January 3, 2010

SJOC Newsletters



Starting January 2010, newsletters will be available at our new website:



http://www.sanjuanoutdoorclub.org/



Mark this site as a favorite on your computer so you can refer to it whenever you need to.  It has all the Club's information, including the Calendar.



Check it out!






November 28, 2009

December 2009

***HAPPY HOLIDAYS***



December Meeting

The monthly meeting will be held on Thursday the 3rd of December at the Community Center.
Social hour will begin at 6:00 with dinner being served at 7:00.
This is our annual Christmas potluck.  Please bring a side dish, salad, appetizer or dessert that will serve 10 to 12 people.  The Club will provide ham and turkey.

Don't forget money for the raffle.
Tickets are a dollar each or 7 tickets for $5.

Proceeds benefit Pagosa senior students going to college as well as younger students studying nature and conservation and learning outdoor sports and skills.


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Helping Hands

We will be collecting donations for the Helping Hands program.  Local senior citizens and families with children have applied for assistance.  Their needs are listed on paper stockings which are available at either City Market.  Pick one or more stockings, buy what is needed, wrap it, place the paper stocking on the package and bring it to the meeting. We will deliver the packages to the appropriate people.
No time to shop? They will be more than happy to accept monetary donations.
What a great way to make someone's holiday a little happier.


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SJOC Website

Good News!  The outdoor club has its own website.  The address is
http://www.sanjuanoutdoorclub.org/
This website is searchable and easier to remember.
We are currently working on it and it should be finished this month.
You should be able to read the Dec. newsletter on both sites, but the
 January newsletter will be on this new website and not on the old one. 


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President's Message




The following proposed by-law addition will be voted on at the Board meeting scheduled for Dec.2 at 3:30 at the home of Joyce Ramberg. Any interested member may attend and is welcome to express their opinion. It takes a vote of 3/4 of the board to pass the proposal. We have been able to obtain a general liability policy for the club from Farmer's Ins. for a very reasonable annual cost of $350 with $1,000,000 per incident/$2,000,000 per year coverage. Importantly, this will also give us host liquor liability coverage as long as we do not sell alcohol. Thus, we should be able to continue providing beer and wine at our meetings and social gatherings.
Barry

Addition to the By Laws


ARTICLE 9.0 INDEMNIFICATION CLAUSE

9.1 To the extent permitted or required by the Colorado Nonprofit Corporation Act and any other applicable law, if any Director or Officer of the Corporation is made a party to or is involved in any proceeding ( which term shall mean any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, and whether formal or informal) because such person is or was a director or officer of the corporation, the Corporation: (a) shall indemnify such Person from and against any judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement and reasonable expenses ( including but not limited to expenses of investigation and preparation, and fees and disbursements of counsel, accountants or other experts) incurred by such person in such proceeding,and (b) shall advance to such person expenses incurred in such proceeding.

The Corporation may in its discretion (but is not obligated in any way to) indemnify and advance expenses to an employee or agent of the Corporation to the same extent as to a Director or Officer.

The foregoing provisions for indemnification and advancement of expenses are not exclusive, and the Corporation may at its discretion provide for indemnification or advancement of expenses in a resolution of its Members or Directors, in a contract or in its Articles of Incorporation.

Any repeal or modification of the foregoing provisions of this Article for indemnification or advancement of expenses shall not effect adversely any right or protection stated in such provisions with respect to any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such repeal or modification. If any provision of this Article or any part thereof shall be held to be prohibited by or invalid under applicable law, such provision or part thereof shall be deemed amended to accomplish the objectives of the provision or part thereof as originally written to the fullest extent permitted by the law, and all other provisions or parts shall remain in full force and effect.

9.2 The San Juan Outdoor Club shall at all times maintain a general liability insurance policy with a minimum coverage limit of $1,000,000 and will pay the premium in a timely manner to maintain such coverage.


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Board Nominees for 2010


The slate of officers for 2010 is as follows:

President:  Betsy Cotton
Vice President:  Mike Schneider
Treasurer:  Cindy Heller
Secretary:  Susan Milford
Membership:  Margaret Kleiner
Activities:  Bob Milford

Member at Large:  Klaus Neubert
Newsletter Editor:  Brian Swett 
You will have the chance to vote at the December meeting.


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Upcoming Activities


Keep an eye on the Calendar.  Things are being added all the time.
Coming up, we have snowshoes, cross country skiing, bowling, and the Thursday ladies walks (or snowshoes if weather dictates).  Things will pick up once we have more of the white stuff.  Get your equipment ready!


First Aid and CPR


First-Aid and CPR (combined $65) training will be conducted at the Archuleta County Education Center located at 4th and Lewis Streets. CPR ($50) training will be held on Monday, January 11 followed by First-Aid ($45) training on Wednesday, January 13. The training for each will run from 6-10 p.m. Important: There will be registration forms at the Dec. 3 and Jan. 7 meetings, but participants must deliver the completed forms and pay in advance at the Education Center. This training is open to the general public so register as soon as possible. For anyone needing recertification, this program will qualify, but you must inform them at registration. NOTE: Anyone who leads a 2010 SJOC sponsored activity will be reimbursed half their training cost at year’s end. Questions? Contact Mike Schneider at mschneid@skywerx.com




Chama Chile Ski Classic

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Cross-country Skiers and Snowshoers, come to Chama in northern New Mexico for a weekend of winter fun in the South San Juan Mountains!

The Chama Chile Ski Classic, over the Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, features 5K and 10K classical cross-country ski races, a 5K snowshoe race and combined events for all ages and abilities.

The weekend also includes 3 ski clinics (telemark, avalanche rescue, classic skiing techniques), guided ski tours, pasta dinner and beer tasting, and Awards Ceremony with music by the Unstrung Heroes.

For more information: www.chamaski.com, phone: 575-756-2746. Register online: http://www.active.com/.



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November Meeting

We enjoyed a wonderful presentation on the Grand Canyon by Ed Funk and Merlin Wheeler.
John Graves' fabulous music accompanied the slide show.







The raffle winners.  What a bunch of happy guys.




Just what Terry wanted! He was the happiest of all.


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November Activities

Ski Swap

The annual ski swap and bake sale was held on Oct. 24 and was an overwhelming success with the vendors, customers and for the scholarship fund. Everyone really enjoyed the move to the community center this year and the extra space available for displaying equipment. The bake sale added a very festive and fun feel to the event and a little snow on the mountains improved everyone's attitude. The total sale proceeds were over $22,000-that was up 21% from last year and the net profit to the club was $2688. The bake sale added another $530 to the general fund. All the volunteers deserve a big thank you for all the hard work, over sixty people chipped in to help pull off the event. I think everyone had a good time and enjoyed the camaraderie with their fellow club members. If you would like to help in some way next year let Ron Chacey hear from you, ideas are already being floated around about how to make the swap even better next year.


Thursday Ladies Walk


Hey girls, remember if there's snow on the streets, the walk turns into cross country skiing or snowshoeing (your choice) at the Golf Course.





The last Thursday in Oct. was pretty cold, 15 degrees. But that didn't stop these brave ladies
from their weekly walk. Brrrrrrrrr!


Bisti Badlands


Betsy, Sue and Susan  took off on a long day trip to the Bisti Badlands.  It is 30 minutes south of Farmington.  It makes for a great outing because you can mix in a little shopping afterwards.  We hiked  two miles due east from the parking lot to see some interesting formations.
This is a trailless area, so be sure and take a GPS.  There are no facilities. You wouldn't want to get lost out there. 



Typical scenery


Betsy and Sue adding some color to the landscape




Susan and Sue posing for the camera




Every column had a flat piece of rock on top - weird



Sue is just too cute - love that fanny pack!



Anybody home?


Golf Outing




SJOC golfers – Carolyn, Betsy, Bob, Doug, Toosje and Shirley – traveled to Farmington to play Pinon Hills, one of Golf Digest top ranked courses. We were very impressed with the course although the pin placements would challenge the best of golfers (and some of us are not the best so we were extra challenged). The course is open year round and is worth the trip.







Betsy and Carolyn on the green




Nice swing Toosje


First Easy Snowshoe

On Nov. 21st we went down into the meadows and forest behind the bottom of the Alberta lift at WC pass. We went about 2.5 mi., with some bushwacking and breaking trail.  Afterward, most of us went to Bear Creek  Rest. for lunch and refreshments.
 Gregg H.




We were making tracks, baby!



Follow the leader



Required group shot



We always work up an appetite



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This year has really flown by.  I really enjoyed being newsletter editor.  Being relatively new to the club at the beginning of 2009, it was a great way to get involved and meet more people.  Thanks to everyone who contributed articles and photographs. You made my job much easier.  Now I know a little bit more about computers - but still have a long way to go.  I just couldn't stand to be out of the loop, so I volunteered to be secretary for 2010.  See you outside!
Susan


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October 31, 2009

November 2009


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

NOVEMBER

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Meeting

The November meeting will be on Thursday, November 5th at the Community Center starting at 6:30 p.m.

 The program will be a presentation on the Grand Canyon assembled by Ed Funk who has hiked the Grand Canyon eight times. Merlin Wheeler will begin the presentation with a brief explanation of the Grand Canyon geology. This will be followed by a ten minute, four-part PowerPoint show on the human endeavor, Canyon plants, Canyon waters, and Canyon vistas. John Graves will be playing a piano accompaniment that he assembled for the presentation. NOTE: The pictures on this presentation have been taken by published photographers.

Refreshments will be provided by:  Fred Reese, Margaret Kleiner, Bob Milford, Kari Plante, and Carolyn Warszawski.

Don't forget money for the Education Fund Raffle.

Tickets are $5 for 7 or $1 for one.

Up for grabs:

Next Door -  surprise, don't know what it is yet, but it will be good!
Overlook Spa - Day Pass
Desperate Housewives Board Game
Half the Cash



Proceeds benefit Pagosa senior students going to college as well as younger students studying nature and conservation and learning outdoor sports and skills.



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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE





The snow has started to fall and Wolf Creek opens this weekend, so it's looks to be a good winter. The Ski Swap was a tremendous success last weekend and the comments from the vendors and shoppers overwhelmingly supported the move to the Community Center. The preliminary numbers show sales in excess of $22,000 and the Bake sale took in over $500. This money goes back into the general fund for use totally in support of our members. The girls deserve a lot of credit for putting on a festive and tasty bake sale that really adds to the overall fun of the swap. I'm really proud to be part of a group of volunteers that worked together and had fun with such a huge effort. The scholarship fund will profit and the community was well served. There were way too many people involved to thank individually but congratulations to everyone involved for a job very well done.


See you on the slopes, Barry



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UPCOMING ACTIVITIES


The Calendar of Activities can be found on the sidebar under "Useful Links". Click on any activity to get all the details.
Please remember to check the Calendar several times a month, things will get posted during the month just a week or two before the activity. You don't want to miss out!

So far for Nov., we will have our first easy snowshoe on Sat., Nov 21st led by Gregg Howard, bowling on the 18th, and the Thursday morning ladies walk / coffee ( which will turn into snowshoeing or XC skiing when conditions dictate).

Take special notice of the Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser hosted by SJOC on Friday, Nov. 6th from 6-8pm at the Pagosa Youth Club.  Proceeds will benefit the Wolf Creek Race Team.

Also, note that, per Jean the Queen of Clean, there will be no highway trash pickup during Nov.


FESTIVAL of TREES

The SJOC entry for the Festival of Trees needs your help. We will have a box at the November 5 meeting to collect donated ornaments for the tree. They can be used (if in good condition) or hand crafted or store bought. The ornaments need to reflect the outdoors, outdoor activities or nature. For those of you with crafting skills, we would love to have your handmade ornaments which would make the tree unique.

We want to encourage our SJOC membership to bid on the tree. Our charity has not been confirmed yet but will most likely be the SJOC Education fund – tax deductible. Just think -- no hassle to pull out tree and ornaments. If you’re the winning bidder, your tree will be delivered on December 5 and you can enjoy it for the remainder of the holiday season. Plus, it is a pre-lit artificial tree and can be used for many seasons to come.

The SJOC tree will be on display along with the other entrants during our SJOC Christmas party on December 3. Please plan to attend the Festival of Trees party and auction on Friday, December 4, from 6pm-8:30pm and bid on the SJOC tree. The evening will include catered hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and music. Dress for the season and the cost is only $10/person.


Pagosa Nordic Ski Club


In the sidebar under "Useful Links" you will find a new link to the Pagosa Nordic Club's website.
If you like to cross country ski, this is the site for you.  It has trail maps for the different areas that will be groomed this season and it will tell you when each one has been groomed.  Even though they do this for free, I'm sure they would welcome new members and donations to help with the expense. Check it out!


Helping Hands
 
Get in the Holiday Spirit.
At the December meeting, we will be collecting donations for Helping Hands.  I believe you can get all the details at City Market.  Joyce will also give details at the Nov. meeting.  What a great way to help those that are less fortunate.  Remember, the greatest joy is in giving! 

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OCTOBER MEETING

Brian Swett gave a fantastic presentation on climbing Mt. McKinley in Denali National Park.





All eyes are on Brian.







The lucky raffle winners.


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OCTOBER ACTIVITIES

SKI SWAP

Our annual Ski Swap was held Oct. 24th at the Community Center.  Check out the President's Message for the results. 



Anne and Donna manning the bake sale table loaded with delicious treats.




Yummy cookies donated by The Floured Apron Bakery




And the rush is on to find the perfect gear at a fantastic price




Lots of skis and boots




At the check out counter - skis for everyone




Just rewards for some of the volunteers.  Nothing like relaxing by the lake with a great beverage.



PAGOSA PEDALERS

The Monday bike group enjoyed a colorful, but cool ride along Monument Park Road and then out through the forest to the backcountry hut. A few snowflakes occasionally drifted through the air and the fall colors were still pretty. All in all it was a good workout and hopes for making it a loop ride back to the Turkey Springs Hut were discussed.




It's all downhill now.




Monument Park Hut




Rolling along, enjoying the fall colors.




GRAND CANYON BACKPACK


Once again, David and Shirley Hunter led a fantastic trip into the Grand Canyon.  Joining them were Jim and Jean Scott, Marvin Sacks, Susan Milford, Betsy Cotton and Judy Aswell, (Betsy's friend from Texas).

This was a 5 day trip - down the Boucher Trail, across the Tonto Trail, and back up the Hermit Trail.

The Boucher Trail is not maintained and was quite challenging.
The first night, we camped on Yuma Point and had really strong winds with gusts up to 60mph (according to Park Rangers).  The Scott's tent collapsed, the Hunters got bent tent poles and a hole in their rat sack (from being blown against a tree limb), and Betsy got a hole in her tent (from being blown against a rock all night).  Needless to say, there wasn't much sleep going on that first night.  The weather improved the next day and was pretty darn good until the last night when it started raining.  We packed up our wet stuff and headed out at first light.  It continued to rain off and on all day with a little hail and lightning thrown in for fun.  We did get to see some georgeous rainbows - making it all worth it.  The scenery the rest of the time wasn't too shabby either.  A good time was had by all.




Here we go, heading on to the Boucher Trail.




Our campsite on Yuma Point, little did we know what the wind had in store for us .




Shirley, working her magic on Jim's tent.





Marvin, with the best camp hair.



Betsy and Judy at Boucher Rapids.  Still friends, even though Judy thinks Betsy lied about the difficulty of the trip.



Relaxing on Hermit Creek below our campsite




Group shot on the Tonto Trail.




Another shot along the Tonto Trail.



Looking down on the River from the Tonto Trail.





One of the spectacular rainbows we saw while hiking the Hermit Trail.




Another shot of the rainbow - look real close and you can see the full moon right behind the rainbow ( toward the left side).



That's It!!!!!
Hope to see ya outside - in the snow



September 9, 2009

October 2009


 OCTOBER



Meeting

The  Meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 1st at the Community Center starting at 6:30.
We have a real treat this month.  One of our members, Brian Swett, will be doing a presentation on his trip to Denali.  Don't miss it!

Refreshments will be provided by:  Margaret Kleiner, Ann Raisich, Carl Pitts, Jack Passant, and Karol Jackson. 

Don't forget money for the Education Fund Raffle.
Tickets are $5 for 7 or $1 for one.
We have another round of fabulous prizes:

Pagosa Outside - Half day raft trip for 2 in 2010 valued at $120
Eagle Mountain Mercantile - Leatherman multi-tool
The Springs Resort and Spa - Pass for one month of unlimited access
Boss Hoggs Restaurant - $25 gift certificate
Half the Cash

Proceeds benefit Pagosa senior students going to college as well as younger students studying nature and conservation and learning outdoor sports and skills.



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President's Message




Howdy everyone,

It's hard to believe we're heading into the last quarter of the year already. This is a big month for the club-the Ski Swap comes up on October 24th. This is our largest fund raiser for the education fund and we'll be asking for lot's of volunteers to help out with the event. Also, plan on consigning that unused gear that's waiting to find a new home and make yourself a few bucks. It's also a great opportunity to pick up some new gear at real bargain prices compared to what the new stuff sells for these days.

The other important item we address this month is starting the process of selecting new officers and board members to guide the club in the coming year. We would like to hear from you about any interest you have in serving the club, unless you contact someone on the board we won't know what you might like to help with. If you know someone who you think might be a talented help to the club please let any one of us hear from you. It's not a lot of work for any one person as everyone helps throughout the year and it's great fun. It only takes a few individuals to fill the board but if everyone waits for someone else to do it then nothing gets done, so please look at what you can do to help-that's what makes this group of people so much fun and why we get to enjoy all the great events we have throughout the year.

THINK SNOW & LOT'S OF IT!

Barry


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UPCOMING ACTIVITIES


Calendar

In October the Pagosa Pedalers continue, the ladies will be walking on Thursday mornings, we have one night of bowling, a Rio Chama Float, and the Ski Swap.The Activities Calendar can be found in the sidebar under "Useful Links"It has all the details on each activity. You need to check it several times during the month for any new items that may have been added. You can also look ahead to the next month.

 Greg is back in town. Let him know if you have an activity to put on the calendar.

Don't forget to wear your blaze orange if you're out and about.  October is rifle season.  You can pick up the hunting schedule at the Ranger Office.




Festival of Trees




The SJOC entry for the Festival of Trees needs your help. We will have a box at the October 1 and November 5 meetings to collect donated ornaments for the tree. They can be used (if in good condition) or hand crafted or store bought. The ornaments need to reflect the outdoors, outdoor activities or nature. For those of you with crafting skills, we would love to have your handmade ornaments which would make the tree unique.



We want to encourage our SJOC membership to bid on the tree. Our charity has not been confirmed yet but will most likely be the SJOC Scholarship fund – tax deductible. Just think -- no hassle to pull out tree and ornaments. If you’re the winning bidder, your tree will be delivered on December 5 and you can enjoy for the remainder of the holiday season. Plus, it is a pre-lit artificial tree and can be used for many seasons to come.



The SJOC tree will be on display along with the other entrants during our SJOC Christmas party on December 3. Please plan to attend the Festival of Trees party & auction on Friday, December 4, from 6pm-8:30pm and bid on the SJOC tree. The evening will include catered hors d’oeuvers, cash bar and music. Dress for the season and the cost is only $10/person.


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September Meeting


The September Meeting was a potluck held at Sportsman's Campground.
The weather cooperated and as usual, the food was delicious.



Hungry Crowd



Why, I didn't know that!



You don't say!



Gathering round the traditional firepit.



Saving the best for last.




Girls just want to have fun!


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SEPTEMBER ACTIVITIES


Williams Reservoir Outing


September 2-3

This was a good idea that didn't quite materialize. The weather didn't cooperate, what a surprise! The idea was to camp out, enjoy the day, attend the pot luck then kayak on the reservoir under a full moon. Well, we enjoyed the day with bike ride and visiting, attended the pot luck which was really good, but the clouds took over the sky and the full moon made only brief appearances. The kayaking did not happen but we'll give it another try next year.


Plenty of toys to play with during the day if only the weather would cooperate!






Some good company made all the difference.



Salsa Fiesta

The Bakers, Bozeks, Longs and Webbs enjoyed a beautiful day at the annual Creede Salsa Fiesta on September 6th. We sampled red, green, fruit, and HOT TAMALE salsa!!!  


After we had our fill of the hot stuff, some of us headed for the ice cream parlor to cool down and the guys headed for one of the local bars to cool down. True to form (we have to keep up the club's reputation for eating), we rounded off the day with pizza. Organizer:
Marsha Baker
 


The whole group in Creede.



One of our leaders!!




All we need is an ocean!




Gathering place





Now where did the women go?





Oh, there they are.....Shopping.





Plant Exchange

Many plants and flower seeds found a new home at the plant exchange. The enthusiastic gardeners shared items they brought and offered planting advice. Several folks with new landscaping will be making colorful additions thanks to the generosity of some established gardens in Pagosa.








Mountain Bike Clinic

September 15th

Many thanks go out to Tom at Pedal & Powder. He spent a great deal of time with those of us that attended adjusting this, tweeking that, and explaining A LOT of possible cheap fixes for problems we might have out on the trail. If you need any help with your bike, I highly recommend talking to Tom. He'll help you in the most cost efficient way possible and help you know what to do to avoid that problem in the future. Everyone left armed with valuable new knowledge and skills. I have no photos cuz I was busy learnin' stuff. Sorry.
Betsy




Pagosa Pedalers


September 28th

A small core of the PP's ventured out under the leadership of Suzanne to ride Blue Creek Road to a lovely vista. The 9 mile RT ride required some uphill tenacity and rewarded with downhill fun, all under a bright blue sky accented with reds and golds along the way. Does it get any better? I don't think so. Check the calendar each Sunday to see if another ride has been added. This was our last officially planned ride but members may choose to continue as long as the weather permits. In fact, Barry is going to lead the group Monday, Oct. 5th on a Monument Park ride. Meet at Turkey Springs and Newt Jack Rds. at 9 a.m.

It's been great fun this summer on the bikes. I know I and others in the group have improved our abilities and endurance a great deal over the weeks of riding. We'll pick it up again next year with two groups - one for mostly residential roads around the North and South Pagosa Blvd. areas and one for trails and forest roads. Hopefully, all the 2009 folks will return and we'll add a bunch in 2010!



The gang heading uphill. That's always fun!







Big views are a nice payoff for that workout.






How about another President picture.



The Lime Mesa Adventure  
Bob, Betsy and I made the LONG drive north of Durango to hike Lime Mesa.The hike was great with fantastic views, BUT  the drive took almost 3 hours to get to the trailhead. The last two miles were really rocky and required heavy duty 4WD. Very slow going. The trailhead is at 11,400ft. and we ended up around 12,600ft. We were supposed to camp one night and continue down to some lakes, but it would have just been Betsy and me, so we changed it to a day hike instead, and Bob joined us. It ended up being an all-dayer. The lakes were very tempting though. Maybe next time.
.

.
Bob walking by Dollar Lake.





Betsy and Bob cruising right along.
Our destination is the top of the ridge.


       
The view from on top of the ridge, looking north.
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Bob enjoying the view and eating lunch.
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On the way back, the weather was a bit threatening, but it left us alone.

That's It Folks!!!!
See Ya Outside.
Keep the photos coming.