Revelation Reveals the Snow

Title Pic: High flying Kurt L. heading to the Moon.

Some recap images from the troad rip:

Early a.m. in Eldorado Springs. Moving from Rockies to....Cahokia.

Honey and I made a pit stop at the largest earthen mound in North America, a once thriving Native American city called Cahokia, named by the French for the subtribe of the Illiniwek. This place was crankin' for some 700 years: A.D. 700 to 1400, with a "peak" from 1050 to 1200; now its Collinsville, IL (Source). Get real, white man; "other" people have valuable cultures, too.

Don't tell anybody, but we boot/paw skied the eastern slope, all the while thinking about impermanence and cultural fluctuations....hint hint. This is Monk's Mound, the largest mound around town. And get this, there are over 100 (one hundred) mounds in this area.

Back in West Virginia: 

 "Chip Chop, stand riiiiight THERE and film this trick."

Adam's Leap of Faith

It has always been relative: while many have called it "Snowmaggedon," I find the fear of "the end" to be something to look forward to, like a change that is needed, not some destruction that ends all existence. So, just like this storm, one can take it for the blessing that it is and, well, ski like mad. The skiing is absurd. Literally. So much at times it's too much. Did I say that?

Bring out your trudgin' legs, folks, it's sick. Come one, come all, drop the "priorities" and gimme a call!

Back For More...

I made it home (almost...driveway is a four (4) foot deep snow drift) Thursday evening, after staying the night with Uncle Mike and Aunt Deb...that's Honey's Uncle and my occasional neighbor. Step-sister Jib wasn't so psyced to see Honey. Guess it was good that we didn't stay too long!

Ten Thousand Thanks to all the friends and foes that put me up along the trail. It would not have been as fun of a trip without you all. Ben, Bill, Koda, Joe, Solomon, Graham and Kristi, Ilan, and Honey's relatives! Oh, and the kind folks that gave me a ride into Wendover, NV, upon losing the gas game. I almost lost hope as the sun was setting. That must have created some strong sympathy fora family with a full car that made room for my OJ bottle of gas and grubby hands.

Craigslist rideshare was a hit. I was a bit nervous about picking up somebody I had never met, except via e-mail and telephone, but it turned out to be something akin to a soul connection, to say the least! To show up in Lawrence, KS and meet another sweet human, play rockin' music together before slumbering into some vynil from The Band. many thanks for the couch and directions to the nearest espresso bar! I must say that Kansas has a lot more meaning to me now. Not just endless fields of GMO grains and predatory beautiful birds: KU seemed like a very hip town and my hosts were certainly right up my alley. Keep it up dudes, start that band and play your hearts out!

The snow in WV is in more quantity than anywhere else I had been on the trip. No sh-lies, CO, WYo, CA, UT, none of these big name destinations came close to the mighty mounds of fluff that so thickly coated every damn object in town and all around. Needless to say, the skiing ought to be good, no--phreakin' amazing, for a few more days,  for a week or more! At least the report says so....

So, I must go. There is work to be done...but to be sure, there is fun to be had as well.

Be well all, and don't forget...____________!

At Least Go East

Ah yesh, Honey is at it again...Bear Lake, UT.

My Tahost, Graham, totally ripped it on the ol' Trolls. Best $5 ever spent...

I lived in CA for nearly a year over half a decade ago, and one thing that always struck me about the NorCal area were the trees. Whether it is the gigantic Ponderosa and Lodgepole pines, sequoias and redwoods, or the vibrant and smooth Pacific madrones, this place feels good and the forests are fine.

A lot of the forests catch on fire here. It's pretty darn dry, so don't flick your hot butts. The tree below (is it a sequoia?) has some battle wounds but has not been turned to total toast.

Destruction is natural.

See how little Honey is next to that giant...

It's not lipstick...Yes, people, rednecks exist damn near everywhere.

And so do small amphibians, like this Red-Bellied Newt. We saw many of them out walkin' in the rain near Ukiah. Turns out these guys have a deadly neurotoxin that they can use to kill...not sure how that works but nobody was hurt...

Papa Jay and Solo Man. Great Kid; Dad...not so much.

Just joking.

Hey, my old massage therapy pal has been getting some press. Go Gibran!

Some simpler cross country skiing put a good break between car time. Lake Tahoe is bubbling with lake-town energy. Late night bowling and skiing almost anywhere...nice. It's insanely crowded on the roads and with the new snow there are chain stops, literally guys checking to see if you have chains on the wheels to get over the pass...well yours truly r-u-n-n-o-f-t right past them there stops and yelled back that I's from WV and we don't need nobody ta tell usn's whatta do 'bout no weather. Ptya!