My family and I went up on Saturday and cut down our Christmas tree near Winter Park. It was cold, about 5, but not windy so it wasn't bad. And we were dressed appropriately so that always helps.
Here's our tree before we cut it down.

 
Here's the dog. He had a good time.

 
Here's the youngest child.

 
Here's the wife and the oldest getting the tree.

 
Here's the two kids together.

 
Here we're boiling water for hot chocolate.

 
Here's the family together.

 
And here's a couple of pictures on the way home.


 
On our way home we stopped at Beau Jo's in Idaho Springs for pizza and a Tommy Knocker!

Hi HB,

      Hmmm I have always wondered something :undecided:  why "Cut" a tree? you see here in the UK it used to be normal to have a rooted tree. We used the same tree for several years, just potted it up broguht it in then re-planted it until it got too big to bring in. Then we started with another one :) . Now I see it's nearly all cut trees or artificial. We now have an Artificial (or rather I brought a small one when I had the apartment) fibre optic tree.

  Here if you went out onto to public land and cut down a tree and someone saw it, you would likely end up in court .
 
   OH great photos .

Now those are some great pics and looks like the family had a good time.  Lots of smiles to go around.  Pretty country, and the snow is neat, though I'm not sure how long the novelty would last.

HB,
   good pictures and a great looking family my friend. those are good times to be remembered.
 
Glenn,
   the novelty of snow wares off pretty fast. I am already sick of it. Snowmobiling used to be fun, but I sold mine 6 years ago. tons of outerstaters and instaters driving around drunk with machines that are built to go way to fast. Just was not safe. I used to go icefishing every weekend for years, sadly now, you have to rent space on some lakes. My oldest boy is getting old enough to put a day in now so I will get back into it.

Brithunter,
 
In order to maintain a healthy forest, the trees need to be thinned out.  Without thinning, the trees get too thick, forage for animals becomes scarce, and the danger of wildfire increases.
 
So, cutting a tree here and there is ok, if kept within reason.  Most places issue permits to keep track, and designate areas to cut from.
 
Other than that, it's traditional for many families to go out and cut their own tree.  It makes for a great family outing (as you can tell from HB's photos), and makes Christmas a little more fun for the kids.
 
BTW 'bug, great looking family you have there.  I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!
 
Daryl

And a wonderful Christmas-time  tradition lives on!....Makes for a
happy family  and memories....Looks like a great out'ing, H'bug..........
Merry Christmas    and thank you for sharing those precious
moments with us this year.........Good Hunting my friend...............BH51..

Oh my what some good pictures !  Thank you so much for sharing your family Christmas Tree outing with us. Looks like a huge tree !  I love seeing the family togetherness you've shown in your pictures...Merry Christmas !

HB...that is some cool pics... thanks for sharing them...well at least ya did'nt get lost looking for one....Ron

thanx guys.
 
BH, like Daryl said it helps keep the forests healthy. The forest service issues permits for $10 and all trees must be under 6" in diameter. They also have certain areas for you to cut in and they move them around. This way they make money from getting trees cut instead of paying a company to cut them.
 
I don't mind the snow. While I was there I kept my eyes open for snowshoe hare tracks to come back later hunting but I didn't see any.

Quote from: buckshot roberts;70369 HB...that is some cool pics... thanks for sharing them...well at least ya did'nt get lost looking for one....Ron

Yep, I saw that on the news this morning Ron, shame aint it.  Lucky they got found.

I read about that. It's a good thing they were found and ok. My oldest daughter and I each had backpacks with space blankets, water, extra hat and gloves, fire building material, cord, food, and I had the GPS so we were prepared. Not to mention the saw to cut down the tree. If we'd gotten lost, however unlikely, I'd have built a shelter and a fire and waited for help to arrive.

Hi All,

   You have to understand that here in the UK If they allowed folks to go and cut trees there are certain people who would not onyl cut one for them selves but take a truck and come back with it loaded then sell them somewhere.

   I have not heard of trees being stolen this year but other years it's a problem. We have several Christmas trees which dad planted when they moved here back in 83 but I think we are safe now as they are too big to fit in most houses now. In the past we have lost plants including trees. In fact whilst moving in here Mum & Dad transfered soem plants she wanted to keep for the other house onyl to find that soemone had noticed and whilst they were not here stole the blooming lot :frown  .

   The cultures are different even when being close or coming from the same background .

Oh believe me Brit, Christmas trees aside for a moment, the culture is not that different.
 
More times than I care to count I have had to replace "unigue" bushes, flowers or trees MY LOVE has gathered to put in our yard just because someone else liked them too and took ours. One was a Pencil Cactus form our time in New Mexico in the service. That required a short drive (about 1400 miles) back to the Clovis area to acguire the proper replacement.

Great pictures. Great day!!

Brithunter,
   we can just go out and cut trees up in my neck woods. No permits required. The majority of our state is made up off spruce trees of some nature or other. It not the common man up here we have to worry about, it is the huge logging companies that clear cut thousands of acres. God Bless