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26 January ~2013
As much as I love going dancing on Friday nights, lately I have been heading up for an overnight in some of my favorite places. Last week it was the hidden ridge in Lost Creek wilderness. This week it was outside of Leadville, at 11000 feet. I time my trips to be near the full moon, since I will be hiking in after dark.
It got to 13 degrees overnight in Leadville at 10,152 feet. I suspect it was 5 or 10 degrees colder where I was a thousand feet higher. I have learned that my smallest tents do a much better job holding in the warmth generated by me and the dogs. That combined with some candle lanterns hanging from the center of the inside keeps it pretty comfortable in our tent. Getting up and going outside in the cold is the challenge.
Thats what I did though at 3am when I saw that the clouds had cleared away and the full moon was shining bright on the mountains. It was worth it. The photo I took below has to be one of the favorites I have taken. It was a 25 second time exposure with my Olympus 8mm lens, around 4am today.
I used a plastic tobaggon to haul my gear and firewood in. It is amazing how easy that is, compared to carrying on your back. (as long as you are not going up very steep slopes).
