Ok so I lied… One more foray into the freezing morning cold.  I flipped a coin as to whether to take my camera bag with me on Scout’s walk that morning.  After the infamous rainbow affair, I decided that I should flip a coin with two heads.  It wasn’t cold but it was gently snowing at 7000ft.  The snow pack was hard, and I followed a well tracked out path all the way to the meadow.  Then it appeared…the Crystal Palace.  The warm temperature the day before and the cold night had made me my own fortress of solitude amongst the pines.   I have been waiting “patiently” (See Patience Post) for this weather phenomenon and knew one day the Aspens would produce.  The dark pine trees behind the pure white crystalline grove of aspens brought them further out in the stark meadow landscape.  Scout even thought it was cool as he sat like a good dog while I tripped the shutter…or maybe he was just cold and wanted to head home for some grub.