Jink & Diddle in NC and finish of Aspen Music festival

For 2nd time we attended the annual Jink & Diddle Scottish fiddle music camp near Banner Elk.  Huge benefit to Mary who came on leaps and bounds (and got herself a new on-line teacher Joanna for the year ahead).  Less so for me as the only oboist , but fun nevertheless.

John Turner leading the evening session.  The famous classical violinist Rachel Barton Pine on his left

Mary holding her own in no uncertain manner

Ditto

...while I took a trip to grandfather Mtn and enjoyed a bit of scrambling.

Rachel BP's 3 year old daughter performing.

Sole piping representative.  This guy makes bagpipes for a living

Diligence personified.  Ronnie Hudson from Pitlochry in the background

Back in Asheville Ronnie and Betty get re-acquainted.

Outside the tent for the Wed evening concert with Mike and Joan on their way from Tucson to Glendo WY for the solar eclipse.

Mike and Joan - a bike trip down the Rio Grande trail to Basalt for lunch

a hungry and overgrown chick who is reluctant to fly the nest..

....but trying.

Heidi back in town.  Lunch at Spring cafe in Aspen.

Our "warm showers " guests and new cycling friends Trent and Veronica from Berkeley, CA

My 2017 oboe teacher Ryan Roberts from Juilliard and Tamara also Oboe student at Juilliard and  reed maker extraordinaire. My new supplier !

Base Village , Snowmass construction at last underway again - after an 8 year hiatus.

The Aspen Ski Co Limelight Hotel to be.

Looking north down Brush Creek Road.

Our 2017 tenant - student composer Scott and his fiancee Emily a professional cellist.

Off down to Basalt tomorrow for the eclipse .  92% occluded. Last time for 100 years that a total solar eclipse will travel the breadth of the US continent.  D & K in Corvallis Oregon are in that 30 mile band where it will be total.

This was at the minute of the maximum 92% occlusion at 11.23am.  Not at all dark. Got significantly colder, but without the special glasses enabling us to see the occlusion , we wouldn't have known there was an eclipse.  What a difference 8% makes. Having spoken to D & K in Corvallis OR where they had 100% occlusion, it became almost pitch dark. An extraordinarily emotional experience for them and viewed from 5 minutes from their house.

The scene at Basalt library where they set up telescopes and a live NASA feed on a big screen inside ( where we saw the total occlusion in Oregon, but frustratingly not how dark it grew there ).

Back from Oregon - Barbara's visit

Even if we had only got as far as Wyoming by mid June on phase 3 of our transam, we'd have been back to greet Barbara on her long planned 2nd visit to Aspen. In fact we got to Astoria, OR exactly on the planned date and  had a week to prepare for the big event.  Red carpet laid out for the historic visit !

Barbara got the better of me this year in a close 3 match series

People in Colorado don't normally go into the parking lot to get sun, but Barbara was going to get it anyway she could.

Now this is more like it. At 8am, and this for 30 mins, became the daily routine.

Top of Elk Camp and views to the Maroon Bells.

First time on a chair lift - ever!

The intrepid pair after lesson on how to use poles

Top of an arduous hike up Hunter Creek. Huge achievement.

Ditto

July 4th parade

An evening with Gracie

Outside the Wheeler for the Sat morning Opera Scenes masterclass

A highlight of each day - cocktail hour on the deck

Fin de saison

The snow has held up well. The stats tell you it's been an above average snow year, but it hasn't always felt like that. Perhaps 'cos we've just missed the powder days in that they have rarely coincided with our days off.

 A bit of a set back has been meniscus problems on one of Mary's knees. She's been able to skin up all season without difficulty , but the skiing down has caused her an increasing amount of pain. So , armed with medicare and AARP top up cover, she consulted with one of the ever busy orthopod surgeons and had the standard arthroscopic surgery 10 days ago (a quiet $30,000 job !).  All well and she's healing fast - and no more pain - hallelujah.  She left on April 6 to visit her 94 year old mother in Asheville, NC and then goes on to see Jane , Johannes and baby Anna for a week, on Tuesday 11th.

We've hugely enjoyed all our visitors this year.  Rod , then Duncan and family, Martha and more recently Harry. Harry and I did the Aspen powder tour for a day's cat skiing.  Some tricky conditions . Fluffy 4 inch powder one minute and something more akin to porridge the next with no clear delineation between the two. Nearly disastrous for yours truly.

Bicycles out now and starting thinking about trans am east west phase 3.  We're due to start pedalling from Granby CO (3 hours drive away from here) on May 1. 1st training ride today - 17 miles up the Frying Pan river to Ruedi reservoir and beyond and back ( into the wind ) the same way . Exhilarating and no pain from left knee that has been bothering me since the powder day.  Big relief.

Start last week's work tomorrow and off to Asheville to join Mary in 10 days time .  Back then to Snowmass for 5 days before setting off on bikes for the Oregon coast.  We will be keeping crazyguy website updated as we go - see link at top of this blog page. i.e. http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/15816

Waiting for RFTA on way to Aspen Powder tour

Boarding the very comfortable leather seated and heated cat at top of the gondola headed for Richmond Ridge

Passed these guys on the way.  These two were among the leaders in the overnight race from Crested Butte to Aspen leaving CB at midnight !

Harry shredding some of the fluffy stuff

One of our two guides for the day - Debbie.  Piglet, wife of Chip, the other.

The Oregonians ( and the Georgian ) come to town

We had an exciting visit from Duncan, Katy, Oliver and Maggie who were with us for 6 days and now from our very dear friend Martha from Atlanta.

Crucially we got 3 year old Oli on skis for the first time and with these first 4 days "under his belt", he'll be very much under his own steam this time next year. Oli and Maggie both went into skischool/childcare for two days allowing the four of us to ski together - at least that was the idea.  'Best laid plans ....' and all that, 'cos it didn't work out that way.  Mary has got a small knee meniscus tear (arthroscopic surgery imminent  but she could well be fit for skiing again before end of season), and Duncan tweaked a back muscle holding up Oli on Fanny Hill on day 1 ( but he was fit enough to rip it up at Highlands including a lap of the Highland Bowl 3 days later so wasn't too serious it seems).   Both M's and D's injuries were not serious enough to prevent them from skinning up to top of Buttermilk, and Katy and I had a good day downhilling there on our own.  Saturday and Sunday both spent at Buttermilk on nursery slope with Oli, and Mary 'entertaining' Maggie at the base. And then to ARC ( Aspen Recreation Center ) for swimming and climbing wall. An action packed vacation for them all from which I fear they'll need a week to recover.

A couple of days later Martha arrived and a delightful visit (ongoing as I post). Skinning to Cliffhouse , Buttermilk day 1 and to Gwyn's day 2. Huge achievement coming straight from sea level and first days on skis this year! 

The family arrive

How cute is that ?

Kitting out

Ready to go

First run

Cliffhouse , Buttermilk

Happy days

The base at Buttermilk

Precious load - hold on to him Daddy

Oli and Grandad reaching an understanding

Help - he's about to get away

In the genes ?

Martha at top of Buttermilk having skinned from Tiehack

Within touching ( and pancake smelling ) distance from Gwyn's

A post breakfast run from top of Cirque (first time there for Martha) to Village via Upper & Lower Green Cabin

2016/17 Ski season up to end Jan

Winter was disturbingly late in arriving this year.  A week before Christmas, it was looking quite hopeless for the mass of visitors about to hit the slopes at the busiest time of year. But miracle of miracles ( although the long time locals all say - 'just wait it'll come' !) come it did, and until this week, it's snowed almost every day since, with over 7 feet falling in January.

Jobs are going well.  Mary is hugely enjoying hers at the Guest Services concierge desk in the Ticket Office in the Mall , right by the slopes in Snowmass.  It's largely a problem solving job and she's in her element. For me , it's the same old !  Although working 5 days a week this year, it's only half an hour longer per week than my 4 days a week schedule last year. Total 38 hours per week and they fly by.  With the continuous snowfalls and v low temperatures, there have been some very challenging days in January, but I enjoy those the most.
We had a very successful visit from Yorkshire Munrobagging pal Rod who stayed with us for 10 days. A delightful house guest who cooked for us most nights. Luxury.

Duncan, Katy, Oliver and Maggie arrive for a week in mid Feb,  then Atlanta Martha for a week at beginning March and Harry a couple of weeks after that.  We hugely appreciate you folk coming to see us. It's a long trip often fraught with weather disruptions, so we're all the more grateful. Skinning to Gwyns for breakfast hasn't quite yet become mandatory, but we're thinking about it.

Mid November and not a trace of snow in downtown Aspen. Cycling to Victoria's for coffee made up for it

Early attempt at landlauf skiing on Long Shot fell short of expectations!

My No. 4 bus at Town Park Station (otherwise Rodeo Lot). A quiet day.

Rod at top of Buttermilk looking across to Highlands

They don't get powder snow like this in Knaresborough. Rod " putting down ' fresh tracks.

Cloud 9, Highlands.  We passed on this Veuve Cliquot, but did get a good sit down lunch in a place renowned for 'tired and emotional' Brits who have difficulty with the subsequent descent.

A day boarding at Buttermilk....

.... followed by a skin to Bonnie's on Ajax for breakfast the next morning

The following week - nearing Gwyns. - pancakes beckon. Mary can just be spotted at bottom of Coffee Pot. Steeper than it looks. Keith will remember!

Reverting to boards

These 'flat' catracks used to give us trouble. Must be improving although often it doesn't feel like it

This one for Barbara. Picture this scene when you're sipping a glass of Chablis on the deck in June and looking out on the fluttering aspen leaves