Taos and El Rito, NM

I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico for a month-long training for work.  I was lucky to have Chance stay with me for the whole month, which meant lots of time hiking and climbing in NM.

This opening shot is my first experiment with really long-exposure shots.  On this one, the shutter was open for 25 minutes.  Notice the orange glow on the trees from the campfire.

El Rito, about 2 hours north of Albuquerque, is now on my list of top 5 favorite places to sport climb.

The next 4 shots were taken by Andy Bean.

The all-powerful fire stare.

The Rio Grande Gorge, near Taos.

Retail sales is tough these days.

This "Earthship" building near Taos is made of cans, bottles, and other reused and recycled materials.  

These 100-degree swimming holes are in the Rio Grande Gorge, right next to the river.  

Andy's snake-proof sleeping accommodation.

Colorado Springs

Chance and I drove from Albuquerque to Colorado Springs to visit with Auntie M, Eza, and Max.  It was great to be back for the first time in 5 years or so.

Does anyone have any thread?  These cats are ripped!

Max climbing in Garden of the Gods

How can 5.8 be this scary?  Photo by Chance

I was psyched to reunite Air Force Academy Wings of Blue skydivers.  Here's the legendary Bryan Stokes.

Dolomites Peaks - Piancavallo

A simple day hike near Aviano resulted in surprisingly steep terrain and awesome views.  We are incredibly lucky to be able to hike in the Dolomites with just a 30-minute drive from our house.