"Postcards from Greg Hemmings #19" Rockies Avelanche

Telegraph Journal entry #19

“Rocky Mountain Avalanche”

Photo Credit: Andrew Tidby

Spring time in the Rocky Mountains is a magical time. There is still plenty of snow, but the sun beats hot, and all you want to do is take your shirt off and lay on the snow to get a tan just for the sake of irony. Filmmaker Andrew Tidby and I were hiking as far up as we could with our camera gear to film time lapses of clouds, mountains and sun positions. Despite the warm sun, it was quite windy and cool when we got to the point in the climb where we could go no further. As I was filming this panoramic view of the valley below, we were both startled with a sound similar to that of a giant bomb exploding a few hundred feet away. We both looked around surprised to see a massive avalanche of snow racing down the mountain side. We were almost too close for comfort, but the awareness of nature’s power was awesome. We hiked back down the mountain to where we our camp was set up for a good night’s sleep before another big day of mountain adventure!

"Postcards from Greg Hemmings #8" - France Castle

Telegraph Journal Entry #8

March 29, 2009 – French Alp Castle

(Photo Credit: Andrew Tidby)

After an intense, winding, life threatening drive into the high altitudes of the French Alps, we found an amazing castle perched at the top of the highest mountain in viewable site. The 11^th century castle ruins, that were perched above the mountain side village of Châteauneuf, were in amazing condition. Sitting in the window frame of what was obviously the room where they kept a princess captive, my imagination spun out of control. I thought to myself, “How can I become part of the legacy of this castle?” So instead of leaving a coin, or a marking of some sort, I strategically left 3 of my business cards stuck into little nooks and crannies of the castle walls. If you want to find the castle (43°47'45.18"N and Long 7°17'42.48"E) and bring the cards back to me, I will buy you a glass of the best Pinot Noir!