2015: A Year of Travel

I don't think i've done a looking back post before because i usually prefer to plow ahead. This year i was left feeling like i had not gotten much of anything done. In some ways it was the year of Kona. 2015 was the first year i had to live without Fisher, and i spent the days at home getting to know Kona, her preferences and habits. We watched her learn to become the dominant dog, which i believe was the first chance in her life to have that role. I can tell you, she has become very bossy.

I visited the Denver, above and Colorado Springs below, twice.

But, looking back i realize in actuality i did far more travel than usual. The difference was, i guess, that i never really went on any great new hikes to new places. Cuba was the only really new and impressive place that i went, and that does rest in my memory as the biggest trip. But to you as a reader there may be many places here that are new to you, and i did get some pretty good photos in a lot of the places i went, so enjoy these from each month.

This is where i get into trouble. I went on a great hike in Wrangel St. Elias National Park. This is, my blog is usuall 6 months behind so this hike was the previous summer. But since the year in review is by the blog timeline, this gets included.

The winter was icy but low on snow. In fact, it was the lowest snowfall on record. This year is not looking much better. I spent a lot of time walking along Turnagain Arm and made a visit to Eklutna Lake, among other things. There were a lot of good sunsets and sunrises.

 I made a lot of business trips but had some fun at the same time. Above is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. Below, not far away is a little slot canyon in Ouray, Colorado.

On the way into the quaint town of Estes Park.

I visited my family in Alabama during the winter and my sister in Birmingham.

 The most exotic trip for me this year was Cuba. It was a new culture, we weren't sure how legal it was to be there (it was before restrictions were relaxed) and i'd never been to a communist country.

 Maree and i went to Panama to visit my friend Ben. 

 This time i saw a lot of wildlife both in the highlands and on the island.

 Jimmy and i spent two nights in Moab and visited both Canyonlands and Arches.

One of our longest days was from Durango Colorado all the way to Escalante, Utah. That day we made numerous stops and used lesser traveled roads most of the 12 hour drive. I got to revisit one of my favorite places, the Burr Trail.

 We went wading through the Escalante River and went swimming in Lake Powell behind the dam.

 I took my friend Jimmy up to the Kolob Terrace, above, and on a back country wilderness hike in Zion National Park, below.

 Every year i see all kinds of crazy stuff in the sky. Here is a collection of the more notable days.

For me the end/beginning of the year is the Winter Solstice, and the sunset is more important than sunrise. I ended the year as i began it, up above Anchorage watching the last light of the shortest day, and looking forward to the next.