Vinnie's Wedding

On Friday, September 26, I flew back to Philadelphia and Moorestown, NJ to attend Vinnie Balsamo's wedding. Vinnie was one of my best friends in high school, and it was great to get back there and hang out with all my old football buddies. It was an amazing reception, but as with almost all weddings I have attended, I end up appreciating the time I spend with people around the table at the reception and at the open bar as much as the ceremony itself. I got to see Chris Chesner, Maria, and their daughters before the wedding, and Joe Mure, Murad, Mike Meaney, and Coach Paris at the wedding. That definitely made the quick trip back completely worth it. And to top it off, I got to stay with Katie and Drew and eat at the White House and Webers!

Photo album (Photos courtesy of Joe Mure)

Autumn Hike in Rocky Mountain National Park

Autumn is a perfect time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. The aspens turn bright gold, the elk are out in numbers, and the air is crisp and refreshing. Richele and I headed up to the park on Saturday, 9/20/08, and enjoyed a hike that started at Glacier Gorge trailhead and ended at Bear Lake trailhead. In between, we covered 7 miles past Alberta Falls, Mills Lake, Lake Halyaha, Dream Lake, and Nymph Lake. It was a gorgeous fall day to be outside and the views from Mills Lake are absolutely outstanding. Enjoy the photos!

Photo Album
GPS Track at Motionbased.com

Steamboat Springs- Labor Day 2008

I headed up to Steamboat Springs over Labor Day weekend with Richele, her friend Amanda, Matt, Antonia, and Lindsay. It was one last chance to really enjoy summer in the mountains, so we camped out nice and high on Forest Road 38 near Buffalo Mountain.


We all made it to camp at different times on Friday night, and some of us had some real excitement (not the good kind) trying to find blind Sierra dog who wandered into a deep ravine near camp just before dark. On Saturday, we went for a beautiful hike between Summit, Jonah, Whale, and Martha Lakes near Buffalo Pass. I would hikely recommend the hike, but since most of the hike required route finding away from trails, I would recommend a good map and compass. At the end of the day, Richele, Amanda, and I soaked our muscles in Strawberry Hot Springs before returning to camp for another great dinner by the campfire.

Sunday was a bit cooler and overcast, so we grabbed breakfast in town, visited Fish Creek Falls, and made the drive back to Denver via Winter Park. Every weekend camping in Colorado is a good one!

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Pat & Richele's Photos
Matt & Antonia's Photos
GPS Track Log (GPX File)
Google Earth Track with Photos (KMZ File)