Monday Morning (@ Vail)

Spring Break, 2010
Vail, Colorado
31 lifts

Trails

• Skiable area: 5,289 acres (21.40 km²)
• Trails: 193 total (18% beginner, 29% intermediate, 53% advanced/expert)
• Longest run: Riva Ridge - 4 miles (6.4 km)
• Average annual snowfall: 346 inches (8.8 m)
• Terrain Parks: 4
  • 1 Superpipe
• Bowls: 10 (7 official)
  • Sun Down Bowl
  • Sun Up Bowl
  • China Bowl
  • Siberia Bowl
  • Tea Cup Bowl
  • Inner Mongolia Bowl
  • Outer Mongolia Bowl
  • Pete's Bowl
  • Earl's Bowl
  • Game Creek Bowl

Monday, March, 29th, 2010
10th Day of the 2009-2010 ski season
KLR, TSR, Sky and Sierra
Temps in the 30s and 40s
Mostly Sunny!

No traffic!

Not quite awake on the ride up to Eagle's Nest

Looking east along I-70.

The view back down to Lions Head which has been totally renovated back in 2008. We are riding in a 12 person gondola.

Mount of the Holy Cross behind Tamra and Sky.

Now Sierra is ready to go...

It's so beautiful at Vail. It seems like the resort has everything you'd ever need. The most skiable terrain in North America.

If you were there in person, the steepness dropping off into Game Creek Bowl and the views to the north and west are amazing.

To the east with Mid Vail in the foreground, the Gore Range as the backdrop. Vail was named for Charles Vail who was the designer of the highway going through the valley.

They groom a few trails in the Back Bowls so that you aren't having to ski on frozen crud until the sun melts enough to dig in.

That would be Two Elk Lodge that the extremist organization Earth Liberation Front burned to the ground and caused more than $20 million in damages. They rebuilt the lodge, so they ended up causing even more damage.

Nice feet and nice view!

Those aren't tusks! I fall asleep for one minute and look what they do to me!

Since I first skied Vail in January, 1978 (with Pete!), I've always loved how chair 11 crests this cliff.

Sky in the park and...

Sierra in the park.

It was an extra large day and it was made even better that Mom came home from the hospital and was able to spend her birthday at home! Even though Vail can have an attitude and is ridiculed, it is a special place and a lot of fun to ski on a beautiful spring day.

More Photos from Keystone - March 14th

From top to bottom - Me in the woods where it got pretty steep.
Sky itching his nose with a pretzel
The deck at the Outpost
Me with a crumb on my lip...

With some difficulty, these pictures were downloaded from Peter's Picasa album and then posted here courtesy of a blogger button... I'm still learning but it certainly is a whole lot easier if you use photos from your own camera.

I'm glad I had my faux rabbit hat on that day. It wasn't all that cold but it certainly is nice on your ears.

Those hands look cold. There's a certain adventure that goes along with skiing with Peter. He really likes to navigate those trees.


(Written after our ski day in Keystone - March 14th, 2010)
My ninth day of the ski season was indeed special. I had with me, Peter (the original "Reed-ski"), Kristin and Sky. We were on the road by 6:40 and avoided most of the traffic on the way up to Keystone. We debated about going to Vail, but in the end, we didn't want that kind of pressure and cost. It was a snowy drive over Loveland Pass and we even had a white-out which was exciting. The gondola was closed due to high winds and so we had to take the chair to the top. We skied off the back side and I christened my new skis down Mozart on our way to the way, way back. At the top of each peak, it got really windy which made us appreciate why they closed the gondola. No crowds made for run after run. After a run in the Outback, Sky and Kristin went to the Outpost for a break. Pete and I skied a while longer and I took him into his favorite place; the woods. These woods had moguls and at times, it got pretty steep. Not really open glade skiing. We met up with Sky and Kristin at the Outpost. A few more runs and a really long one down the front side wore us out and we were off and driving by 1:30. An accident on I-70 only slowed us down for about 20 minutes, so we got to Idaho Springs in time for a late lunch. It was a great day of skiing and I hope they return next season!