2016 just ended...

   Scotland,  Antarctica,  JoshuaTreeNP,  New Zealand,  East Africa,  Nepal,  SW--USA, Svalbard,  Norway-Iceland,   Family Photos

2016: in lots of photos--eventually

Well it is that time again for writing up my year's adventures and sharing photos.  During this year, Google (Blogger) changed from Picasa Web albums to Google Photos which means that NONE of my previous blog photo links work  :  (    How very annoying.   I don't think there is an easy fix, but I will try to go back and see if I can re-link some of my photos albums.  If you want any links in particular fixed, please just ask, and I will make a point of fixing those first. The links above work, but things have been so busy that I have not finished adding in the photo links, but they will be added soon.  I thought since it is now March I would post the blog and add photos as I have time.  

So now it is April and I have a few more links up--only 3 more albums to finish!


The Review:

Winter Park Sunrise

Last year I was at the AGU conference again in SF and then visited friends is San Diego right before Christmas. I returned home and headed to Winter Park to teach skiing and snowboarding through the New Year and worked several more weekends during the season—mostly teaching skiing this year as there were plenty of snowboard instructors already.  During the week I continued my regular job of hydrology lab manager for a large NSF-funded research project at the University of Wyoming--WyCEHG.  


I also spent a number of days throughout the year doing fieldwork on several projects, nice to have the variety in my job, which officially ends on 30 June 2017.  Details of what I will be doing after that are still a bit sketchy.

Looking over the Dillon Reservoir

Hiking up Peak 1, CO

 In February I spent a weekend in the Jackson Hole area with an old friend and hit the slopes of Grand Targhee.  Also did a nice hike up Peak 1 in Colorado with another friend--see 2 photos.





 




There was a weekend in March cross-country skiing in Lander, and a wonderful day at a nature drawing workshop in Laramie.  I rounded out March by spending some money to replace a couple windows on the house and got a couple new little chicks to add to my flock of egg-layers.

In April I attended a UAV (drone) workshop and then passed my Remote Pilot License in November.  So, now I can legally fly drones (under 55 lbs.) for education and research.


 Over the course of the summer, I played in a casual co-ed soccer league— a lot of fun—and this fall I have been playing indoors 1-2 times a week as well.  It is good to be kicking a ball around somewhat consistently again! 








In addition, I took a number of trips, mostly local-ish:  June was to a workshop in Logan, UT with a company (Campbell Scientific) with whom I do a lot of business. I took the long way there via Seeskadee NWR and Fossil Butte NM, and then the long way home via the Unita Mountains and Flaming Gorge.   I also spent a long weekend in the Absaroka Mountains.  And there were a couple overnight trips to watch the sunrise from near our local mountain—Medicine Bow Peak, 12,300’.

July saw a trip to the back side of the Tetons (near Jackson Hole) for 3 days, and early August was a visit from an old friend from New Zealand and hike up Medicine Bow Peak.  Later in August, I spent 6+ days in the Wind River Mountains then, for my big trip, headed to Alaska for the first half of September. 

I had also applied to be a PhD student—again—and finally got the approval in October.  So, am back to being a student—in Ecology and Soil Science.  I just paid my registration fees to run a 50 k (~30 mile) trail running race in May and will be working on the details to take my PSIA Level 2 Alpine ski exam in May—I have the written exam done, all the required prerequisite clinics, plus the NASTAR racing requirement.  Hopefully, all will go well on the snow in early May.


So, as usual, I am surprised by all the activities and offer some photos to round out the descriptions.
Sorry about the weird alignment --it will not let me move things around.  Oh well, the links that are a different color are linked.

Logan Trip

San Diego

Field Work

Absarokas

Wind River Mts--Gannet Peak

Tetons

Alaska

Medicine Bow Peak

 

    As usual, if there is a colored caption to a photo, it means that if you click it, it will take you to a whole album of photos related to that adventure.