A tour of this valley — #57

This is a little audio & photo tour of some of my favorite magical moments in this high-alpine valley, all below 11,000 feet. They’re the most accessible joys we have here, so I hope you enjoy this.

When I surveyed y’all a few weeks back, some of you said never include audio again. But others enthusiastically requested audio. So, we’ll see if you like this. You need to click through on the post to hear the audio, and the audio will walk you through the photos below.

The cemetery swings

The graves are interspersed with the aspens, mostly hidden this time of year.

The prayer flags

A memorial and a moment.

The zip line

Antlers hang from perches, and decorations hang from everything. The perfect little hideout for feral mountain kids.

The old jail

Still standing all these years in a formidable avalanche path.

Heh.

The community greenhouse

Grab what you need. This community garden is fed by the town’s compost.

Imminent Death Threat

DO NOT STOP, unless you want locals to yell at you that this road isn’t a parking lot.

Summer Horses

I see you, cutie.

The Old Wash Shack

It’s the lawn chairs on the roof for me.

My thinking is that if you can tolerate living in this, you should get to.

Bridges

Technical MTB.

Henri’s Cut Off

That shape that looks like a crow is actually a shovel, painted with the words “Henri’s Cut Off.”

Note the firewood heated bathtub on the right.

When the placard wasn’t lost to the rains, it was dedicated to Henrietta.

Ladder Bus

This bus came a long way to be a storage unit.

Lemonade Stand

This year, the children pulled grass to make it appear as if there was a “stop line” across the road so they could further swindle passers-through.

The Park Cabin

A place for gathering and for kids.

Thanks for joining me in this unconventional issue of Shangrilogs. I hope you enjoyed it at least a little. Autumn is my favorite season to walk around in boots with a chai and a good book, but I’ve been so busy training for a hut-to-hut mountain bike trip that I have yet to do that. I hope it’s cool enough where you are to indulge in your favorite moments of fall. It was 35° here this morning.

Now I want to know: What are the special moments in your town? What stands out when you stand still?

Also! A month or so ago I asked my most engaged readers if they’d like a gift — and those gifts are officially on their way. If you signed up for one and don’t see it by next month, just let me know.