It’s the time of year again for everyone that rides in Scotts Valley to raise money for our local schools while enjoying our great mountain roads. This year we’ve got a few changes. Charlotte got a lot of help from Aura, Mike, and others in pulling off this great SVEF event. And this year Gabe joined me in riding the 50km route. I’ll miss doing Mt. Charlie with the usual crew, but riding with Gabe is a treat and there’s plenty of climbing to enjoy. ...
Yesterday was a great bike ride down from Santa Cruz, but no one is excited to head back in the saddle this morning. Instead our intrepid group explores Garland Ranch park.
I’m off for a long bike ride down to Carmel along with some friends, while Charlotte enjoys some hiking with her friends. It’s a great day for both cycling and hiking. The cliffs and ocean along 17 Mile Drive are always fantastic. I’ve already gotten a lot of this view when we cycled past here a few hours ago. More of that great cliff scenery. We hooked up with the ladies in Carmel Valley where we enjoyed a nice evening at the Los Laureles Lodge, and a great dinner at Cafe Rustica. I can tell that Sally really enjoyed herself. ...
Gabe joined the wrestling team along with Doug and a few of his friends this year. He had a lot of fun with practice, but the meets were a bit too stressful for him. I’m glad I got to see one of his meets before wrestling became a thing of the past. Maybe one day he’ll be back, as he’s got some natural ability.
It’s our last day in Yellowstone as we head into the park once again. The antelope finally make an appearance at the entrance, as well as a hungry raven that keeps us company while we eat our lunch. We head to Lamar Valley again to visit with the river otters. This guy shows off a fish he just caught. We’ve got a little company while we photograph the otters. I know Monica is enjoying herself immensely. ...
Yesterday was a big coyote day, and today is going to be all about river otters. Before we meet the otters, a few random shots from the hotel and wandering about in the park. We heard the otters might be down towards Pebble Creek, and we spotted some ducks and a group of otters. They were too far for photos most of the time, but we’ll head back to Lamar Valley and their lodge to catch some good shots. ...
We had a great day in the park yesterday, but Yellowstone has another great day lined up for us again. We passed a nice group of bull elk on our drive into the park. Today we’ll be snowshoeing in another area I really love by the confluence of the Lamar and Yellowstone rivers. Mark and Monica found a nice elk carcass that didn’t mind posing for some photos. ...
We enjoyed yesterday in Yellowstone, but only had part of the day and didn’t explore the whole park. Today we’ll head all the way through Lamar Valley and the north eastern entrance. The road from Gardiner out to Cooke City is the only road open to cars, so we make the most of the beautiful drive. I thought I would throw some photos of the cars totally loaded with camera gear, food, and clothes that we’ll be using on our trip. Mark’s in the Outback and we’re in the Tahoe. ...
I’m off to another winter photography trip to Yellowstone, but this time Monica is joining us. She’s very excited to hone her photo skills, enjoy the wildlife, and of course have some fun in the snow. I love the new direct flight to Bozeman, then it’s an easy drive down to the hotel in Gardiner. The elk have been waiting in Mammoth Springs for us all year. The hot springs have changed a lot since I was last year, but the eerie feeling hasn’t. It’s good to be back, and I know Monica is totally jazzed. ...
Gabe has been so excited about cycling that he asked me about racing. I figured a mentoring session at the Early Bird Criterium in Fremont would be a perfect introduction to racing for him. He’s really bummed he doesn’t have drop bars and clipless pedals, but let’s see how he does today. Of course Larry Nolan is here just as he’s been doing for many years. Nothing like having a world champion sweeping the turn for you. ...