Maelstrom at the Met

Took these shots on the roof garden at the Met today in New York. The artist is Roxy Piane and the piece is called Maelstrom. What a great afternoon in the city.

Out and About

From silver star mountain

I've registered for a permit to summit Mount St Helens in August and although it not a super technical climb, it is certainly something I've wanted to accomplish since moving to this part of the country. I've been prepping since about May with a variety of hikes in Oregon & Washington and even completed the Gorge Ride which was an amazing experience. The ride down from the Rowena crest is a surreal experience; I don't think I've traveled that fast on a bike before. In terms of hikes, I hooked up with a great hiking outfit out of Washington and they do some of the most wonderful hikes I've seen in this area. I got a chance to complete Dog Mountain twice, Hamilton Mountain and my favorite so far -- Silver Star Mountain. On a clear day you can see 5 peaks from here. Here are a couple of pictures from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy the summer everyone !!

From Dog Mountain

From Dog Mountain

les nympheas

From paris

Simmy and I spent about a week in Paris this month and I was pleasantly surprised with the great time I had. We stayed at a small inn (kind of no-frlls) in the Marais district on the right bank and it reminded me allot of my place on the upper east side of Manhattan ; less touristy and allot of boutiques, museums, and incredible dining. The architecture and food are sometimes sensory overload as both are sometimes equally elaborate and over the top ; But hey -- this is France.

I would highly recommend the Musee d'Orsay and the Musee de l'Orangerie ; 20 minutes in front of Monet's les Nympheas was beter than any course I took in college on French Impressionism; Unbelievable. Oddly enough, my second favorite exhibit in Paris was of a Dutch painter .. Vangogh while he lived in Paris; Check out the room in the Musee d'Orsay and you'll stop dead in your tracks. It was by far the best arranged group of painting by a single artist I've ever seen assembled in a single room. The French understand how create the perfect museum space for these masterpieces to occupy. An amazing gallery. Regarding the Louve -- I thoroughly enjoyed sitting outside the Louve along the water fountain; It is one of my favorite places on the planet to sit, watch, and experience a different culture ; I found the interior of the Louve too large and gaudy and the scale of the collection was overwhelming and ultimately disenchanting.

From paris

From paris

From paris

From paris

Our Carte Orange cards were a great investment and the best way to get around Paris. Don't get me wrong -- if you don't walk and walk until your feet hurt -- then you are missing part of the experience ; However the Paris Metro is the second best option to scoot around the city. Finding the different Art Nouveau Metro entrances scattered throughout the city was part scavenger hunt and part living art class. The entrances were designed by Hector Guimard in the early 1900s , a masterful artist who lived in Paris in the early 19th century. I can see why so many creative people and artists like Vangogh and Hemingway were drawn to MontMarte cafes and Latin Quarter side streets for inspiration and thought provoking conversation. All the ingrediants must have been present to ignite their sense of inspiration.

From paris

From paris

From paris

Feng Shui

Along the trail yesterday, I almost missed this arrangement of stones Scrumpy pointed it out me as we passed by the stream and she decided to take a dip in the water. I wonder how much hstuff like this we miss everyday - I know someone probably assembled it -- it is the best definition of Feng Shui I've ever experienced and it doesn't even contain a word. Wikipedia can't do that.

From Angels Rest 09

Hamilton Mountain Loop

I hiked the 9 mile Hamilton Mountain Loop today on the Washington side of the Gorge with the MSHI. It had some elevation gain (2400 ft) and some breathtaking views of the Gorge, Mt St Helens, and Mt Hood. There are a few notable waterfalls -namely the Hardy and Rodney Falls which are a great place to take a break and cool off. The Pool of the Winds is pretty amazig to see. This is definitely one of the best and difficult hikes I've been on this year.

From Beacon Rock & Hamilton Mountain Loop

From Beacon Rock & Hamilton Mountain Loop

From Beacon Rock & Hamilton Mountain Loop

From Beacon Rock & Hamilton Mountain Loop

Gardening

From Spring 09

From Spring 09

From Spring 09

Starvation Creek

From Lower Starvation Creek

I was feeling ambitious this weekend and went hiking with a group in the pouring rain near Starvation Creek west of Hood River. It was some great views of the Gorge and pretty good elevation. The trail head is about 1 hour east on I-84 - you'll see signs for Starvation Creek. The ascent is steep and fast for the first 700-800 ft and there are 3 creeks to cross over view foot. Lot's of fun and you'll probably get wet ! The views of the Gorge get progressively better as you ascend. Bring a good pair of boots and the waterfalls are gushing !!

From Lower Starvation Creek

How to castrate a bull

I did a little bit of traveling in February; I had a chance to to visit Seattle and San Francisco on separate trips related to work. The drive up to Seattle was nice and getting out of the office more often is definitely a nice change. I had a chance to meet Dave Hitz and just finished reading his book "How to castrate a Bull" where he recalls planting the seed that grew into a 4 billion dollar a year company called Netapp. A fascinating story and truly an impressive human being. A couple of things resounded with me :

• Simplicity is not simple
• Whining is the evil twin of vision
• Living in the past can be deadly
• Recognize new eras quickly
• Anyone can castrate a bull
  

You'll need to read the book to appreciate the last one. In other news I trying to get back in shape for the cycling season and am lookig forward to some long rides in the gorge in the coming months. I went to the Portland Farmers Market and it was wonderful. We brought home some carrots, scallops, cheese, and fresh baked bread and pasta. Let's see what we come with.

Global village

From Kochi, India (Cochin)

I read a passage on Marshall McLuhan today that summarized my holiday in Kerala. McLuhan coined the phrase "Global village" and it refers to the way technology and media is transforming traditional space time barriers. It is enabling people to live on a global scale and the world is truly a small place. Kerala is the undisputed gem of the Indian subcontinent. I encourage everyone to go see old world charm and progressive thinking coexisting. I particularly enjoyed old Cochin ; buying fresh fish on the coast, that we later prepared for lunch, just felt right; and the prawns were out of this world. Alleppey is the Venice of the East and you are overcome by a sense of calm just driving through this region. Visiting the regions where my parents were born was incredible and well worth the long flight there.

From Kochi, India (Cochin)

I think I've rediscovered the best kept secret in Asia . The shopping and food near Bazaar Road could occupy me for months. Seeing the wholesale spice markets and curio shops was well worth the sometimes annoying shop keepers. I would suggest checking out the reputable antique dealors, flower oil fragrance shops, and the textile dealers.

From Kochi, India (Cochin)

I took this photo outside of my auto rickshaw. I would encourage everyone to take a hair raising ride on on of these vehicles in chaotic traffic at some point in their lives. The great irony in India is that the bikes are the best way to get around. The tourists get stuck in traffic! The blur is the man on the bike whizzing by my auto that is stuck in traffic.

From Kochi, India (Cochin)

I took this shot out a window too. These are rice paddies somewhere between Thiruvilla and paradise. Can't wait to go back again. A friend suggested I read a book and the timing was such that I read it while taveling in South India; this qoute resounded with me: "I was looking for the key for years / but the door was always open".

Dharavi

From Dharavi

I must admit I was apprehensive about visiting the Dharavi slum in Mumbai. Dharavi is the fourth largest slum in Asia where over 1 million people live and it is located in the center of the emerging 21st century city of Mumbai. It is densely populated and it is estimated that on average -- 15 people share about 300 square feet of living space. I didn't know what to expect (I did have allot of preconceptions and biases) and much of what I saw was shocking and will stay with me for a long time. I felt better about it after meeting Krishna and hearing more about his company and the great work they are doing with community education center in the slums. I really admire the work they are doing.

I first learned about Dharavi in a National Geographics piece a few years back and by some stroke of luck found a responsible outfit that actually could help navigate me through the maze of misconceptions. There are 2 Indias -- and we only see 1 of them in the fancy travel magazines. More than 1/2 of the population of Mumbai live in slums. On the one hand there is Mumbai which is being compared to Shanghai as the next great city in Asia -except there is a slight wrinkle in that plan -- namely a 175 hectare slum in the heart of the city with over 1 million residents. To complicate things -- Mumbai real estate rivals Tokyo and everyone seems to have an opinion on how to best "re purpose" this prime real estate in the "best interests of ..." -- well that depends on who you talk to. I'll excuse myself from that discussion for now.

The first thing that struck me about Dharavi was the scale -- It was a diverse neighborhood of its own tucked away in the middle of Mumbai. It is a vibrant and bustling place and it is estimated that a 1 Billion dollar cash economy operates inside its perimeter.
Dharavi -- like most slums -- suffers from crowding, health, air quality and sanitation issues; Seeing a school adjacent to a landfill is haunting. The air quality in the industrial quarters of Dharavi were nauseating at times ; In stark contrast to these realities of slum dwelling was what I had not expected -- a vibrant, self sufficient, and diverse community. There were cooperatives of women making papadams, vibrant tannaries, textile manufacturing, recycling, movie theatres, and internet cafes. We vistied a school and seeing the optimism of those children was astonishing and frankly inspiring.
My takeaway from the Dharavi visit was that India is COMPLICATED. Spending time there helped me shed some of the negative bias I was carrying with me and seeing the pollution and poor sanitation firsthand was eye opening. There are really no easy answers; It is far more complex than urban planning 101. Dharavi is a slum, vibrant community, industry, and an economy all at once; A city within a city. Trying to frame the challenges of Dharavi as merely an urban planning or housing problem understates what is really happening there. What I will remember most was the energy and strong sense of community and neighborhood that permeated the entire slum. We can all learn something from Dharavi in this regard and I am so grateful having had the chance to go there.

From Dharavi

Green Lining

Life has been moving at what seems like warp speed lately. In part it is related to the new role at work as well as certain events that have transpired in that role. I am enjoying a quiet weekend at home. I've recently learned that my favorite watering hole (Green Dragon) was recently purchased by Rogue Ales. Not exactly great news. I hope the 20 guest taps remain and I really do enjoy the staff and people that work there- so here's to hoping that Rogue doesn't try to help too much (read:invisible owner)! The Dragon is one of the best run places in SE and lets keep it that way.
Simmy is off in New York reconnecting with her family and I have a week to bond with Scrumpy and getting caught up on work. I've spent most of the weekend pulling together some job descriptions for a few opens in my area and that was encouraging. I've also been researching green computing initiatives in an effort to begin transforming our technology into more efficient and effective investments . This topic is the "Green Lining" around the otherwise dismal financial crisis we find ourselves in. I agree with Eric Schmidt that there lies the opportunity for our generation. In some related news -- I exchanged an email with Steve Wozniak (really long story & I couldn't believe it either) on the topic of "what would be the next great leap in science & technology " and he also honed in on transforming "Power" and energy as the opportunity that has emerged in these times. How will we transform power in the next century and what new markets iwill emerge?
In terms of reading -- I am wrapping up The Post American World by Fareed Zakaria and must say that this should be required reading for everyone. Here is a qoute from his website "He sees the "rise of the rest"—the growth of countries like China, India, Brazil, Russia, and many others—as the great story of our time, and one that will reshape the world. The tallest buildings, biggest dams, largest-selling movies, and most advanced cell phones are all being built outside the United States. This economic growth is producing political confidence, national pride, and potentially international problems. How should the United States understand and thrive in this rapidly changing international climate?" The book has great insights and contains some of the most current political thinking I've seen in a long time on the complex world we live in.

November

From Autumn

From Autumn

Hub blend

On my run this morning I saw trees with leaves that were bright orange. If you take the time to look at them --they are breath taking. It reminded me of back home in New England and long drives in the Fall. I'll take this moment to acknowledge the obvious --- "Here is to change" -- everything from bright orange leaves, an election year, and to a whole new set of professional challenges and opportunities. I pondered these things and more over a perfect pint of Hub blend this afternoon at the Green Dragon. Cheers !

A change of season

After a rather long week at work it is nice to see the sun peeking out on this Saturday afternoon.  My time at work this past week has been part productive and partly consumed overanalyzing some politicized  events in the workplace that I largely have no interest in or power over. I need to recalibrate focus on things that matter.  I was sitting in my office yesterday chatting with a coworker and while he gazed out the window as a slight drizzle came down in the mid morning -- He said "I'm glad its raining".  So I ofcourse looked out and in that moment knew exactly what he meant -- Autumn was coming to Oregon. That might have been the closest I've come to having my first experience as an Oregonian since transplanting myself here from New York.  In the spirit of Autmn, I've purchased a pumpkin at Trader Joes to mark this change in season.  In other news - I'm excited about my upcoming trip to India.    Here is a great talk from John Maeda on Simplicity Patterns.

Masahiro Shinoda

This past week was busy; In a good and productive way. I'm sure the fact that my birthday is right around the corner is influencing my need for sense of accomplishment. Between leading a book discussion at MDS and presenting to a group of VPs this past week -- it was exciting. Today I worked on the house and planted some hydrangeas and ferns in our small garden. I also found time to watch Masahiro Shinoda's classic 1965 film Samurai Spy. The film is set in 17th century feudal Japan and chronicles spies (samurai) disrupting the dynamics of power in the age of the  shogun. The storyline and characters are fictional, however the history was very much accurate. The soundtrack/audio and cinematography is top notch; You can hear subtle things like the rustling of grass.
I watched an interview with the Shinoda and there was definitely something he was trying to relate that might have been lost in translation. I have to watch the interview again -- I think he was saying that he tried to express moments of "self actualization" or realization for charactors in his films and that moment represented an appreciation of the "absurdity of reality".  I have to think about that some more.

Desert exposure

I was camping in eastern Washington this weekend and caught this view this morning. Sunrise in the desert is amazing! I was having some fun with exposure . Shooting at night without city light pollution is an entirely different experience for me.

From Washington De...

from venice to xanadu

Between some time off last week and a conference the week before -- I find myself happily disconnected from the deluge of things that generally weigh on my mind. I visited my father for his 71st birthday in New York and it was great reconnecting with my family. I finished reading Marco Polo From Venice to Xanadu by Lawrence Bergreen on the plane ride back to Portland. I picked up the book soon after returning from China this past spring. I am convinced that he just might be the greatest explorer of all time. The Age of Discovery in Europe almost lines up perfectly with his return to Venice with stories of Kublai Khan and the enchanting Mongol Empire. I was surprised that advancements such as the use paper money, burning coal, and the printing press were well established practices in Khan's empire -- long before they found their way to Europe. Marco's dizzying adventure on the Silk Road was driven by a quest for trade and commerce. I'm not sure he even appreciated the historical record he was keeping and how human civilization moved forward though the free exchange of ideas and culture. I heard Tim O'Reilly speak last week at conference about the importance of "documenting your history" and how the open culture of the free software movement is changing everything. Come to think of it -- the free software movement is really about unobstructed access to new ideas and technology-- not unlike Marco Polo's first encounter with the printing press in his travels through the Mongol empire. It was a system that facilitated the free exchange of ideas and could support concurrent input of different agendas and priorities. I wonder what it would be like if the Mongols had a patent on the printing press and restricted how it could evolve in the west. Would things be different today? Better? I leave that for the copyright attorneys to argue over. I'm adding a few trading posts along the Silk Road (namely Constantinople - modern day Istanbul) to my list of have to see places.
In other news I had a chance to visit the MET and meet up with an old friend in New York over pizza; I even took my four nieces to the Bronx Zoo which was thoroughly entertaining. The roof of the Met in the summer is great fun. In other news, the Summer Olympics is commencing in Beijing on August 8. and I'm look forward to to it.

Interactive World

This globe was open for people to express themselves with paint and a little imagination. It's interactive nature and simple interface was brilliant. What a concept; Second Life's got nothing on this Interactive World. I like the one that goes "breathing is a rhythm".

Finding the mind

I was reading a blog post on the topic of Data Intensive Scalable Computation and the author referenced John Searle's thought experiment of the Chinese room and I spent a bit of time this morning considering it. Searle imagines an advanced computer that could take in Chinese character inputs and translate symbols -- producing character output that a Chinese speaker would consider valid -perhaps convince the Chinese speaker that in fact they are speaking to a human. Does that imply the computer has intelligence and understands Chinese? I'm sure it is a great topic for discussion in AI circles.

Searle takes the experiment further and imagines a human in a room, receive Chinese characters, consulting with a book or some protocol, and producing valid output (Chinese symbols)-- without any knowledge of Chinese of course. This poses a problem to those that might think the computer somehow passed the Turing test. Does the computer really understand Chinese or is it only manipulating symbols. It begs the question what does Speaking Chinese really mean and is consciousness and the mind the differentiator (if there is one at all) between symbol manipulation and understanding?

Wide right turns

From Bunratty, Ire...

I was fortunate enough to spend a few days in Ireland this past month. I even snuck away from the office on a Friday afternoon to drive out to the west coast. Many coworkers had recommended visiting the cliffs of moher ; the ride over in my rental car was quite the memorable and hair raising experience; Hair raising in the way that reminds you that you are alive. It is quite a rush.

From Cliffs of Moh...

Barack Obama in Portland

From Barack Obama ...

I had a chance to see and hear Barack Obama this afternoon near the SW Waterfront in Portland. I was on my regular weekend bike ride and found myself in the midst of the event. I don't think I've ever seen so many cyclists or people for that matter in a single place. I think this was the largest public event of any of the candidates thus far in the race - 70K + people; The line just stretched as far as the eye could see. An older gentleman standing near me said -- "The last time it felt like this was Bobby Kennedy in '68"; I'll take his word on it. I'm glad I had a chance to hear him speak - he is a great communicator. You can read the New York Times article here.

From Barack Obama ...

Angels rest

It seems like the month of May is flying by. Between work, personal and professional reading lists, landing two big initiatives this quarter, and leaving for Ireland next weekend -- the deluge doesn't seem to be slowing. What else can one do except climb for higher ground -in this case 1500 feet to Angels Rest. The view from here sure helps put things in perspective. ( The blue shirt on the lower left may help provide a sense of scale )

The waterfalls and streams are especially vibrant this time of year. Feeling the mist is better than any air conditioning system. Enjoy the weekend...

Design and the Elastic Mind

A visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City to view and discuss Design and The Elastic Mind with Paola Antonelli.

Neon Lichen

Fiddling around with the camera here a bit. To the right is neon green lichen and to the left is a a little more than a trickle of water from the rock formation above that appears especially blue.

From Oneonta Gorge

Great Wall

I must admit - I purposely did not mention the Great Wall in my previous post in part because I felt I needed more time to think about the experience. I've been fascinated with the idea of exploring it since I was a young boy. It was one of the most compelling reasons for going. A bit of history of the wall might be useful; Construction started in the 5th century and continued off and on for another 10 centuries until the 16th. It stretches over 4000 miles. Seeing it snake down a valley and disappear up and over the next ridge is breath taking. We were fortunate enough to do some treking on an un-restored section of the wall east of Mutianyu. The engineer in me couldn't help but marvel at the scale of this thing. Awe aside -- what is all this wall building about ? Can one draw some conclusions from this single engineering project that lasted 10 centuries ? Whether it ultimately succeeded or not is something I'll save for an after dinner discussion sometime.

One observation I've made of China is that there seems to be no shortage of 'walls'; There are walls around everything --older parts of Beijing, the forbidden city, gardens, public parks, hutongs, palaces, and of course the country itself. One can't help but wonder -- why such a historical emphasis on building walls and what are these walls keeping out? I asked myself --could this still be the case today? Are the Chinese still building great walls? Some might say - yes. Today they are technological and less obvious. Can a parallel be drawn between 10 centuries of wall building and internet, news and digital information filtering in China today? These modern walls are certainly more porous; However like the more traditional ones which kept the West and more notably the Mongols out for so many centuries --the new walls also keep things out -namely information. Now China is certainly not the only nation with a history of "wall building" and that is an important factor to keep in mind. I do find the continuity and evolution of this "building a wall" theme -albeit physical and/or digital over the last 15 centuries intriguing !

From Great Wall of...

Beijing's Hutongs

From Beijing, China

While waiting for my connecting flight in San Francisco I picked up a book called 'American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China' and it chronicled a student from the midwest that dropped out of Princeton to study kungfu with Shaolin monks. My trip to China was not nearly as ambitious.
The first thing that struck me in Beijing was the scale of construction. High rises being built at a rate unfamiliar to me. I've lived in big cities and have never observed this rate of development before. It is astonishing. Piles of rubble and debris - followed by high rise after high rise and non stop construction.
Hutongs are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan, traditional courtyard residences in China. Many neighborhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form a hutong, and then joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such neighborhoods. I soon learned that demolished hutong neighborhoods are what many of those piles of rubble are. I made sure to spend a good amount of time in and around the ones I encountered. I wanted to get a sense of this disappearing way of life. The narrow alleys of the hutongs are best suited for rickshaws, bicycles, and pedestrians. Many date earlier than Qing dynasty and are a hodgepodge of traditional homes, shrines, markets, courtyards, and small businesses all huddled together in close proximity; Think of them as old Chinese neighborhoods. You'll be greeted by sounds of roosters, people chattering at a market, and bicycles & rickshaws rattling along the narrow streets. This is definitely a sharp contrast to modern life in China and I'm glad I had a chance to experience it.
Kublai Khan's Beihai park was a hidden gem in Beijing. Strolling in a Chinese garden is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. The imperial garden in the Forbidden City was another refreshingly quiet and intimate contrast to the grandeur of the other palace buildings and bustling Beijing. Seeing Tiananmen Square was a thrill and completed a story I first heard in 1989; Maybe it was the unrest in Tibet last week or the way news broadcasts were being selectively censored in my hotel room. Watching the CNN evening news broadcast go silent was a haunting experience.


So what are my impressions of China? On the one hand I see rapid modernization and on the other a deterioration of cultural identity. I perceived a good deal of bureaucracy as well. Both are probably artifacts of the cultural revolution. Our taxi driver said the only gods that are left in China are Mao and currency. I witnessed news censorship firsthand and can't help but wonder how this impacts and shapes perception and reality -not just in China --everywhere it happens and it does happen everywhere; Being outside your comfort zone just makes you notice more. I would liken present day China to the industrial revolution in the United States during the late 19th century (at least as I imagine it) - a time of social mobility, technological advancement, and coming of age. The sun is rapidly setting on the 5000 year old civilization we know from our text books. A new more 'modern' China is rising in her place. I'm glad I went -especially seeing glimpses of old China and watching the new one transform and prepare for the big 'coming of age' party this summer.

Newton's Third Law

As part of National Engineers Month in February I presented to a group of 25 third grade students at Cornelius Elementary . The local IEEE chapter encourages members to participate each year. Believe me , I've done my fair share of presentations - however this was a whole new ball game. How do we get young people interested in math & science and fuel the next generation of innovation? Well for one --we need to get out in front of them and 'inspire'. It is about igniting that fire of imagination that opens the door to possibility and belief that 'what' you've imagined is really 'possible'. Somewhere between building and designing balloon rockets with these students last Monday and hopefully permanently linking that activity in their minds with Newton's Third Law of Motion and careers in aerospace engineering -- it struck me --- One way to get there is to actually 'be the action' and step aside and watch for the waterfall of reactions. The reactions that I'm talking about are that sense of wonder and possibility on those 25 faces when I proclaimed "Who wants to build a balloon rocket and goto Mars ?" The response was electric -- What a rush.

In other news- in an effort to find work -life balance again amidst all the rapid evolution and speciation at work -- I am going to China ! We're planning to spend a few days hiking sections of the Great Wall. I'm still working through a route that makes sense and solicting feedback from other travelers. We'll also spend 1 or 2 days in Beijing and take in some of the other world heritage sites. Signing off for now .. see you in Beijing '08!

Blue Marble

I was looking for some "open source" or non copyrighted images for a recent project at work and came across this library from Nasa. I consider myself a bit of a photographer and found this collection simply inspiring. I did meet someone this summer who shot photos of our galaxy from the deserts in Arizona -and I can see why. In any event somewhere on that blue marble -- I'm still trying to think big.

Glacier Loop Trail

My wife's sister was visiting from out east and we found ourselves out snow shoeing again last weekend. The forest was draped in snow. This time we were on a more leveled and very picturesque trail called Glacier Loop that doubles as a great cross country skiing area. We brought along Scrumpy which is always an adventure.

Mirror Lake

Despite the light rain on Saturday morning some colleagues and I decided to do a 3 mile snow shoeing trek to Mirror Lake and back. We got as high as 4100 feet and what we saw was well worth any perceived difficultly getting up there. Having Thomas' 14 year old son along helped bring out the young boys in all of us -especially as we took several shortcuts by sliding down from the summit (several hundred feet) on more than one occasion to save time ; What a thrill. Getting lost on the trail was almost exciting. My photos do no justice to the peace and calm that this place is. It is undisturbed, pristine, and the snow is so clean that it appears blue in daylight. I won't mention the other colored snow we passed left by an overly territorial bear !
Thanks to everyone who joined and hopefully we can plan something again soon !