gaper day 2012

It's back! The annual celebration of neon, eighties, mullets, scrunchies, and one-piece ski outfits. For those who don't know what a "gaper" is, see last year's post. It was a bit cloudy this year, so for once I was thankful to be wearing a horribly ventilated jumpsuit. We spent the day cruising the slushy mountain and showing off our sweet moves. Enjoy the photos!

thinking dinosaur.

riding the gondola.

gapers on thunder bumps.

halina.

kelly, halina & me.

halina, tyler & kelly jumping for joy!

halina, normally a snowboarder, tries to figure out her skis.

here's my boyfriend. i'm so proud!

halina loses her ski.

david practicing his jump turns.

david spread eagles off of a jump on croaky point.

tyler's sweet outfit.

david continues to show off.

tyler, normally a skier. the snowboard doesn't phase him.

olivia, the mountain princess.

gapers at the top of the gondola.

david and the stash park.

big moves off of the platform.

i finally get to show off my skills.

fun with sparklers.

everyday beauty

The beauty of this place never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes I seem to overlook the fact that I live in one of the most stunning places in the world. Like when I wake up, look out my bedroom window and grumble about the rain clouds pouring over the mountains, but there are other moments...ahhh, those other moments...when I truly can't believe how gorgeous it is here. This morning I was on an early morning drive, reflecting over the festivities of the weekend, when I came across a herd of elk. This was about five minutes out of town, and of course the herd was so big I had to stop right in my tracks. Getting any closer would disturb them, and I know that winter is hard for the animals. So I stopped and watched. The sun was coming up over Sleeping Indian, and it was probably one of the most amazing sights I'd ever seen. If there's one thing I've learned from photography, it's to look at everything with the idea of beauty. There truly is beauty all around. City streets, forests, lakes, mountains, sidewalks, neighborhoods, everywhere. Enjoy these shots of what I saw this morning. In my mind, it's hard to really duplicate what I'm seeing and feeling, but hopefully I brought that out a little bit in these images. I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd want to be at that moment.

mountain fest

I love spring on the hill in Jackson Hole. There's live music every weekend, the sun is shining, the slopes are slushy and soft, and people are living up the last few weeks of winter. Yesterday, G Love and Special Sauce played a big concert out in the parking lot. It was 60 degrees, and I had the best time cruising around the hill with my friends and then hanging out at the concert. This warm weather has me super excited for summer, and we still have a whole week of snowboarding left! More spring festivities to come...Happy Gaper Day!

a walk on the snake river

The last few days I have been dreadfully sick. Usually I don't let sicknesses get to me, but this one broke me down so much I was stuck on the couch for three days solid. Yesterday I was feeling slightly better so I decided to take a brief walk down the Snake River to enjoy some of the spring weather. It's 50 degrees out now and it's starting to feel like spring. It's this time of year that I miss Seattle and all of the blooming flowers and trees. No green here. Hopefully we get a bit more snow so I can still enjoy the rest of the winter before heading south for the sun. Here are a few photos of what "spring" in Jackson looks like.

jarrod & hannah's mountain-top engagement

I was so excited when I got a call from Hannah's mom in Alabama this past week. She explained that her daughter's boyfriend was going to propose on their trip to Jackson Hole and she really wanted to have somebody document this special event. After a little coordinating with Jarrod, I sneakily hid behind the pillars at the top of the Jackson Hole gondola with butterflies in my stomach as I watched Jarrod get down on one knee through my lens. Hannah, of course, said yes, and was so excited! I'm sure the two of them were on cloud nine for the rest of their trip. Congratulations, you two, and have fun with your wedding planning!

i love snowboarding

All I can say is...I love snowboarding. It's the weeks like this that keep me going back for more, and make me realize why I chose to live in a place like this. Oh, beautiful Jackson Hole.

a very snowy sublette chairlift ride.

dreamy alpenglow at teton village.