Ski resorts are gearing up for the upcoming season. Buy lift tickets now to save money. Photo by Dan Bayer

Snowflakes are flying in Colorado, y’all.

I sat down to coffee with a group of representatives from three Colorado ski resorts this week, who reminded me that now’s the time to buy lift tickets.

“The earlier you can sort out plans, the cheaper it’s going to be,” Olivia Butrymovich of Copper Mountain told me over muffins at Upper Crust Bakery.

Read more: Find powder and snowy adventures at Purgatory Ski Resort

If you wait and buy them when you get to the mountain, you’ll pay top dollar. These days, lift tickets at most large resorts will set you back close to $200 at the window.

If you buy in advance, you can take advantage of deals. Some resorts offer flex tickets, which allow skiers to buy two-, three- or four-day tickets without designating which day they’ll use them. That means even if you don’t have a hotel or airfare booked, you can lock in lift tickets now.

And the snow Is coming.

Winter Park saw 15 inches of freshies this week, and they’re making more, according to Jen Miller, who handles communications for the resort. The resort officially opened Friday, and although only 20 acres are skiable, more terrain is expected to open in the next few weeks.

“People are excited,” Miller said. “It’s the anticipation of the ski season after a long summer.”

Visitors can enjoy free admission at Texas State Parks this Sunday. Here, a park visitor admires the Big Tree at Goose Island State Park. Pam LeBlanc photo

You can leave the big bucks behind when you head to a state park this Sunday. To celebrate Texas State Parks Day, officials are dropping the day-use admission fee.

That means you can hike at Pedernales Falls State Park, where recent rains have bumped up flows down the limestone slab, or say hello to one of the biggest trees in the country at Goose Island State Park – all without spending a dime.

“Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants to continue to connect everyone to our beautiful parklands and we hope that Texas State Parks Day will give someone new the opportunity to discover what makes our state parks special,” said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks.

The state operates nearly 90 parks throughout the state, from Big Bend Ranch State Park near Terlingua to Sea Rim State Park near Beaumont. They offer opportunities to camp, swim, hike, birdwatch, bike and more.

I’m on a mission to visit all of them. So far, my favorites include Hill Country State Natural Area, Martin Dies Jr. State Park, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Reservations are recommended and can be made online.  Parks will operate as usual and will control admissions by their established capacity limits. All other fees will still apply on that day. Visit the TPWD website for a list of activities and events in a park near you.

Visitors can enjoy free admission at Texas State Parks this Sunday. Here, a park visitor admires the Big Tree at Goose Island State Park. Pam LeBlanc photo

You can leave the big bucks behind when you head to a state park this Sunday. To celebrate Texas State Parks Day, officials are dropping the day-use admission fee.

That means you can hike at Pedernales Falls State Park, where recent rains have bumped up flows down the limestone slab, or say hello to one of the biggest trees in the country at Goose Island State Park – all without spending a dime.

“Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants to continue to connect everyone to our beautiful parklands and we hope that Texas State Parks Day will give someone new the opportunity to discover what makes our state parks special,” said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks.

The state operates nearly 90 parks throughout the state, from Big Bend Ranch State Park near Terlingua to Sea Rim State Park near Beaumont. They offer opportunities to camp, swim, hike, birdwatch, bike and more.

I’m on a mission to visit all of them. So far, my favorites include Hill Country State Natural Area, Martin Dies Jr. State Park, and Palo Duro Canyon State Park.

Reservations are recommended and can be made online.  Parks will operate as usual and will control admissions by their established capacity limits. All other fees will still apply on that day. Visit the TPWD website for a list of activities and events in a park near you.

Pam LeBlanc gets a ride through the airport in Boise after detaching her ACL in a ski accident. Six months into ACL recovery, she’s looking forward to skiing again. Tony Harrison photo

Despite a job that has, over the years, involved everything from water ski jumping to backpacking and mountain biking, I’d never really injured myself – at least not badly – until I detached my ACL last spring.

Then, on the Ides of March, just two weeks after skiing through waist-deep powder during a back country cat-skiing trip in the San Juan Mountains, I fell while skiing a groomed run at a tiny ski resort in Idaho called Lookout Pass.

The name of the place alone should have given me warning.

Ski patrollers wrapped Pam LeBlanc’s leg in bubble wrap after she fell while skiing in Idaho. Pam LeBlanc photo

I fell awkwardly and got a ride down the mountain on the back of a snowmobile. There, a patroller wrapped my leg in bubble wrap and cardboard like a Fed X package and sent me to a hospital. A doctor in Coeur d’Alene gave me a brace and a pair of crutches and told me to see an orthopedic surgeon back in Austin.

It turns out I’d detached my ACL, torn the meniscus and fractured the bone. The surgeon installed an ACL from a cadaver in early May, and I’ve been on the mend ever since.

ACL recovery

Today, nearly six months into my ACL recovery, my doctor told me I might be able to ski again by February.

When I look down at my right quad, the one that’s injured, it still looks puny compared to the good one. “Like a hotdog,” someone joked the other day. But my physical therapist, who I’ve gotten to know well over the past six months of twice-a-week visits, promises it’ll return to normal. It just takes time – a year or more. Friends who have had the same surgery say they’ve come back stronger than before.

I hope they’re right.

I’m terrible at sitting still, and I’ve had to learn a lot through the recovery process. Four months on crutches tested my patience.

Even when she couldn’t walk, Pam LeBlanc could swim.

I wasn’t allowed to swim for three weeks after surgery, and even when I got back in the pool I still couldn’t kick for a few more months. I’ve only recently started biking again. I can’t run yet, and I missed water skiing all summer. My leg feels stiff, like someone stuffed a towel in the joint.

But the idea of skiing at the end of this season makes me giddy. Sure, it’ll be scary, latching on my ski boots and pointing my skis down the hill that very first time. I won’t be jumping into the moguls right away. I’ll have to remind myself I can’t do the things I used to do.

Pam LeBlanc spent four months using crutches after detaching her ACL in March 2023. Here she hikes at Martin Dies Jr. State Park. Chris LeBlanc photo

People ask me all the time during tthis ACL recovery if I’ll ski again, and that seems so strange to me.

Of course I will. That’s why I got the surgery – because I love skiing and backpacking and pushing my body to its limits. You can live a perfectly normal life without an ACL, but you need a fully functioning knee to do the things I love.

And I’m not ready to give those things up just yet.

A team led by Leven Brown attempting to row through the Northwest Passage called it quits this week. Photo by Shawn Marriott

An eight-person team trying to row through the Northwest Passage in a single season has called it quits in Cambridge Bay, roughly the midway point of the 2,000-mile expedition.

The team, led by Leven Brown, started rowing at Pond Inlet, on the eastern edge of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, on Aug. 17, after a month-long motor-assisted transit from Scotland. This weekend, they rowed into Cambridge Bay under their own power, with an escort from Canadian Coast Guard officials. Locals there advised them to stop and come back next year to finish their attempt.

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Brown said by phone Monday. “We’ve decided to call it a day. Some may say it’s a bit cautious, but we’ll be back next summer.”

Brown, 51, heads home this week 60 pounds lighter than when he started, and with plenty of adventure stories to share.

Leven Brown, leader of an eight-person team trying to row the Northwest Passage, ended the expedition this week. Photo courtesy Leven Brown

Just getting to the starting point proved challenging. The ice around Pond Inlet broke up late this season, and big winds threatened to drive the team’s 44-foot boat onto the floes.

“The expedition almost ended before it started,” Brown said.

Read more:Yippeekiyay! Arctic Cowboys at it again for second attempt at kayaking Northwest Passage

One of three teams looking for a record

The team was trying to become the first to row the passage in a single season. Two other teams made similar attempts this year – the Texas-based Arctic Cowboys have kayaked more than half the passage so far and are still paddling, and solo rower Matty Clarke ended his expedition after mechanical failures a few days ago, 150 miles from Gjoa Haven

“We knew because of our late start we were up against it from the start,” Brown said of his team’s attempt. “And once we got rowing, the winds were extremely vicious.”

The operational window of the team’s rowboat, named Hermione, is between 0 and 25 knots. “Anything above that we start going sideways and it’s hard to navigate,” Brown said.

Read more: Solo rower reaches midway point of Northwest Passage expedition

The team used an electric motor several times to reposition the boat when it slipped off its anchorage in the middle of the night.

“We’re not hiding the fact that we switched the motor on, but it certainly didn’t help us move forward,” Brown said.

Adventures along the way

Brown’s team was made up of seven men and one woman. They rowed in shifts, two hours on and two off, whenever conditions allowed. They rarely went ashore, except to occasionally set an anchor line.

They did stop at Fort Ross, site of the last trading post established by the Hudson’s Bay Company, for a break. “You could almost feel ghosts of previous explorers surrounding you in the cabin there,” Brown said. “It was intimidating and inspiring at the same time.”

It’s also where one of the more frightening moments of the expedition unfolded.

“A skinny, hungry-looking polar bear looked at us as if we were chicken nuggets,” Brown said. “We’re certainly not used to these in Scotland. We ended up having to scare it off.”

The bear stood its ground as the rowers clanked rocks. The bear flattened its body against the ground and hid behind rocks, occasionally popping its head up to check out the humans. Finally, the rowers shot a firearm to spook the bear away. Even so, it moved slowly, Brown said.

Brown’s team members – seven men and one woman – ranged in age from 26 to 68. They came from Barbados, the Faroe Islands, South Africa, Scotland, and England. Despite the long time spent in a small craft with two cramped cabins, the rowers generally got along, Brown said.

“Everybody has a funny five minutes because you’re cold, you’re wet, you’re tired, the food’s miserable and you’re missing home,” Brown said. “But I’m so proud of the team. They rowed like heroes.”

Brown says he’s still unsure who called the Coast Guard to check on them but says he’s grateful for the assist.

“It’s still a little bit of a mystery as to who called them,” Brown said. “It wasn’t us, but it might have been concerned family or friends.”

Hat tip to the Arctic Cowboys

As for the Arctic Cowboys, the Texas-based team of four kayakers still paddling, Brown says he wishes them well. No matter who makes it through the passage under human power first, he says, the message is the same.

“The ice is disappearing, and the environment is different up here,” Brown said. “If someone can get through in single season, it speaks volumes about what’s going on.”

Flo, the famous Barton Springs tree, has a fungus and must be removed. Photo courtesy City of Austin

Flo leans like graceful dancer, a leafy cascade of branches bent low over the edge of Barton Springs Pool.

The old Texas pecan tree has been dipping down the hillside since at least 1928, providing shade to bathers and gnarled beauty to the grounds of Austin’s favorite spring-fed pool.

But she’s sick, and on Sept. 14, crews will remove the long-leaning tree from the park. Before she goes, though, Flo is getting a grand send-off from the people – and city – who love her most.

A Celebration of Life for the beloved Barton Springs tree is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13. A water blessing is planned, along with time for her friends to say their farewells.

History of the beloved Barton Springs tree

Barton Springs makes a fine place to cool off on a hot summer day. You can see Flo at the center of this photo. Pam LeBlanc photo

Over the years, Flo has drawn a lot of attention. Photos from the 1920s show a nimble young Flo, her branches stretching toward the sky, in front of the original wooden bathhouse. By the late 1940s, after a limestone building had replaced the wooden bathhouse, part of Flo’s trunk was hollowing out. At some point, bricks were place in that cavity.

In the 1970s, crews replaced the bricks with a cement mixture, a practice now known to speed internal decay, according to the city’s website. At the time, crews also planted another pecan uphill of Flo to replace the canopy that eventually would be lost.

Through the years steel posts have been added to hold Flo steady. Cables also provide support. A fence was put up around the tree’s roots to reduce soil compaction from foot traffic.

A grim diagnosis for the Barton Springs tree

But this July, Austin Parks and Recreation Department staff noticed fungus at the base of the tree. They took a sample and sent it to a diagnostic lab at Texas A&M University for analysis. In August, the lab confirmed that the tree had Kretzschmaria deusta, or brittle cinder fungus.

There is no effective treatment for brittle cinder fungus, which feeds on live tissue. Healthy-looking trees can collapse under their own weight.

The city contracted with independent certified arborists for follow-up inspections and independent opinions. All four arborists recommended removing the tree due to safety concerns. A removal permit was issued.

If the tree came down naturally, it probably would damage the deck, parks officials say. And a roped off area around Flo prevents ADA access to the bathroom. The barriers extend into the pool, causing a sort of water traffic jam as lap swimmers try to get around the danger zone.

The city is collecting stories, memories, and photos of Flo. Share your remembrances at treestroies@austintexas.gov.

Guests can relax in a waiting room at the Away Spa. Pam LeBlanc photo

​You’d probably sooner find a rock star at the Away Spa than me, but when the downtown spot, tucked inside at the W Austin hotel, asked if I wanted to drop by for a treatment, I packed my swim suit and headed downtown.

The hotel is located next to the Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater. I valet parked my vehicle and bee-lined it to the fourth floor, where I slipped through the glass doors into the soothingly lit spa.

I was registered for a “signature massage,” but first I got a tour of the place. An attendant showed me the cozy locker room and sitting area (nice touch with a bowl of crisp green apples) and we peeked into the steam shower. Then she handed me a robe and a pair of plastic slides. A few minutes later, a massage therapist led me to a darkened treatment room.

A bowl of green apples for snacking at the Away Spa. Pam LeBlanc photo

The Away Spa’s signature treatment

The signature massage is a basic, all-over massage. My therapist asked if I was OK with CBD-infused oil (bring it on!) and gave me a minute to strip down and position myself under a sheet on the heated massage table. Some eclectic music played in the background.

Read more: On your way to Big Bend, stop by Ferguson Motors in Sanderson

The next 60 minutes passed as quickly as a Texan driving on a two-lane highway in a remote corner of West Texas. (Too quickly!)

She worked my back, shoulder, legs, and arms, rubbing out muscle kinks and stretching every finger individually. She placed a steamy hot cloth on my back and later wrapped my feet in warm, wet towels. And she rubbed my skin with CBD oil, which smelled vaguely like cloves.

It took some effort not to drool as I lay face down on the table. I drifted away.

When the 60 minutes ended, I felt like a noodle.

More than a spa

I wobbled back to the dressing room, where I stepped into the steam shower and sprayed some eucalyptus-scented potion near the vent, per the instructions posted on the wall. I felt like a koala bear (they love eucalyptus.)

A 60-minute signature massage at the Away Spa will set you back $195. I can’t afford that on a regular basis, but I wish I could.

The Wet Deck at the W Austin features a long skinny pool and cabanas you can rent. Pam LeBlanc photo

A spa treatment includes access to the hotel’s fitness center and long, skinny pool, which I spent a few minutes checking out. It’s got alcoves with cushy couches and the whole place feels like the center of a hip, urban canyon.

A bartender serves guests on the Wet Deck at the W Austin. Pam LeBlanc photo

Anyone can purchase a day pass to access the so-called Wet Deck, where you can pay an additional fee to rent a cabana. A DJ spins music on Sundays and a bartender mixes drinks.

I can’t carry a tune or pluck and instrument, but a couple of hours at the Away Spa left me feeling like a rock star.