Friday 02/28/14

First I want to thank all of my grand kids, my kids and friends that wished me Happy Birthday today.

The morning started with a fresh 5 inches of snow on the ground. We were uncertain whether we would be able to ski today. But by 10am, the snow had stopped and the sun was starting to break thru the clouds. We went to Keystone and when we entered the parking lot, we had to park in the last row. I was wondering whether they were giving away FREE tickets. I don't think I have seen the parking lot this crowded on a Friday morning. As we waited for the shuttle to take us to the Mountain house, people kept on passing us by. They even opened a cafe on the trails called the Miner's Cart. We skied for 2 hours and than we went home and had lunch out. In the evening we went to A-Cafe and had dinner with a couple of friends. The weather forecast for tomorrow calls for 10-12 inches of snow.

Thursday 02/27/14

It was overcast and mild this morning but the condo driveways were frozen solid and very slippery . No snow overnight, but the forecast calls for 4-9 inches of snow starting around 11am. We went to Copper Mtn where the trails were groomed and the snow good. We saw the Ski School snowmobile getting ready to take the kids up the trails to begin their lessons. At the top of one of the trails you can see the village below and highway 70. After skiing, we went to the Dam Brewery to say goodbye to our friend Pat who was leaving to go home and then travel to Europe on a skiing vacation.

Wednesday 02/27/14

It was a beautiful morning. The wind had died down and the sun warmed the temps up into the low 20s. We are really starting to need a large snowstorm to help improve conditions. With the bright sun, the snow melts very quickly. Then in the evening and overnight, the snow hardens to a rock. Slick and icy conditions are also appearing on the ski trails.

We went to Keystone and we had the trails to ourselves. Over the weekend, they started to put up signs telling the skiers where the ski trails are less crowded. But during the week there is no need to follow those signs. After about 3 hours, we returned to the parking lot where we saw rivers of water flowing thru the ice and snow. In the evening, we went to Copper Mtn to see Moe Dixon at JJs and had a nice dinner.

Tuesday 02/25/14

It was another windy and mild morning. It was warmer in the mountains than in Denver this morning. It was 16 degrees with a forecast of light snow for Denver. We went to Copper Mtn under beautiful sunshine. By mid morning the temp was near 32 degrees and the hard crust of the snow was starting to soften. As we rode the lifts you could see where the wind has completely blown away the snow at the top. Down at the base, the flags were really moving. Not sure if we will be getting any snow today, but the booth rentals are gearing up. They are moving in a lot of extra booths. Because of the wind and mild afternoon temps, a lot of melting is taking place, so we can use more snow.

Monday 02/24/14

It was a beautiful morning. Temp was near 20 degrees to start with a small breeze. It had the makings of a typical Spring Day. Before I went skiing, I went to the store to get some groceries. The weekend crowds were gone and the parking lot at City Market was empty. After shopping we went to Keystone where we also found the slopes empty. School Mare, which is an easy beginners trail, was completely empty and you could cruise the entire 3 mile trail. By 11am, the clouds started to reappear and hide the sun. Some of the clouds take on a character image. After skiing we had lunch and did some chores around the house. Then we got ready to meet our friends at the Dan Brewery.

Sunday 02/23/14

We again had 4 inches of snow last night. The sun was behind the clouds early, but came out in full force. The difference between yesterday and today was the wind. There wasn't any. After mass we went down to the lake and did some snow shoeing. The lake has about 1-2 feet of snow on top of the ice making snow shoes the only way to walk on the lake. We passed by several wind skiers sitting in the snow waiting for the wind to pick up. The marina with its boat slips are all covered over with snow. We walked around the lake for about 1 1/2 hours after which we returned home for a late lunch. In the late afternoon, we went to the Dam Brewery for cocktails. Tomorrow is suppose to be a sunny and mild day.

Saturday 02/22/14

Saturday morning was windy, cloudy with light snow falling. After doing the laundry we watched a kite skiing clinic sponsored by the Colorado Kite Force on Lake Dillon. They supplied all of the equipment but because of the wind, they were not able to actually ski the lake. After watching them, I went ice fishing on the lake with my friend, Mike.

He brought all of the equipment necessary including an auger to drill thru the 24 inches of ice, 2 fishing poles with plenty of bait and fold up chairs to sit on. I brought the beer to drink. While we didn't catch any fish, it was an experience because of the wind. The fishing hole would freeze up in a matter of minutes so we had to use a scooper to move the ice around. The forecast for tonight is for several more inches of new snow. Lets hope so.

Friday 02/21/14

Overnight we received about 2 inches of fresh snow but the winds kept on blowing. While the forecast called for cloudy conditions, they were wrong. The sun was out in full force. After breakfast we went to Copper Mtn where you couldn't have asked for a better day. The buses from the parking lot were all ready to go and the trails, while groomed, were covered with the over night snow. It made for a smooth ride thru the snow. On the est side of Copper Mtn, the lifts take you past several large and beautiful homes that line the side of the trail. I wish I had one. After several hours of skiing, we returned home to get ready for our Friday night routine dinner at the Araphoe Cafe. I am hoping to go ice fishing tomorrow.

Thursday 02/20/14

Overnight we received about 3 new inches of snow. But with the snow, cold and wind also came. The temp in the morning was zero and the wind was blowing at 25-30 MPH with gusts at 45-50 MPH. We waited until 10am when conditions were better. We skied at Keystone for about 2 hours and than we gave up. The wind was overpowering. The new snow was completely blown away and the slopes were icy. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. At least the conditions at the Dam Brewery at Happy Hour were better.

Wednesday 02/19/14

This morning it was party cloudy and mild. However, the weather forecast calls for afternoon snow. Our parking lot was almost completely empty. We went to Copper Mtn. where we again had the ski trails to ourselves. The only problem we had was a 15-20 minute delay on the Timberline Express lift. We just got on and the lift stopped. Most of the people in line didn't want to wait it out and skied to Center Village. After the lift restarted, we continued skiing our normal trails. We skied past the snow cats that groom the half pipe snow boarders park.

After returning home we got ready to try a new bar for half price drinks. It was the Blue Spruce Inn in Frisco. It is one of the oldest restaurants in Summit County. As we left the bar around 5:30pm, it started to snow. Hope it snows all night, and the sun comes out in the morning.

Tuesday 02/18/2014

Another blue-bird morning. Not a cloud in the sky and mild temps. The only negative was the winds. They were blowing at speeds of 35-45 MPH with gusts over 50. This was better than the winds in the foothills where they had gusts over 80 MPH. After breakfast, we went to Copper Mtn. where the we found the weekend crowds gone. It was just a beautiful day. As we took the lifts to the top, we had a great view of Vail Pass and as we can down, no traffic jams on the trails. We are hoping for another GREAT day tomorrow.

Monday 02/17/14

This morning the headline in the local newspaper was unfortunately another avalanche that claimed the lives of 2 skiers in the back country. The number of avalanches is increasing on a daily basis. The back country is really off-limits. It was a blue-bird type of morning along with mild temps. I took Benny for a walk to try and find his ball which he lost in a snow bank. He has developed a white snow nose looking for it along the walkway that needs to be plowed.

We took a chance that the weekend crowds would be leaving early so we went to Copper Mtn. It was a great day and the crowds did leave. Can't wait to get an early start tomorrow.

Sunday 02/16/14

Well, no new snow overnight but the sun shown thru the clouds this morning. After mass this morning, we went to the Pond Hockey tournament in Silverthorne. There are eight make shift rinks which accommodates two teams of 4 players each. One of the teams was names the shirtless rebels. The team included one female skater. After watching the tournament for about 30 minutes, we crossed over to the Ravenwood goft course to do some snow shoeing. The easy course is a 2 .5 mile course that took us about 1 1/2 hours. It is some workout. After we returned home, a nap was a requirement. At the end of the day, it stared to snow again. I hope comes out tomorrow.

Saturday 02/15/14

While no new snow fell last night, the morning started off with cloudy skies and VERY mild temps. It was 38 degrees at 9am. In the clouds over the mountains looked like rain clouds. The high winds blowing in from the west was the reason for the mild temps. It was blowing at 30 MPH, with gusts up to 45 MPH. It wasn't a nice ski day. We did our normal weekend chores of laundry and food shopping. By 2pm, it started to snow again and the wind caused white-out conditions. Another day of NO sun. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Friday 02/14/14 St Valentine's Day

Four more inches of snow overnight. The morning was overcast, windy and mild. Because this is the start of President's weekend, we decided to get out ASAP. We went to Keystone and we were on the 5th chairlift going up the mountain. As we ascended up, we passed over an EMPTY snow boarder's park. I talked with one of the information people and they said they will be getting the outdoor grills ready this weekend. They are expecting record crowds.

As we took our first run, we could clearly see the Breckenridge Ski resort in the distance. We were able to get in 2 good hours of skiing before the crowds started to come out. The lift lines started to increase and the number of small kids, skiing out of control also increase. With that, we called it a day. As we skied down to the parking lot, we encountered two green martians. They were actually the photographers.

In the evening, we went to the Araphoe Cafe for a nice Valentine's dinner. Lets hope the sun comes out tomorrow.