Three weeks ago, after a night of revelry in celebration of a friend's birthday, I got up early on Friday and drove to Mt. Hood for a solo ski up to the top of Palmer Glacier. This winter has seen a complete reversal of our snow fortunes compared to last year, so the mountain was beautifully covered. The snow was quite hard and the temperatures a bit biting, but the wind was completely absent (a rare thing). It was gorgeous in that way only a quiet mountain in mid-winter can be. There is something about the austere colors and the quality of the air that adds a sharpness which makes me ache for these kind of views.

Thanks to upgrading my iPhone to the newest version in early February, the camera I had on me took some stunning photos. I suspect they might even be print quality. So, I uploaded two of my favorites to Flickr for anyone and everyone to see and use. Enjoy.

Update: Thanks to a friend I have discovered that downloading the originals requires a Yahoo/Flickr account. Annoying. Full size images available for download here and here as well.