Avatar Roll Call

Funky Polak's and Goreskimom's avatar got me thinking... tell me something about your avatar.

Mine....taken by X last March 8, 2010 on Uncas at Gore. Awesome day.

Got to meet X and his sister Margo. Great spring conditions.

Red Bull and Vodka, base of Copper mountain a few years ago.

Mine is from Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park in Pennsylvania. Though maybe color enhanced, it is none the less the actual  naked eye view of the stars one sees there, (note the tree line in the picture) particularly during Sagittarius. That period varies according to Tropical or sidereel astrology , though they do overlap.

The reason so many more stars, planets and nebulia are so much more visible there is not only due to the super dark skies, but more importantly it's because of the latitude. From that latitude, one looks through the " flat plane ' of the Milky Way Galaxy from the side, as if looking at a wheel from the rim towards the axle. The vastly increases the number of heavenly bodies vueable.

I've been to Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park. It is phenomenal. Wall to wall, horizon to horizon, in your face, stars, planets, nebulia. Fantastic!!!! Absolutely beautiful.

When I was there, the Perseid Meteor shower added an extra bonus of a good number of meteors. Some nights,the Park puts on star shows that use a laser pointer to easily direct you to exact locations of things. After that, grab a blanket, walk out in the field, lay down and behold the glory of God.

On a clear night, it is truly a sight most of us have never seen.

stick girl with crazy curly hair skiing on rocking chair runners under sunny sky with handmade wool scarf thinking "Damn my arse is freezing cuz I left my ski pants at home. Glad I brought the scarf"  <shrug>

Were you REALLY expecting something deep and meaningful?  

snowballs..sounds like a wonder place..what is the best time of year to visit....

back to the subject..my avatar was shot at Plattekill last year after the big one..JamesD took the picture

I'm not sure which mountain, but mine was somewhere in Utah, I believe in 2007. Think it may have been Powder Mountain.

It is April 2, 2010: Post ACL surgery day two. Unusually sunny and warm for the early spring in the Hinterland. Lousy weather to be a functioning skier, great weather to be a skier recovering from knee surgery. I am in the sun on the back deck, enjoying a cool Moosehead while the Percoset and Oxycodone wanders through my system. I lived. T-shirt reads: "I am a Skier." Book title: "Cabinology." Manpurse: priceless.

Jason, from what I gather Sagitarrius (Dec-Jan) is the best time for star gazing, in that it has a denser view of stuff. Don't know for sure. Research the links/info I sent you. Other celestrial events may catch your eye. Obviously, the dark of the moon is helpful. We went in August as our main mission was to ride our quads. Cherry Springs is actually just a stone's throw from Ski Denton. The Pennsylvania Wild Elk herd with it's world class bulls is something that is equally impressive and easily viewable if you take the jaunt over, about an hour+ from Cherry Springs. Don't know if they're out as much in the winter.
 
Oh yea, there's bears. Bigguns. Way cool.

Just an interesting view of my favorite winter playground.

http://www.alexgrey.com/


Check him out!

Whistler - 2008.....44 ft. of the white stuff!

My first run ever on Hoyt's High Feb. 2010.

No explanation needed.

Mines taken while doing one of my most favorite things to do.......playing frisbee with my 2 labs Bode and Pica

Summit @ Whiteface March 2010 back from a femur fracture and MCL strain

Black Mountain, NH Powder Day on 01/19/2009. Epic.

Gore Mt. Last year

Cirque Glade...taken by Harv on his favorite day at Gore 2009

Windham's Summit early December

Andy Goldsworthy snow sculpture.  

Goldsworthy, an artist who works with raw natural materials, often ephemeral, said: "Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood."