Stacey and Jeff fly out April 4 (Happy Birthday, Dani and Rachel!) and Lance and I drive up to meet them in Snowmass. We have slopeside accommodations and it doesn’t take long to settle in, get our gear in order and get comfy for 4 days. Each morning we head out through the sliding glass doors with our gear and ski down to the lifts. It’s glorious, not just because of our ease of getting on the mountain, and not just because of the beautiful, warm spring conditions, but because of (mostly) blue skies and excellent snow…oh, no, I mean because of the company! It’s Stacey’s first time out on the boards in about ten years, and we start on the bunny slope, but before you know it, we are all shussing down blue runs and loving Elk Camp and the Big Burn. And what a pretty skier we have here!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_voRqaRuZc
Saturday we ski until about 2. We then head into town for a bit of shopping (Hello, Pitkin County Dry Goods!) and an over-the-top incredible dinner at Element 47 in the Little Nell. Presentation, taste, service, it’s all top notch. And just like on the slopes, there are really not too many people in the restaurant. We trundle home and pass out, remarking on what a perfect/incredible day it’s been. Sunday is a bit of a different story, however, as we are all a bit sore and tired from our adventuresome day before, and turns stop around 1 o’clock, when we slide into home base for lunch:
and then the big crash:
and a bit of Sherlock (foreground) and games (background):
We’re staying in for dinner tonight, and more than just the 4 skiers are interested in the smell from our buffalo burgers. A beautiful fox comes up from the woods and is sniffing around, trying to find some leftovers. The photo crew is out in force and for at least twenty minutes, the silence of nature is overcome with the snapping of shutters:
from every window in the place! Stacey and I get a good laugh out of the whole sight.
Monday, back on the slopes and there’s been 5ish inches of fresh powder overnight. Someone (???) wants to make first tracks and so pushes everyone to get out for first chair. We head down to the gondola, and indeed are in the first car. No matter that a snowboarder is up making tracks at Elk Camp as we get off – he didn’t go down our run! We are first on the run and no one else in sight. Lance carves a beautiful large arc, all rippled like the edge of a scallop shell. We discuss getting a picture, but decide to wait, and, well, you know the rest of that story. We ski and whoop it up because it’s like skiing on butter – the best of the best, sir!
There aren’t many folks around and we love chasing the powder on the runs. The three besides me even make (almost) first tracks on the noon groomer (had to rest my knee), and that turned out to be the favorite run of all – we do it about 3 more times before turning in.
To witness my mates making turns, check out:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4922dRg0XM
To quote Dani: “What a Day!” and it was indeed a great end to our ski adventures. Big smiles all around. Back to the condo where we pack slowly, play games, relax in front of the fire and just relax. Tuesday morning we head to breakfast at the Main Street Bakery, and then drive back to Boulder. We hit the mall for a bit, then back home to host Nikki, Valerie, David, Matt and Michael for dinner and a visit with the celebrities.
Their chauffeur takes them back to the airport Wednesday afternoon, but not before Jefe makes a surprise visit to the Boulder Community Hospital for some painkillers and the elimination of a beautiful kidney stone. Always interesting!