Foxboro/Vermont

After Virginia, flew up to Foxboro to visit Joan and Sandy.  We drove up to Vermont and next morning me and Sandy got up early to hike up Mt Ascutney (3 miles one-way and 2,000 feet - very rocky and challenging trail).  This small water fall is about 1/2 way up. 

Sandy and I at the top of Mt Ascutney on the firetower

We stopped by a Monastery near Chester (cant remember the name) - didnt get enlightened  but did get this cool shot of mums with old bell.

Old grist mill in Weston, VT

Second morning, me and Sandy got up before sunrise to get an early hike in to a ridge near Stony Brook Cabin (joan thought we were crazy).  But we did get up to the ridge just in time to see the sun come over the horizon.

The colors were peak on some hillsides - this was on a property near Stony Brook

Bunny on the deck

Despite the cloudy weather we took a Gondola ride to the top of Strattion Mtn (unfortunately pea soup fog made it a bad day to try that) - this pic was down in the village.

During the Segway tour at Okemo Mt.

After our Segway tour, Sandy and I did a short walk to firetower on top of Okemo Mt.

A nice maple leaf near Stony Brook



Saw this mean looking guy near a little roadside vegetable market 

My last day we did a short hike in the Audubon Moose Hill Preserve

 

 

The highlitght (lowlight?) of my ttrip was visting the Patriots museum in Foxboro. At least I had my trusty New York Giants hat to keep me safe

 

Virginia/West Virginia

 

Took a trip to the east coast to visit family.  First stop was Virginia/West Virginia to visit Herb and Anne. Took a hike on the West Virginia border on the way out to Moorefiled.  Saw this fallen leaf with these cool patterns.

On the trail we saw a big snake (luckily it didtn get a hold of Maui).  Picture is out of focus, but still a cool shot with his tongue out and the green moss background

Colors were already changing

Herb and Annes new deck that Herb just finished.

On a walk to a historic grist mill near Fairfax, saw these pretty orange flowers.

On the nicest day of my time in Virginia, we all went to the National (yes National) sheep dog herding contest. Got this picture of Herb and Anne at the winners circle.

Baaaaaaahhhhhhhhh.  They use real sheep (imagine!!!) at the contest.  These guys must be german sheep, since they were very careful to walk in formation at all times....ACHTUNG SCHWEINHUND!!!

Sheepdog (actually border collies evidently make the best sheep dogs as that is all we saw at the contes) chasing the furry critters

While there I delivered to Herb an early retirement gift (some crap like only 450 days left until that day) to Herb. I refurbished the bike that he had ridden across the U.S. 32(?) years ago

Heading off to california again??????

The gang and Maui (notice Maui eying me - not because she likes me so much but just scheming how to nip at me :)

 

 

 

Werner Peak

Jolie and I went up to Whitefish to spend weekend in the Werner Peak Lookout Tower.  On the way up, we stopped to take a short wak up to Picnic Lakes in the Jewel Basin area.  Even this late in the year, we found tons of huckleberries....

....lots and lots of huckleberries

Jolie and Polgara on the way up to Picnic Lakes

The first night at the lookout we had a great sunset...

...watching the sunset from the deck of the lookout

View of the lighthouse at night with a 30 second exposure

The frist morning was warm enough to have coffee out on the deck , this was the last time we saw the sun for the next 24+ hours

View of the cabin  (labrador for scale) - very luxurious with heater, stove and fridge (fridge didnt work though).  Not in picture are the three blind mice that we trapped (well they are blind now!)

Hiked on the trail that runs right next to the lookout and saw this big mushroom that was in the shape of a mushroom.

 



Lookout at 7000 feet


And the most important thing - the view from the outhouse

 

Dog days of August

Went down to the Tetons and saw this guy on the drive in to hike Table Mountain..

.. and here it is - Table Mountain in its summer glory



also hiked up south fork of the teton river and devils staircase



Did a backpack in Yellowstone - first camp on Cache Creek

a monkey flower at sunset near Cache Creek

Cache Creek at sunset looking towards Republic Pass.  This valley was heavily burned in 1988 as you can see, but just over republic pass things are different....

....The view from Republic pass to the north towards bearthooth mountains

This is a mountain called the Thunderer at sunrise from second camp on Cache Creek



Also did a 20 mile loop hike up to big horn peak and then down Specimen Creek (would have been a 19 mile hike, but had to walk back after lunch to retrieve my camera that I had left on a log).  This is view to the west towards the Madison range.  This was a perfectly clear day in a smoky August




view up from Specimen Creek



Two Medicine - Glacier

I went up to the Two Medicine area of Glacier to hike the Pitamkin Pass-Dawson Pass loop - a 19 mile trail. Weather was great (a little windy on the exposed sections).  This is some Beargrass above Oldman Lake on way to Pitamkin Pass

The view from Pitamkin Pass into Pitamkin Lake towards the Cut Bank area

Saw a Ptarmigan with her chicks - this one of them

Looking back towards Pitamkin Pass - this part of the hike was a bit exposed and windy

One of the park boats on Two Medicine Lake with Mt Sinopah in the back ground (how appopriate)

Rockwell Falls on the way up to Cobalt Lake