WE LOVE THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Just in from the Junction bureau:

"...MAJOR EARLY SEASON WINTER STORM APPROACHES SUNDAY NIGHT AND WILL LINGER THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY...

"AS ONE STORM EXITS THE REGION...A MUCH COLDER AND STRONGER STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. THIS STORM WILL MOVE ACROSS EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...BRINGING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW AND MUCH COLDER TEMPERATURES.

"SIGNIFICANT MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH WIDESPREAD BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. SNOW LEVELS WILL DROP TO AS LOW AS 5000 FEET BY EARLY TUESDAY.

"HUNTERS TRAVELING INTO THE HIGH COUNTRY SHOULD PREPARE FOR COLD AND WET CONDITIONS THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY."

Four to six in the forecast

Well, this is sweet. The National Weather Service is calling for 4 to 6 inches tonight and Saturday at higher elevations. And the Service is suggesting that "travelers should take extra precautions as this is the first appreciable snow of the season." And they are warning that "hunters camping in the backcountry should plan on cold and wet conditions and dress appropriately." Temps are going to be in the upper 20s through the 30s. Cool. Here comes winter. It is always nice when it dumps before Halloween. Gets the whole ski town machinery lubed up. - BGS

What do the cranberries tell you?

How can you tell ski season is nearing in Aspen, Colorado? By going to the local market and looking in the produce section, that's how. When you see bags of fresh cranberries on display, it's almost time to start making turns.... That means it's time to get the skis out of the shed this weekend, put the boots on and walk awkwardly around the house while watching the Broncos on TV, try the outfit on, do some stationary tucks and visualize the upcoming season. See the skier....be the skier. - Lo Semple.

Copper opens Sat for race training

The good folks at Copper Mountain have laid down enough snow to open for race training Saturday, Oct. 23 and sent out some photos by Forrest Miller to prove they've got the goods on the hill. The ski area says it will open to the public on Friday, Nov. 5. Aspen and Snowmass are slated to open, as per usual, on Thanksgiving. Soon come, brah, soon come.

Beautiful fall day in Aspen...

Good day for a little downtown construction work in the sunshine...

Bow unbent until mid-Oct

"The bow cannot always stand bent, nor can human frailty subsist without some lawful recreation." Cervantes

Fall Splenda

A lovely turn in the river on a lovely day. It's hard to imagine why September is not the most-visited month in the Rockies...

September clarity

Labor Day was crystal-clear and crisp in the valley, and Tuesday is proving to be just as clear but with warmer temperatures. Very nice weather in which to explore the local rivers and mountains.

Near-perfect Sept day...

Crisp morning near 38 degrees followed by bright sun and a gusty breeze atop Ajax.

Rivers of stone

A lovely start to September, with evidence of human activity somewhere on the middle Fork, flowing gently at 40 cfs.

A compromising location

On the one hand, it's just a building on a hillside. On the other hand, it's the entrance to the Compromise Mine, one of the most important mines in Aspen's history. And the hillside, well, that too has had a relatively important role to play in Aspen's history. Above the building is Silver Queen and Silver Rush. Below the building, Little Nell. View from the gondy this afternoon. Hopefully, the scene will look much different (whiter) in three months time

Monday-morning mist over Snowmass

In the foreground, the sun hits the Droste property. View from McLain Flats Road.

County moves ahead on Droste purchase

The Pitkin County Commissioners on Wednesday finalized a $500,000 contract to purchase 108 acres of land from the Droste family. The contract is the first phase of a three-part, $18 million agreement that will ultimately see the county control 742 acres of land between Brush Creek and Owl Creek for open space purposes. The first phase also includes an equestrian easement along the floor of the Brush Creek valley that will allow for a horse trail between Cozy Point Ranch and the rodeo grounds in Snowmass Village. The 108-acre parcel on the ridge will create a swath of public land on the ridge above Shale Bluffs. The "airport parcel," which is expected to be in public hands by September 18, is between the Cozy Point South open space at the bottom of the Brush Creek valley, and the public land controlled by the airport at the bottom of the Owl Creek valley. The photo above shows some of the Cozy Point South property above Shale Bluffs and Highway 82. It also shows a portion of the undeveloped Droste ridge, with its several conical landforms, stretching toward Snowmass Village.

Droste on BOCC agenda today

The Pitkin County Commissioners are considering the Droste open-space purchase again today at noon. The packet information is here.

Tree down, blocking both lanes of Original Curve.

Also mudslides reported on Snowmass Creek Road, Highway 133 near Redstone and on Highway 82 near Glenwood Springs.

Mowing the meadows on a warm August day.

Fishing-hole check on the Pan under clear and sunny morning skies.

Historic renovation underway, or recession remodel?

Another soft summer day. Good day to figure out the next bridge move.

Election-day wet-cement sidewalk scrawl.