Capturing the Moment

  Its such a nice day for a hike! After several snowboarding runs on the mountain (they finally opened up the high speed gondola today!), I headed out into the woods, along Vermont's famous Long Trail, to try and get some good winter landscapes. Today was a beautiful day here in Stowe, Vermont. The temperatures hovered just above freezing, and the recent rains didn't wash away the snow in the forest. After a few runs on the high speed gondola at Stowe Mountain Resort, I headed off deeper into Smuggler's Notch to do a bit of hiking off the beaten path. Right at the entrance to the Notch, which is closed to all vehicle traffic for the winter, is a boardwalk trail that is part of the bigger Long Trail. I still had my snowboard boots on so I was prepared for some deep snow hiking. It was a good thing because I did find some pretty deep snow. It seems that not a lot of people have ventured here since winter has set in. But this is one place that I know is beautiful in just about...

  Beautiful scene today at Bingham Falls. The falls are still flowing among the frozen ice, snow, and icicles here at Bingham Falls, Stowe, Vermont. Winter can bring some challenges here in Stowe, Vermont. Temperature stay below freezing for weeks at a time. Snow covers everything, but then turns into ice on the trails. Snowshoes can tackle the winter terrain, but then take away the agility needed to work your way to the perfect photo spot. So today, after hitting the ski slopes all morning, I took off into the backcountry to see what one of my favorite local waterfalls was looking like in the winter weather. The entrance to the Bingham Falls trail was totally white. Everywhere was covered in snow. There was one set of older tracks, but it looked like noone had been here in a while. I wasn't even sure if the trail was open, but there were no signs saying closed, so on I went. The trail had definitely gotten a little icy, but I walked carefully. The sounds of the road quickly got le...

     Winter Challenge is on! Luckily, where I live turns into a winter wonderland at the end of every year. This year we are off to a great start. Stowe, Vermont is a quintessential New England small town. The church dominates Main Street, Christmas lights are everywhere, and the mountain is covered in fluffy, white snow. One of the biggest draws of Stowe for me is the outdoor community and all the activities that are available. At this time of year you could switch between skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.    I've been hitting the slopes in the mornings, trying to beat the crowd and advance my snowboarding skills. But now, with the kids out of school, its time to get them on the slopes. Today was our first day as a family, so we kept it easy. It was a blustery, cold, snowy morning, but the kids did great. We started with a run on the magic carpet, then the older two took to the adventure triple lift with Heidi. I stayed for a few more...

Alright, I've put together the best of the best underwater GoPro footage from last week's Galapagos trip with UnCruise on La Pinta. This is from six different snorkel spots on three different islands. Magnificent! Best to watch in 1080, high definition resolution. If you have trouble with the above you can follow the link below: https://youtu.be/M3sUJ1KYpEY?si=rDKZ1_a6zkRb_Kv3

  The cliff house sits secluded, near the top of Mount Mansfield, surrounded by a winter wonderland. Stowe, Vermont. Day 2 on the slopes here in beautiful Stowe, Vermont. The crowd was almost nonexistent today, as I casually snowboarded right onto the lift, again and again. I often had my own lift ride up, even though it is a four person lift. I think I had a smile on my face all morning. The temperatures were in the teens and low twenties, which meant that all the snow is still there. And the winds were very light, until you got to the summit, and even then not too bad. Everyone seemed to be in high spirits. Before my first run, I had to stop at the Octagon to take some of these pictures. The entire area about Mount Mansfield and Spruce Mountain has turned into a winter wonderland. I love looking out into the notch, where just a few months ago people flocked to see all the bright yellow and orange foliage. Now its closed for the winter and also covered in snow. But my favorite vie...