Last day at Breckendridge

We had a great last day at Breckenridge, enjoying the peak 9 area, and after getting our ski legs moving to the steeper slopes of peak 10. I just stuck to the runs down the main ridge/spine of the peak, but some of the group ventured off to try the narrower chutes down the sides.





That night we went out for sushi at Mountain Flying Fish in Breckenridge. It was ok, but in general unless you're in Whistler or Tahoe, getting sushi in the mountains is not a great plan.



It was a great day, and we got a lot of vertical in that last day, probably 20k worth even on the shorter lifts (vertical wise) of Breckenridge. Afterwards we went out looking for souvenirs, which left me underwhelmed, but we found one of the oldest saloons in the west, and stopped for a Silver Bullet.

Jesse posted a host of pictures on Picasa, which is worth the click through.

Breckenridge - two great days so far

We arrived at Breck enridge on Wednesday and took the gondola to peak 7, and from there took the Independence chair to the top. Peak 7's lower half is rolling intermediate runs, while the top is windswept open bowl skiing. We proceeded in a methodical fashion, going from right to left across the mountain: Monte Cristo, Angels Rest, Wirepatch, Pioneer, and then Claimjumper.

After a quick bite at the Sevens patio, and observing the hungry real estate agents peddling timeshares, we went down Northstar to peak 8. We rode the Colorado Super chair a number of times, gliding down Springmeir, Swinger, Powerline, Crescendo, 4 O'Clock, and Spruce. We skied fast, enjoying the soft conditions and low levels of traffic.

Here I am starting down a trail on the top of peak 7; the wind has swept the snow off the trees. On the next day, I went over to peak 9 and zoomed down all the trails there in order: Briar Rose, Cashier, Bonanza, Columbia, Sundown, American, Goldking, and Red Rover. I also went back to 8 and tried Dukes Run which I had missed before.

Here I am coming down a peak 8 trail, that was lower and better wind protected as the snow on the trees is still there. The snow conditions on Thursday improved as the day went on, as a half inch of thick flaked snow fell in the mid 20's temperatures. This made turning easier and the light snow sent people home early, leaving an empty mountain for us as the day went on.

Yuji tried snow boarding, and has made great strides. I started on peak 9, while Yuji picked 7, and after exchanging texts, we met in the middle at peak 8. We took a couple of trails and I could barely keep up with him.

This what peak 9 and 10 look like, at the end of the day.

The infamous shot ski makes an appearance, having traveled from Vermont to California and now to Colorado. After this we went out to the white table cloth chop house, Briar Rose. Dinner was very good, but I've become spoiled by great restaurants after having been in big cities for so long.

We strolled through Breckenridge's charming main street on our way to dinner, and saw their ice sculptures as well as lighted trees. The town is one of the most charming I can recall in ski country: right up there with Gstaad, Zermatt, Aspen etc -- and it all grew up organically rather than as the product of a master plan like Tremblant or Whistler (which are also charming, although not as authentic).

Keystone - the last day

Our last day at Keystone was on Tuesday. We started on the main mountain, warming up on the big Schoolmarm, and then trying the excellent Mozart, followed by Paymaster. Conditions were good, and some of the group went on to try the steep Diamondback trail but I took Mozart again down to LaBonte's cabin where we met up and then did Prospector. Then we took Spillway down to the Outback area. At this point half the group stayed there while some of skied down to the second gondola and took that back to the main mountain, coming down Spring Dipper, Sante Fe, Jacque St James, and Missouri feeding into the big River Run apron.

From there I went to the SureFit boot fitters and had some work done on my new Tecnica boots, while Jesse had his skis sharpened and waxed, which had gotten scuffed on the thinly covered Santa Fe trail. Then we wandered around the pedestrian village looking at the shops, which had very little foot traffic, but lots of sales advertised. I sent a few postcards and bought the obligatory T shirt here.

Keystone was fun, and more challenging that any of us had expected. I recommend it but don't see the particular need to come back any time soon -- the last time I was here was 14 seasons ago. It's a worthy day trip for Breckenridge visitors. Later that evening we played the Verrater card game that Alex gave us many years ago. Its complicated (rules are in German!) but was fun. It's more like a board game than a traditional card game.

A couple inches of fresh snow at Keystone

We woke up this morning to clear skies, sunshine, and a couple inches of fresh snow. It was warmer than yesterday, hitting 30F at mid mountain. After gathering our freshly tuned skis, we hopped on the (now operating) gondola and went to the top of Dercum mountain. From there we took a long cruiser, Mozart, to the Northpeak area. From there we took another lift and run to the Outback area. The runs here, although rated intermediate, were steeper and more challenging that expected. We skied long groomed runs down the face -- Elk Run and Porcupine. They were challenging, and we took a pit stop afterwards, lunching on the deck at the base, while birds hovered about hoping to cadge a Cheetoh crumb or two.

After that we took Prospector down to Lower Mozart and then went back to the top of Dercum. The ski runs on the back parts of the mountain were generally less buffed out and tougher than the front face. Now that we had more snow on the main area, we tried Frenchman's run, which was excellent. As an extra bonus, we hooted and hollered in pidgin French as we raced down the hill. "Pardonez Moi!" The thicker and more Inspector Clouseau the accent...the better. After that we took one more run down Irishman, whose conditions near the bottom made it stressful.
We're having Andy's special turkey chili tonight, along with a pan of my jalapeno cornbread, plus Yuji's excellent salad.

Keystone - A windy day

We had our first ski day at Keystone, Colorado today. The wind was quite strong, and caused the gondola system to be closed. We primarily skied the front face of the Dercum mountain, which was a good way to start the week and get our ski legs. Some of us were using new equipment, which needed to get broken in. The high winds had blown off most of the the last few days fresh snow, so trails without fresh snow making were somewhat crusty and firm. The ski conditions reminded me more of New England than our traditional soft powdery Colorado experiences. It's true that Keystone does not get the great snow that some of the resorts to its west do -- Vail especially -- but it still should have been a little better than what we experienced. The winds at the summit were harsh enough that it made us want to ski the lower parts, but they don't really have a natural way of doing that when the gondola is not running. We're going to hit the hot tub now, while Yuji goes looks for equipment and gets our skis sharpened. I'm hoping a fresh tuneup will help with the conditions.

Vermont artist dies

Stephen Huneck, a well known Vermont folk artist, best remembered for his dog wood cut prints, took his life a few days ago after having to lay off staff.

You'll recognize his dogs Sally and Molly from his books too. I never saw his dog chapel in Vermont but it was reputed to be quite moving.

Heavenly Pictures

Warm conditions at Heavenly

I tried out my new boots on the California side of Heavenly Valley
today. They were good but not as snug as my old ones. So I will have
to get a few adjustments made. The views of the lake are beautiful but
there was a cottony fog settled all over the basin.

Tomorrow I will take gondola over to the Nevada side. This is good
mountain for mid level skiiers.

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