2005 09 24 Snowmass, Aspen, CO 82
Between the 19th and the 23rd I was in a "color management and digital printing" class at Anderson Ranch, near Aspen. This was excellent. I came away convinced that digital printing has "arrived", and can produce results equal or superior to the Ilfochrome prints I had been making.
After the class I drove into Aspen and did a little wandering around, and then drove south on CO 82 to US 24 to Leadville, to 91, to I70, and then on to Boulder for a night before I flew home.
At the Aspen airport you might see this:
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Here's an article about the plane and it's owner. Here's some more historical information.
So, here's why Aspen is Aspen. The color was probably at it's peak this week, and was quite beautiful. The road in the lower left photo is CO 82 on the south side of the Independence Pass, which at over 11000 feet is well over the tree line. Aspen is about 20 miles to the north. Aspen is an international destination for skiing, and is the home of what are probably the world's toughest zoning laws. The town is quite charming, but you can tell that the same zoning laws that are keeping the Roaring Fork Valley pristine and uncluttered have forced real estate prices into the ozone. If you have to ask what a home costs here you can't afford it. The squadrons of Gulfstream jets at the Pitkin County Airport are a giveaway..
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So that's it. The printing class was well worth the wait. Next trip will probably be back to Nevada.