Beijing Area Hikes
Even if I’m not going to amazing places like Yunnan or Xi’an (see below), I do try to get out of Beijing on hikes at least every few weeks. Otherwise the hustle, pollution and general craziness can get a bit overwhelming. Here
are a few shots I took on December and January hikes. All the ice on the lake was cool, because it kept settling and cracking, since it was in the sun and the temperature was just about at freezing: we’d hear these groans and cracks and pops. It was rather eerie.
Also note how dry the mountains are: we truly are on the edge of the Gobi desert here. It’s not rained or snowed any substantial amount since at least September: there have been three small snow flurries I know of, but so little it all blows away or melts very quickly. I love getting out of the city…but it’s getting pretty depressing, how dry and dusty it is out there. In the city, it’s amazingly dusty and dirty most of the time, but you’re surrounded by buildings so it’s easier to ignore it. There are also some shots of an early Ming temple at the base of a mountain our group hiked one day.
(so much world, so little time....) 
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