A Hike Through the Utah Backcountry

Before heading back to California, we decided to go on a little hike through the backcountry. I had planned to climb to the top of a ridge to take a photo of the surrounding landscape... however, the snow was much too deep and I did not have proper equipment (needed snowshoes and pants!). Therefore, I was limited to taking photos from the trail. Next time I will plan better. Utah has a very beautiful landscape!

Sunrise Over SLC

I traveled to Utah for the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow... and instead of staying in one of the downtown hotels, I opted for a "Luxury Ski House" that I found on airbnb. The house was very well designed and was within a short distance of both the ski resorts and downtown. However, the best part about it was the view from the balcony. The house was perched on top of the foothills in Salt Lake City... and you had an incredible view of the entire valley. Unfortunately, the pollution was so bad that we could barely see the mountains the first few days (the smog did make the sunsets glow a bit more, but kind of ruined the sunrises)... luckily, a wind came through later in the week and pushed the smog away. These are a couple of photos I took on the last (and clearest) day just as the sun had risen.

First Snow of the Season!

New England just had it's first snow of the season... and it was quite a major event. The snow starting falling Saturday afternoon and didn't let up until sometime early Sunday morning. News stations were referring to it as "Snowtober". Although, I thought that was kind of a stupid name. Boston didn't get hit too hard (as you can see from the pictures), but areas to the north got several inches. Also, because it was a wet snow, power lines went down in quite a few places.

When I woke up on Sunday morning, it was sunny, windy, and most of the snow had already melted. I guess Boston had gotten more rain than snow. Anyways, I went for a walk through Harvard Yard on my way to caffeine and took a few pictures.

February 12, 2011

A closer look at the little town of Hirafu in the bottom/center. Picture taken from Mt Niseko... Mt Yotei towers in the background.

Some additional pictures from Hokkaido and Mt Niseko here: Hokkaido- February 2011

February 11, 2011

Hole in the sky. 

I usually don't take pictures of people skiing (prefer snowboarding). However, I thought this picture came out quite well. It was completely random. I had brought my camera up to the top of Mt Niseko hoping to take a few pictures. It was cloudy, but I wanted to capture some of the terrain. As I got about halfway down the mountain, the sun broke through a patch of clouds... and a skier happened to be cruising by right as the rays of light were shining down in his direction. Pretty cool!

February 10, 2011

Sepia dreams.

Beautiful view of Mt Yotei... The little village of Hirafu sitting in its shadow.
Link to some additional pictures from Hokkaido here: Hokkaido- February 2011

February 8, 2011

Going down?

Looking down from the top of Mt Niseko... a snowboarder prepares himself to make the descent down the steep face. Mt Yotei in background.

February 5, 2011

Riding giants...

Looking down on Mt Yohei (active volcano) from on top of Mt. Niseko. With views this beautiful, it's hard to pay attention when you're riding.

February 4, 2011

About halfway down Mt. Niseko... looking at Mount Yōtei (羊蹄山) in the background (active volcano... similar in looking to Mt Fuji). As you're coming down the mountain, there are breathtaking views all around you.

February 1 - February 2, 2011

Exhausted at Niseko, Japan.

This is what exhaustion looks like after a day of snowboarding chest deep powder. By the end of the day, I could barely move my legs... but it was totally worth it!!

Looking at some fresh powder lines going down a hill in Niseko. A bit of sun showing through the sky (it had snowed for 3 days straight... there were snow banks bigger than a bus). This was a nice little break in the otherwise cloudy day.

January 27, 2011

Color, light, and shadows...

A lovely (but cold) morning in Harvard Square... walking through Harvard Yard en route to my car.

January 26, 2011

Now Winter Nights Enlarge. 

Now winter nights enlarge
 This number of their hours;
And clouds their storms discharge
 Upon the airy towers.
Let now the chimneys blaze
 And cups o'erflow with wine,
Let well-tuned words amaze
 With harmony divine...

This time doth well dispense
 With lovers' long discourse;
Much speech hath some defense,
 Though beauty no remorse.
All do not all things well:
 Some measures comely tread,
Some knotted riddles tell,
 Some poems smoothly read.
The summer hath his joys,
 And winter his delights;
Though love and all his pleasures are but toys
 They shorten tedious nights.

(Thomas Campion)

January 25, 2011

Deep freeze.

For some reason, I thought it would be fun to take a stroll through a park during the middle of a Nor'easter. The snow was falling so hard that it was quite difficult to take a picture. I found shelter under a tree... and quickly got this shot. Thinking back, it probably wasn't such a good idea to take shelter under any tree that day... given all the fallen branches I saw the next day (from the weight of the heavy snow). It certainly was a winter wonderland.

January 22, 2011

Illuminated tree frozen in place. Walking down Mass Ave (in Harvard Square) after our recent snowstorm was a breathtaking site. Everything looked like one of those Christmas villages you see in cartoons and movies... piles of snow everywhere, colorful lights, and people bundled up in winter gear. Yes, it was a pain in the ass to drive anywhere, but everything looked very pretty. 

January 20, 2011

Lonely trail at John F Kennedy Park in Harvard Square... looking towards Memorial Drive and the Charles River.

January 19, 2011

A classy winter time view of a little park in Harvard Square.

January 18, 2011

Snowy entrance gate to the John F Kennedy park in Harvard Square. Photo taken during our second Nor'easter of the winter season.

Full Nor'easter photo gallery located here: January 12, 2011

January 17, 2011

A post-storm view of the New Balance R&D center in Lawrence, MA. Photo taken right as the sun was about to vanish. Love the combination of lights, colors, textures, and shadows.

Also, that person with the wagon should have cleaned the snow off the top of their car... dangerous if you're driving on the freeway (chunks of ice can come off!!).

January 16, 2011

Nighttime at the Square. Image taken as I was walking home from my car. The street lights reflect nicely against the freshly fallen snow and cause everything to be a bit brighter. The trees almost look fake with snow frozen onto their branches. I also like the corner building in the background with lime green trim.

January 15, 2011

Lonely pine tree... bent from the weight of snow on top of it. I love how pure white the freshly fallen snow is in the foreground.