Happy New Year!

Here's a Happy 2009 to everyone, with a photo of the last sunset of last year, 2008. I thought about getting up and taking a photo of the first sunrise of this new year, but needed to sleep in. I'm still recovering: mostly from the flu-bug, but also from traveling.

Yesterday, travels started in the cold ice fog of Grand Junction and continued into the not-quite-so-cold ice fog of Utah's Sevier desert. That was quite an unexpected adventure, which could have been avoided by spending the night in Delta, Utah. Another almost adventure could have been avoided by filling the gas tank in Delta, Utah. Fortunately, although the gas pumps at the Nevada-Utah border truck-stop were either broken or empty, there was gas available at a card-reader station in the small town of Baker, Nevada. Otherwise I might still be at either the truck stop or in Baker, waiting for a gas delivery or pump fixing.

The year has started out with various geolutions, resolutions, and predictions going around the geoblogosphere.

Resolutions:
The poll (Clastic Detritus).
The results (my choices came in first and third, but many items on the list were not geared toward my line of work - surprisingly!)
Resolutions for Safer Slopes (Dave's Landslide Blog)

Geolutions:
Christie at the Cape
NOVA Geoblog
Magma Cum Laude
10 ABSOLUTELY BEST Resolutions for Geologists (Andrew's About.com) - This list is great! The first thing on it is "See More Rocks." Not only do I wholeheartedly ascribe to much if not all that is on this list, I'm pretty sure I can at least succeed on the first one! And I like that.

Predictions:
Clastic Detritus
Geotripper
Green Gabbro
Hypo-Theses
[And stay tuned, in case more geo-predictions come through geoblogospheric crystal balls or pizzas.]

With all that, one might suspect that I would now chime in with some resolutions, geolutions, or predictions - but I typically don't get around to that sort of thing until late in the month, and besides, I have my New Year's Year-End Letter to write (some people call those Christmas Letters), and first thing, I've absolutely got to knock out this dang bug! [I don't know if I've ever said "dang" in real life, but I have met a few people who do, and some of my favorite people say "darn" on occasion.]

I'd also like to point out that I missed out on December's Accretionary Wedge and January's Scientiae due to general and overall holiday-type busy-ness. The former blog carnival may not be published yet, but the latter is, and has many good posts relating to the closings and openings of various doors, and much relating to the ending of one year and the beginning of another. Currently, I'm not sure of my status with respect to certain doors, but the doors I'm aware of don't seem to be opening or closing with precise calendrical timing.

Last but not least, this morning I met up with MOH for the first time in almost two weeks. He has been working - and taking only the usual time off - while I was out visiting relatives. He did have time while I was gone to get in a few overnight snow hikes and camps, but that's another story...

RoadTrip Update: Holidays below the Flatirons

Posting and commenting has nearly fallen by the wayside while I sit and bask in the sun and clouds and wind of the Rocky Mountain Front Range. So far, I still haven't climbed up to the base of the giant Flatiron outcrops, not only because the visiting schedule here has been intense, or at least full, but also because I have caught one of those nasty holiday viruses. This one may have come all the way from Alaska, or maybe it came from Nevada, Utah, or Colorado! Hopefully it will be in retreat by the time I need to head back home.
I've had some nice relaxing times sitting by the tree and gazing out the window...
...and have also gotten out and about a bit. The tree above was in the two-story lobby of the Hotel Boulderado, a fancy old European-style hotel and a great place to eat.

Hope you all are having good holidays!

RoadTrip Update: The Front Range

As you can see by comparing the photo taken a couple days ago, above, to the one taken in early summer a couple years ago from a slightly different angle, here, The Flatirons look about the same. There is the addition of a bit of snow, which can be seen mostly in the foreground, and the subtraction of a few clouds. I suspect some snow is hiding under trees, in gullies, and behind rocks in the background. Quite frankly, I expected a lot more snow.

So far I haven't had the chance to walk up to the rocky outcrops, but have instead been resting, visiting, and getting ready for last-minute shopping.
Here in the suburbs, we had less than a skiff of new snow last night, which fell on patchy old snow and ice.

RoadTrip Update: Book Cliffs

Compared to the last time I drove by the Book Cliffs near Grand Junction, Colorado, a couple years ago (photo here), there was indeed a bit more snow when I drove by a couple days ago, although the snow was not deep.
The Book Cliffs are formed from a resistant sandstone in the Cretaceous Mesaverde Group - the two buff-colored cliffs at the top of the slopes above - which cap badlands formed on the Cretaceous Mancos Shale - the brownish to gray slope-forming unit below the capping cliffs. The Mancos Shale is fairly easy to recognize as you drive over it on I-70 in eastern Utah, because it is made of coaly beds and swelling clays, the latter of which cause the roadbed to become quite bumpy in places.
Above, a bit of detail in the Mancos Shale. Driving through the area from the San Rafael Swell into eastern Colorado always reminds me of the paintings of the artist Georgia O'Keeffe, who painted desert scenes and badlands, especially in New Mexico.

Friday From the Road: Xmas Sightings

Just a few Christmas decorations seen from the road or while in the field, from Fallon and Austin, Nevada, to Girdwood and Anchorage, Alaska.

Enjoy! I'll be on the road for a bit.

Holiday Trip

I will be traveling into this part of the world soon...
Passing through here, right by the Book Cliffs on I-70...
On my way to here, in the Denver area, although I don't expect The Flatirons on the Front Range to look like this: they should be all snow-covered! I'll be stopping to meet a couple geo/bloggers on the way.

I don't know how my posting will go; I don't even know what the internet access will be like. I'll have comment moderation on by Friday, at least for awhile (if it isn't on sooner due to recent comment-spam attacks).

I will head back west after visiting family near the end of the month, probably just before the New Year, but am not sure of the timing quite yet! If any other geo/bloggers in the region are interested in meeting for coffee or lunch or something, please contact me by email.