Good Morning, 2012!

This year, my husband and I decided to buck tradition and do something different for New Year's Eve: Stay in a yurt. We drove two hours NW of Fort Collins, strapped on our backpacks, and snowshoed a short trail into the Colorado National Forest. Above is a photo of our yurt. It's called Dancing Moose, because moose are common in the area, and apparently they look like they're dancing when they step over the wooden fence that marks one border of the property.

Chris and I were pretty giddy upon our arrival. It was sunny and warm and quiet, and we were... alone. There was no noise other than the occasional creaking of trees and the sound of our snowshoes crunching the snow. As we stood on the deck basking in the sunshine, we realized how depleted we'd been feeling, and how much we needed this dose of fresh air.

From the deck, I spent a lot of time staring at this interesting crooked tree. I wonder what made it grow that way?

At dusk, we took long walk on a trail near our yurt. I kept my eyes open for moose, because I love how huge and stunning and awkward they are. As the light faded, it started to get really cold. Chris kept talking about turning back. Just as I muttered, "Fine," we heard a thumping sound. A large creature appeared in our path. My breath caught in my chest. It was a female moose! She stopped and stared at us for a long time. We backed up slowly, mouths open. I've seen lots of moose in my Colorado adventures, especially when backpacking, but the awe never fades.

The inside of our yurt was pretty rustic, which we expected. There was a wood stove for heat, a propane stove for cooking, dishes, bunk beds and an outhouse. For our New Year's Eve dinner, we cooked cheese fondue and dipped bread, apples, broccoli, and cauliflower. It was delicious. We ate in our bunk, because it was cozy.

When I woke up on the first day of 2012, I immediately got up and took my camera out onto the deck. On my way out the door, I checked the thermometer inside the yurt: 34 degrees. Cold! I knew I needed to start a fire, but first I wanted to capture my first sight of the new year. It was a beautiful morning:

Eventually it was time to go home, and it was hard, but at the same time we felt totally rejuvenated. We ate a big breakfast of eggs, toast and apple slices, and then we packed up our stuff. As I trudged to the car, Chris took this photo of me. (My load looks worse than it is.)

What a perfect new beginning!