I Wish Every Day was a Ski Day!

Yesterday was the best Colorado ski day I think I have ever had. Or maybe I just enjoyed it the most. Regardless, our winter storm was a no-show, but did leave 7 inches of new powder in Breckenridge. With perfectly sunny skies and 25 degrees with calm winds, you really can't ask for more. Here are some photos from our journey to 11,000 feet!

I couldn't resist the view. We are in the shadow of the mountain and the puffs of clouds.




Chris passed a semi just as I was about to snap a picture of the
Eisenhower Tunnel, elevation 11,158 feet sign.



The entrance to the tunnel.



The base of Peak 8. Elevation 9,950 feet above sea level.



Peak 7. My favorite place. Elevation, 11,095 feet!

And after a long day of near-perfection, this is me on the Gondola headed back to the car. I know the goggles are HUGE in this picture, but they are sitting on top of my helmet...and after all, the Gondola was moving. Chris is only so good with an iPhone camera in moving objects!

From 70 to Stormy

It has been a very strange late fall for us. Our temperatures have been warmer than Texas and Florida and extraordinarily dry. Yesterday was a record high of 70 degrees and all the days before that were topping out between 55 and 65. Not that we are complaining. The mountains have had some pretty incredible early-season snow while we have had some extremely dry months. Funny thing...water runs downhill so an ordinary state would be fearing a drought...but not us! We get the spring runoff that fills our water tables so as long as the mountains keep getting pounded with feet of snow, our summer will be just fine.

That being said, I had a couple of vacation days that I needed to use or lose before the end of the year. A month ago we planned to make our first trek to Summit County and hit the slopes of Breckenridge. And as of yesterday they are 83% open with an incredible 51 inch base (which is great for mid-December!). And with the weather we've been having it should be a great day. Maybe even sweatshirt skiing! Yeah. Not so much.

Sometime between lunch and 4:00 pm yesterday, our forecast for Thursday went from sunny and seasonal (mid to upper 40's) to this: From Record Heat to Snow Advisory Yes, that's right. We are under a winter weather advisory for 3-7 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow morning. Which doesn't sound like much until you factor in the idea that the drive from here to Breckenridge traverses nearly 6,000 vertical feet in elevation, and that's just to the Eisenhower Tunnel.

We have decided to go for it, but reserving the right to change our minds at the last minute after a little research on road conditions along I-70 first thing in the morning. And as a precaution, we will be taking the dogs to Camp Bow Wow for doggy day care with the option to stay overnight, just in case!

I think I could be OK getting stuck here! We'll pack the essentials, just in case (keeping fingers crossed! I'll let you guess in which direction!)


Merry Ski Wooley!