It's not even Halloween. Right at the very end of October, well after the brilliant colors of the Aspen, Winter comes with plunging temperatures and heavy snowfall. And I am out there taking pictures of the Aspen and pine branches mantled with snow. Without wind, the snow stays on the trees and creates whipped cream shapes that linger without melting in the freezing cold. In snow and fog, I can get a mysterious monochromatic look; when the sun comes out, I get a sharp contrast between the white snow and the deep blue sky. But when the wind picks up and blows the snow off the trees, I put my camera away. Bare trees look harsh and devoid of color. Sometimes several weeks pass between snowstorms in Colorado, and I don't take any pictures. But when a powder day in Colorado comes, I am ready. I always carry a camera with me when I am on the ski slopes, and stop many times before I reach the bottom. When the Colorado sky is blue and the pines are flocked with snow, I spend more time taking pictures than skiing. I'm all business. But when the trees are bare from the wind blowing the snow off, I just ski.
I've skied over 2,000 days in Colorado, and I tell my bowed legs and worn out knees to shut up. I can't wait for the season openers in Copper Mountain and Monarch. This Winter is off to a good start, and I'll be making lots of turns and taking lots of pictures.
