The Casual Blog

I thought I’d share a few more pictures from my Yellowstone trip in January, and a brief account of my trip last week in Vail, Colorado, where I took no pictures but did a lot of skiing.

Vail is enormous:  5,317 acres and 3,450 feet of vertical.  The longest run is four miles.  There are some 26 lifts, and navigating the area is demanding.  They don’t hand out maps any more, so you need to get their app with the layout and learn to use it.  

I met my old friend John A. out there, and we stayed at the Grand Hyatt in West Vail. The hotel was attractive and comfortable, and had its own ski shop and a ski lift just outside the back door. I brought my own boots, but rented skis –Volkyl Mantra XXs, a good, versatile ski, but a bit stiffer than my ideal.  It snowed the night I arrived.   

It continued to snow all that day, which was exciting, but visibility was very limited.  At one point I fell while going down a steep mogul field that I hadn’t realized was a steep mogul field.  I was exhausted by the time I got down to the lift, and then I realized I’d lost my goggles somewhere up the mountain.  I’d forgotten to bring my contact lenses, and my glasses iced up, making it hard to see anything.  My legs got tired.  It was a tough day.  

But the next two days were sunny and clear, with just the right chilliness for the snow.  I got some new goggles. What a joy skiing is when everything clicks! We cruised on the cruiser runs and worked the less difficult black runs in the back bowls. It wasn’t crowded, and it was beautiful. Happiness!

John and I ate well and had some good arguments.  It seems like these days many of us are afraid of arguments, and hesitate to express ourselves when there could be conflict.  But it really is a good idea to talk with people who don’t agree with you about everything.  Sometimes you learn things!  

When I wasn’t skiing, eating, or talking, I did some reading, including an interesting new book, The Case for Open Borders, by John Washington.  The southern U.S. border has been the subject of much alarm and controversy recently, and I thought it would be good to get a new perspective on the issue.  

Washington proposes that we rethink the whole subject of borders, which he argues are artificial constructs that do more harm than good.  He presents evidence that immigration is a positive force for the receiving country, both economically and morally.  

It’s unfortunate that a lot of people are fearful of people who look different, speak another language, or have different customs.  That common fear has been made much worse by some cynical politicians, who characterize them as dangerous criminals and thieves stealing jobs.  In fact, the opposite is closer to the truth. 

In fact, the NY Times had an article last week about the positive economic contributions of immigrants.  They helped our economy recover from the pandemic quicker than expected by filling necessary jobs. They continue to help us get work done, and help support their relatives back home.

As climate change makes it harder to grow food in some areas and causes floods, fires, and other disasters, there will continue to be a lot of people who have no choice but to flee.  America is still a land of opportunity, and there’s an opportunity here for us:  to be more compassionate and to help those who desperately need help.

I’ll mention one other thing that isn’t usually a welcome dinner table topic:  the increasing risk of nuclear war.  I’ve long thought that our unwillingness to look squarely at what a nuclear conflict would mean increases the chance it will happen.  With arms racing again picking up speed and war in Europe raging, it’s high time to think again about how to lower this terrifying risk. The Times started a series this week on this topic, and the first piece was appropriately arresting. I hope a lot of people will read it.