At the end of February, Teddy and I took an amazing vacation to Colorado. We stayed in Salida with family and friends, skied on Monarch Mountain, and frequented a few steamy hot springs.

Our first day in Colorado, Teddy, Nate, and I decided our best option would be to hold off on skiing and to “acclimate” to the high altitude on a hike [I was still huffing and puffing on the trail] before relaxing in the clothing-optional [an experience in itself…] Valley View Hot Springs at Orient Land Trust.

Teddy loaned me his Nikon D700 and 50mm lens for our hike so I could snap away alongside him and Nate. I got a few pointers from them along the way, including how not to back focus [like I did in the photo below, oops].

I did manage to take a few other “good” photos [in my nonprofessional opinion] of the boys on our scenic hike. I hope to take in the gorgeous mountainous landscape again soon – hopefully next year!