"Liberty Skis"

You may remember last March I posted about another Liberty Skis contest. I made up a little video for their "One Amazing Minute" video contest.  http://nolasvoboda-accidentalartist.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-other-contest-news.html

Well, low and behold, I didn't win. But, it turned out that wasn't the point. After the contest was over, Liberty contacted me about an intriguing opportunity that I just couldn't refuse. This fall, I became a Brand Ambassador for Liberty Skis! Whoop! I am very proud to be a part of and represent Liberty as they are my favorite ski company. And not just because I like their skis. Liberty makes all of their skis with a bamboo backbone. Bamboo is strong, light, eco friendly. They also offer the best warranty in the industry at 3 years. All of Liberty's skis are created with the help of wind power. And, they are just super great when it comes to customer service. Awesome!

And so, with that in mind, I bring to you a little more winter stoke and another ski video featuring Liberty Skis!

"Somebody That I Used To Know"

I always love a good creative music video. Videos that incorporate animation and art. I also like when they can keep a very simplistic feel, without all the dancing and crazy special effects. Through art the music tells the story.

You probably know the song and you may have seen the video, and I just wanted to share it because I love it's creative simplicity!

And on another note, I enjoy a good creative cover video. Videos that portray a completely different take on the original artist's ideas. This video is as simple an non-artistic as it gets, while still being completely creative and unique!

"Of Sentient Virtue"

 Last May you may remember I posted a landscape design with the main theme being a string of Tibetan prayer flags. Here's the link if you need a refresher: http://nolasvoboda-accidentalartist.blogspot.com/2012/05/blessings-of-san-juan.html

This design is special to me because I worked it up after the amazing experience climbing this mountain last September...

Mt. Sneffels 14,150 ft. San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Near the top of this mountain lay a string of these...

And there ya have it, I just had to make a design based on these two elements! In the back of my mind, I knew eventually this design would find a way to being thrown on a ski template in this year's G3 Skigraphiks Contest. So when it came time at the beginning of September, you bet I was mighty excited to enter this design into the contest on G3's brand new District skis and show it off to the world!  I had to tweak it a little here and there to make it fit into a ski template. I had to give it an extra 20 inches of width and orient it to match the direction that G3 seems to want their graphics to lay.

I am very excited about the changes that have come to this year's contest as well. I love that there is only one sponsor this year, which happens to be the super stellar folks at Backcountry Magazine! Though I don't know exactly how it is decided, but I think the idea to have a "People's Choice" winner chosen each month is a neat one. The prize is not a pair of skis, but swag, a 1-year subscription and a pair of skins are still very awesome prizes to win! I think there will be even more of a feeling of accomplishment for the lucky winner who becomes the Overall Winner, as they will be the only one to receive a pair of skis with their design and all the other goodies!

Anyway, back to this design of mine. The thought of there being Tibetan prayer flags on a pair of skis seemed very fitting. In every single ski town and mountain I have ridden, prayer flags display their colors all across the landscape. As someone who commented a great observation on my design said, "What a great choice to use prayer flags-they are a large part of ski culture today!" I believe that is becoming more and more true. I you go on to research the meaning behind the prayer flag, the meaning in the colors, the main picture in the middle of the "wind horse," the meanings of the animals in the four corners, when and for what occasions they are hanged and even why they are supposed to be displayed in the correct sequence of colors, you will no doubt understand why they are becoming such an important theme in any mountain culture today! I wanted the flags to come off the mountain from where they hang to become the forefront of the design, floating across the real and reflected backgrounds becoming the prominent image.

Here is the link to my design for the Skigraphiks contest! Of Sentient Virtue If you like it, feel free to vote, comment and/or share my design! And while you're at it, do the same for all of the other designs that you like too! There are some fantastic designs this year!

"From My New Life In The Mountains"

I would like to start this post by apologizing for my lack of consistent blogging. It has been two months since my move to the great San Juan Mountains, and I have been quite a slacker at keeping everyone updated in the going ons of my new life.

I have been a very busy girl with all there is to explore in my new surroundings. The seasons have moved from lush green and nearly constant rain, to days of blue skies and golden/orange/red leaves, to brown grasses and snow covered peaks. I have found myself without much connection to the rest of the world and with way too much to go see and do. Below is a summary of my new life from the beginning of August to the end of September.

My cute teeny little new town. Rico, Colorado. Population: 200 or so!

There are no longer flaming orange/red sunsets for me. There is now a time when the sun goes behind a mountain and light stays in the sky for a few hours.

I have been doing A LOT of fishing...oh yes I have!

This would be the ultimate zipline!

This road could lead one to the Colorado Trail and eventually to Silverton or Durango!

Exploring the random trail behind the house!

A scene I see every morning and evening to and from work!

8.25.12 Taking the scenic route up Woods Lake Trail to Navajo Basin on our way to climb 14,017 ft. Wilson Peak. We did a 14 mile loop that day!

Gladstone Peak, Mt. Wilson and El Diente in our sights!

Navajo Lake

Navajo Basin behind us.

At the Rock of the Ages Mine

From the Rock of the Ages Saddle.

One mile left and our final push up the hardest part, our destination behind us!

Looking for any signs of a trail.

"Straddle that mountain, Bitch!"

Gladstone and Mt. Wilson behind.

Sitting on the false summit, looking up at at our challenging climb up the to the summit.

Hug a mountain!

The view from the top!

Tebow tribute with the WhichWich bag!

Looking back down at the false summit and the rest.

Made a loop to go back down the Rock of the Ages Trail

This little feller came right up to us!

Looking back up at our peak.

Wilson Peak the next morning through a telescope from Woods Lake Campground! Someone is on top!

I have been back to Grand Junction quite frequently to get my desert fix in!

Meet Bob. I nearly ran Bob over. In return for not doing so, he posed for me!

Had to make it back to Palisade for the annual tradition of the Colorado Mountain Winefest!

During Powderhorn Resort's Fall Fest, we biked the West Bench trail to the first lift. Then rode down the service roads to the lodge for music and beer!

I tend to like to drive back from Grand Junction to Telluride for work on Monday mornings. Glad I did because I finally got to see the first snow of the season on Mt. Sneffels!

Driving into Rico after work, the clouds parted to create a glow of colors on Dolores Mountain behind Rico.

Just a thousand feet or so above my new office, the snow is falling.

The morning of September 26, the first snow on Expectation Mountain, as seen from my front deck!

And a short time later, down the road. I took this shot of 14,017 ft. Wilson Peak on my way to work. Hard to believe just a month earlier I was standing on top of the majestic mountain!

I love rear view shots!

Okay, so it wasn't exactly September, but it sure felt like it in Cortez, CO! On my way to New Mexico, I had to take a slight detour to check out Phil's World!

And Away I Go...Off To New Adventures!

Telluride, Colorado. My next destination. This time I will be there not just for play, but to live as well. Well, I guess more to work and play. As of today, this will be my last post from my seat here in Grand Junction as I have packed up a chunk of my junk and am moving to the "Mountain Home" in Rico, Colorado where I look forward to a plethora of entirely new adventures. Away from the hot dusty dirt of the dessert and into the fresh, cool, crispness of the great San Juan Mountains!

Here is where you will find me!

Before I can leave the wonderful valley that I love so much, I have to give a little homage to my favorite people, places and spaces of the Grand Valley! So presented to you through the lens of the camera on my iPhone over the recent years and the wonderful application known to all as Instagram, here are all of my favorite things that I will miss so very very much!

My breastest friend, The Palisade Brewery and Peach Street Distillers, The Palisade Rim Trail, Sunny ski days with Lil Man and The Hollster

My Stash (Sir Stash 'O Lot...Mr. PiStashio), Texas Roadhouse, The Fellas of Desert Moon, Views from the Bookcliffs

The Kokopelli Loops, The Lunch Loops, Backyard camp outs, Downtown Farmers Markets

The Singletrack and Skinny Tire Sisters, Hiking around Palisade, Margaritas and hot tubs w/ the girls, The Hot Tomato

The West Bench Trail in September, Downtown Farmers Markets (again), Working with my good friend Cindy Lu Lu, Powder days at Powderhorn

Colorado Mountain Winefest (which I will most likely come back for most years), The Colorado Riverfront Concerts, Pool Sharking at the Livery Saloon, Murdock's in the spring time when the chickies arrive

Lil Man and his Chili Dog, Mt. Garfield hikes with The Hollster and Ashley Pup, My garden and the awesome things that come out of it, Which Wich (still have a bunch of sandwiches to get from climbing 14ers)