finding it which delayed us 30 mins or so.

Equipped though with head torches and fair amount of gear - huge range of weather conditions to be catered for - set off at 6 on the dot. Ridge at 9.15 at 13,500 ft and summit at 14,500 ft at 11.15.  5.5 miles and 5,500 ft of climbing.

Just made it down to tree level before the first serious blot of lightning hit the mountain. Back though to car on Hwy 82 at 4.15 and home by 6. Epic.

Sun rising on La Plata  NW ridge  with summit in background

Good view of La Plata summit. Definitely smiling only for the camera. It was a tough pull to the ridge and still only 9am. Highway 82 on valley floor is where we started.

Auto pic having just hit the ridge at about 13,500 ft with summit in background still a couple of hours away

No , we didn't bring this with us or the flag!

Looking SE back towards Independence Pass

How's that for exhilaration and deservedly so. The summit.

Our Danish friends that we met on top. They had come up the traditional ( and very much shorter and easier route ) from the left of Twin Lakes that are in background. But would have meant a much longer drive for us.

Feeling a bit unsettled , but only thunder at this stage

More mountain biking - Ditch - Connector - Government - Powerline - Stark

Both of us put up white flag here. The ' Connector' between the Ditch and Government trails

Emerging from Connector, but long way still - forever upwards - to Government

Some of our many companions along the way

Never ones to decline a challenge, we took Government

Approaching the crossroads - where Powerline ( coming from Government ) crosses Tom Blake and joins the top of Starks taking us to Owl Creek Road  and home to Meadow Ranch

The final of the Labour day Motherlode Volleyball championship in Aspen. Couldn't quite catch on camera the subtle sign the non-server at the net gives to her serving partner.