The wildflowers are starting to bloom at the lower elevations in Colorado. One of my favorite places is Chautauqua City Park at the base of the Boulder Flatirons. Here is an image from this morning…
Summer has arrived!

Tweet

Somewhat off-topic, but…
Personal fitness is an important part of my photography pursuits. I love finding remote locations and hiking far into the mountains, sometimes 15-20 miles a day, is not for the faint of heart or weak of leg. So I try to eat right (with help from my wonderful wife) and stay fit.
3 weeks ago I strained a calf muscle, so I’ve been resting, stretching and rehabilitating – and worrying about losing my cardiovascular fitness. But Sunday I completed a short, slow run and today I ran my 6 mile lunch-time loop. I felt great! Not particularly fast, but …

I’ve been looking for a new daypack with features to perform a very specific function – carrying gear on forays away from an overnight base camp. I need something that can easily stow away in my overnight backpack (without adding too much bulk and weight) and then be pulled out, expanded, filled with gear and be used comfortably/conveniently for sunrise/sunset shoots and all-day exploring.
After researching the specifications of over 50 packs, the GoLite VO24 had risen into the top 3 on my short list. So when the 2009 version popped up on SteepAndCheap for a mere $40, I couldn’t resist. …