Trying out the new QuickPress feature in WordPress 2.7.1. by uploading some favorite ski pics from the last trip. These two were taken on the Dipper Line run under the Dipper Express chair at Heavenly ski resort in South Lake Tahoe. The bottom one is a view of the very calm lake from the top of the Nevada side of the resort.
Updated 04/03/09: Turns out that leaving the pics unsized wrecked the formating with some browsers. Should be fixed now.
I’ve always thought this was one of the prettiest sights. I try to get even non-skiing friends up the gondola just to see it. Now, here’s the views coming to you in a few videos from a ride down the Heavenly gondola.
This is the best way home after skiing for me. I’d rather ski all the way down but skiing to the base lodges ends up in a bus ride. As you will see, the last stretch of the gondola is over flat land with little snow to boot, so I don’t ski down this slope either.
Anyway, I get to enjoy the breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountains while I loosen my boots.
Here’s the first part of the ride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLk9L3g9uFk
The second part is where the scenery cranks up. Its also where I had the not-so-bright idea to rotate the camera for portrait shots partway down. The car didn’t go spinning like that but its kind of a fun effect.
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2DmnS5d-qU )
Here’s another, lower down the mountain in the trees:
One more in the trees: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdK0oYc7U6k
Here’s the flat “home stretch”…well I put my camera way before we sailed over the little motels and into the main plaza. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0HcBjIUGgM
There you have it. My little collection of Heavenly Gondola videos 
Just for fun, take a look at these lift rides at Heavenly ski resort. If you’re stuck at the computer too much this will give you a good feel for the great outdoors in a mountain setting.
The first is on a snowy day. Note the boader making a little jump right at the beginning.
Then check out this sunny day – same lift, same runs:
Finally, here’s the expert section of the ski run, further up the mountain:
Stainless steel and BPA-free water bottles are all the rage and I too want to avoid the harmful effects of BPAs. So I was delighted to receive two new water bottles as gifts: one stainless and the other BPA-free plastic.
The stainless bottle looks very rugged. Too bad it turned into an unstoppable fountain in the car on the way to Tahoe! Its really amazing how altitude and hence air pressure change got this little bottle to soak my car interior before being brought under control by my passenger. I’m curious to know the physics behind it, but don’t have time to find out. I did however find the time to write a one-star review
The BPA-free plastic bottle was cool-looking too and I like that its nozzle only lets out water when you bite to open it. So if you’re in the market for a new water bottle, I’d recommend this one:
You can check out all my Amazon reviews here
Lots of snow in Heavenly last weekend for very nice skiing! Then sunshine on Monday with terrific views of Lake Tahoe.
The “mystery bird” on Windy Hill is indeed a white-tailed kite. Here’s a photo from my hike this weekend when it made a close fly-by and then perched in a tall oak.
Thanks to Ron Pavellas for identifying the species.
Hard to believe that a day like today – unusually foggy in town – can be brilliantly sunny up on Skyline. We hiked the Long Ridge Trail. Highlights included an old moss-covered apple orchard, the “No Swimming” sign on the algae-covered Zen pond, and a few fungi along the path.
Windy Hill Mystery Bird
This weekend I finally got half-decent photos of the white bird that hunts near the top of Windy Hill Open Space Preserve. This photo and video below were taken near the top of Spring Ridge Trail on a very still evening.
Please comment or send me email if you think you might know what kind of bird this is.
REI.com is offering 10 free music downloads sponsored by various ski and board makers.
Click here and look mid-page to “Download your FREE Winter Soundtrack” of ten MP3 downloads.
Playlist:
Persephone’s Bee’s, “We’ve Just Begun” – MP3 presented by Salomon
Quadrillion, “Dropped” – MP3 presented by Ride Snowboards
Saxon Shore, “Bar Clearing Good Times” – MP3 presented by Volkl
Ohmega Watts, “Can You Hear it” – MP3 presented by REI.com
Robbers on High Street, “Training the Tricks” – presented by The North Face
The Apples In Stereo, “(baby its’) So Cold – MP3 presented by Burton
Eagles of Death Metal, “Now I’m a Fool” – MP3 presented by K2
Au Revoir Simone – “Fallen Snow (redux) – MP3 presented by Marmot
The Rentals, “Colorado” – MP3 presented by Smith Optics
American Analog Set, “Ice King” – MP3 presented by Rossignol
Here’s a couple notes to catch up on the hiking scene. Yesterday, we saw a relaxing coyote and circling red-tailed hawks at Windy Hill Open Space. No sign of my mysterious black and white dihedral-winged hunters.
The coyote froze in its tracks as we came around the corner for the last long pull up Spring Trail. After perceiving no threat, it lay down in the tall brown grass and rolled. As we approached up the trail, it oh-so-casually decided to get up and investigate the smells on the far shoulder of the hill.
Returning down the hill, we spotted two circling hawks. One sped to attack speed and dive-bombed the oak tree but came away with empty claws.
Another beautiful day in the neighborhood!