Having the time of my life. I can't tell you how much I enjoy hiking through rugged mountain landscapes above timberline. This was a great hike. The "white specks" you can see against the blue of the lake is snow starting to fall. 15 minutes after this photo was taken I traded my baseball hat for a wool stocking hat and put on a warm coat. In this photo I had just taken off my blue rain parka and had it strapped across the top of my day pack. Shortly thereafter I had it on and exchanged my baseball hat for a warm wool stocking cap. Thursday 9.25.2008 my son and I started a day hike from the Colchuck Lake trailhead. Our destination was to the top of Aasgard Pass and back. At the end of Lake Colchuck our plan changed. My son would hike fast and hike through the Enchantment Lakes to the Snow Lakes trailhead. I gave him my headlamp (as backup) with extra batteries, in case he needed to hike the last stretch in the dark. I had the vehicle keys and planned to hike back down Aasgard Pass; get the vehicle; and drive down to pick him up as he exited his solo through hike at the Snow Lakes trailhead. 3/4 of the way up Aasgard Pass, hiking on my own, I met Jack and Rachael. They were a friendly young couple, planning to hike all the way through from Colchuck TH to the Snow Lake TH (about 17 miles). During our hike to the top of Aasgard, they invited me to join them on their through hike with their friends Mike and Aura. They had an extra head lamp and said they would give my son and I a shuttle back up to the Colchuck TH and our vehicle. It was an offer I couldn't resist. So that is how it came to be. My son hiked solo from Aasgard Pass to the Snow Lake Trailhead, and I hiked along with four friendly young people on the same route but behind my son, who was hiking faster than the five of us. It made for a long day of hiking but what great scenery and fun. I had backpacked up Aasgard twice and backpacked to Nada then day hiked up into the Enchantment Lakes once. All of those trips were decades ago (when I was young). This was a first trailhead to trailhead through hike of the Enchantment Lakes for me and for my son. We both loved the experience. We got rain, sun, and snow - - and we were all constantly changing attire to fit the conditions of the moment. We saw mountain goat and pika. For us all it was a hike to remember.

I think they only print up so many of these, and once the regular media have gotten them and they've sold out the rest ($15) , that's it for the year, because I don't remember seeing these last year. But then, last year, my first live game wasn't until New Year's Eve. This year, as a blogger, I picked it up as a reference guide. I was really surprised at how thick it was, but it is FULL of all kinds of amazing stuff. Not just Blackhawks info but other teams, too. This was my favorite page I've seen so far - "How the Hawks were built", a look at the trades and signings that led to the current team structure. My only (minor) complaint about this guide is that I wish the cover was made of a much heavier/thicker paper stock. I just bought the guide a game or two ago, and it's already looking fairly battered.