Sin City

Las Vegas amazes me every time I visit. It's different than anywhere I've ever been...and all the action happens in the microcosm that is The Strip.  Where else do you find a $5 billion hotel, roller coasters, caged lions, all-night partying, great food, terrible food and (most of all), an amazing amount of excess?  Only in Vegas.

I ventured out with my camera one afternoon to capture these shots.

The new City Center is a $15 billion project with hotels and shopping.  As one of my buddies said, "It's like going into the future."

Utah

After two weeks in Vegas, we changed venues to something slightly colder and snowier.  Hill AFB, just north of Salt Lake City, would be our home for 2 weeks of flying.

We also snagged some hiking and skiing/snowboarding in our spare time.

Khan stands at the base of a 200 ft waterfall near Ogden Canyon.

The Canyons newest chairlift has heated seats and the "bubble"

Self portrait

Shredding the gnar

Amsterdam

Cassy went to Amsterdam for almost a week.  Her husband was extremely jealous.

The Ice Bar

Heineken anyone?  Straight from the source.

The group at the Heineken factory

A goal on this table is kind of a big deal.

Girls Night in Venice

It's pretty nice to be able to hop on a train and go to Venice for a girls' night.

Jennifer, Cassy, and Pam

 Gorgeous!

Lola, Pam, Tracy, Catherine, Jennifer, and Cassy

San Marino

I didn't even know San Marino, an independent enclave in Italy, existed until Cassy went there for a day trip.  It's a country just over 24 square miles with a population of 30,000 people.  

Happy New Year!

A 10-day streak of sunshine prompted an outdoor celebration for New Years in the climbing capital of Italy -- Arco.  Unfortunately, the high temperature during the day was 40 degrees.  It was cold, but we still had fun.

Our first photo of 2011

 Our objective, Cima SAT, is the pointy outcropping of rock above the castle.  The vertical gain is 3,950 feet.  We had a big day in front of us.

From the beginning of the hike we had great views of the town of Riva and Lake Garda 

 This via feratta has 8 ladders that go up vertical or overhanging rock.  This sign says the ladders can only hold 3 people at a time.

I'm amazed that someone took the time and energy to lug these giant steel ladders up such unforgiving terrain, but it certainly makes for a fun day.

Jess didn't want to hang out in the hotel room, but she's fine in the backpack.

 Jess and I at the top of one of the steepest ladders.

Cassy makes a quick stop to pose near these dripping death icicles.  You can also see the ice pasted to the rock underneath the ladder.

 The summit!  What a great way to spend the first day of 2011.

 Jess is tired from watching me climb ladders all day.

 Cassy at the summit register

 This part of the descent was way sketchier than it looks in the photo.  Slick hardened snow and no place to go but off a cliff made this a no-fall zone.  Luckily the trail got better as we went along.

We had to break out the headlamps for the final 30 minutes of the descent.  We were exhausted and happy to have some Italian pizza and wine.  Over the next 3 days, our sore muscles reminded us how much fun we had.