Day 27: Cold Days. Warm nights.

Ok, so the weatherman was feeling optimistic again; it was freezing cold and windy as all hell,  although the sun did shine for most of the morning.  The entire mountain was shut down for several hours this morning;  too much wind to run the lifts.  Lots of avalanche prevention mortars filling the morning air.  Ah! Winter in Colorado!

But we got in some good runs, nonetheless.  After lunch, we rode up a lift with Leslie Stafford from LA;  she manages the Breck Ski School.  First, she explained that the $220, 4 person max, "lesson" they advertise is really a license to learn;  all year long!  Not a half day, not a full day.  No!  Unlimited Ski lessons, all season.   Then she explained that the $119 Adventure package is really a full day semi-private lesson slash mountain discovery adventure.   So basically,  you get a $650 full day private lesson for $119, shared with a friend (or spouse! ;-) )  These guys need to hire someone to fix their ads!  We've been here for >3 weeks, seeing their advertising every day, and never understood the offers!    A cardinal sin for us marketing guys!  While it normally requires 48 hours to make a reservation, Leslie made a call and got us in;  most likely it will just be the two of us (Phil and Kay leave for Austin tomorrow).  

Tonight, we all went out to a nice dinner at the Blue River Bistro.  Laid back, Casual,  gourmet food.  During a night like this with friends like Phil and Kay, you realize something important.  It doesn't matter how many runs you make.  You will never remember how many vertical feet you skied (although "There IS an App for That".) or how well you navigated the moguls.   No, you will remember the moments with family, or with friends, when it all just feels RIGHT.  Intimate. Real. Meaningful. Funny. Touching.  Moments that last forever,  even though they take only a few minutes.  Precious minutes.  Thanks, Phil and Kay, for coming to share the moment.

Till tomorrow.   Only 6 more days till we leave for Austin.  All good things.......

Day 26: Snow, football, and COLD!

We finally got the snow.  Southern Colorado got 2-4' (that little ' thingy means FEET!) of snow, and we finally got some super fluffy snow here;  8" yesterday and ~4" more today.  The bad news is that it was  frigid, with wind-chills well below -35 degrees.   So,  we knocked off early, came back to the house to watch some football.   (What the hell was Brett Favre thinking when he threw that pass? )

Sorry, no mountain pictures;  taking out my camera on the mountain today would have been instant frostbite! And if I had taken a picture,  it would look like a 1950's television broadcast: snow on snow.   But we've been asking for it for 3 weeks and we are finally getting it!   The snow was so soft,  you couldn't feel your skis.  (Or was that an effect of having frozen feet?  Who cares?  It was still fun!)

Tomorrow is my last day of the 4 day weekend and Phil and Kay's last day of their visit;  partly cloudy and warmer,  with lots of fresh snow. Wahoo!

Day 25: great skiing (this is getting repetitive, isn't it?)

It snowed off and on during the day, which made for an exciting day;  timing the ski runs vs. the hot cocoa. We managed to balance the need to stay warm vs the need to tear it up.   Kyle and I went for mostly black and double black diamonds, and frankly the mountain kicked my ass.  But we had a blast; probably the best skiing of the month.

After another round in the hot tub, this time in heavy snow, Phil and Kay took us to dine at the Hearthstone,  and we had an amazing meal (Colorado Lamb for the n'th time!) accompanied by fine wines (can you believe they have Schweiger Vineyards Cab on the winelist up here?). What a wonderful restaurant!

Entrance to the Hearthstone Restaurant in Breck.

Tomorrow, we get to ski and watch football all day!  Can it possibly get better than this???

-Karl

Day 24: Back to downhill skiing

After a week of Xcountry after work, I took the day off today to ski with Phil and Kay.  Kay woke up feeling the effects of the altitude,  so she wisely stayed in house (for those who haven't seen the house,  check out Moving Day).     We had a sunny morning, followed by a raging snow storm that lasted 2 runs.  By the time we ducked into a cafe to call it quits,  the sun came back out to tease us into returning to the slopes.  Of course, when we succumbed and came back outside,  it started snowing again!  ;-)  We just laughed and went to the car,  back to the house, and directly into the hot tub and sauna.  Ahhhh.   Life is good.

By the way, for those who are not yet skiing in a helmut, ahem, Phil, I strongly encourage it.   Safe, warm, and usually with built-in headset for skiing to your fav' tunes!   Consider it Sonny Bonno's legacy and give it a try.  A mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Think SNOW!

-Karl

Day 23: Friends come a' calling

Spent most of the day working, but got in a nice xCountry over lunch.  What a great way to break up a workday!  (by the way,  I just realized that you can click on any image and get a really nice full screen image.  Just press back arrow to return to the Blog.    These guys at google are good!)

                                                                          The Lunch Break @ Breck

While I was "at the office",  Lynne went out to a consignment sporting goods store and picked up a pair of snow shoes.   She really enjoyed tromping around the golf course, and as you can see, she intends to take the sport of snow shoeing to the next level!

                                        The latest Snow-Sport craze is born !!!

After a very nice dinner downtown in Breck,   we came home to tub.   The weatherman,  who had been forecasting over a foot of snow this weekend, pulled in his (Ullr) horns and backed off to forecast only a couple inches. We decided it was time to call on the Norse God of Snow, Ullr himself!  Since I promised you all photo's of Phil performing his soon-to-be-famous Naked Snow Dance,  it naturally occurred to us that my Ullr Helmut should be worn during the dance.

Unfortunately for the voyeur in the audience,  Phil's choice of Helmut placement was a bit unorthodox. Even more unfortunately,  Lynne and Kay demurred and declined to join in the ritual.  

Let's hope it works!  WE NEED SNOW!!

Day 22: A normal workday

A normal workday,  except for the amazing winter wonderland outside my office window.   We did take an hour to drive around and see the neighborhood,   the Highlands, and talk to a local realtor about the market.   The Highlands, which includes the golf course community where we are staying,  consists of ~600 homes/lots perched high above the Blue River valley,  with amazing views of the 10 Mile Range and Breckenridge's 4 mountains.  The house next door to us is on the market at a great price, and we had thought it was typical of the kind of prices/deals that are available in this down market.  No such luck. It is being foreclosed because it has issues.  The nicer homes are still very expensive ($300-500 /foot).   So,  we are thinking that renting a month in the winter, and a month in the summer, is a much more affordable way to have "2 homes"!  Let someone else deal with the hassles and carry the financial burden and risk!  

"They" are forecasting the 1st significant snowfall since the 1st week of our stay.  Our dear friends Phil and Kay Rawlins arrive tomorrow;  perfect timing to ski the powder this weekend!  We will be crossing our fingers, and Phil claims to practice a mean snow dance that can bring it on!  (pictures promised)

-Karl

Day 21: Three weeks in, and so far, the fantasy holds up!

Yes, Toto,  we aren't in Texas anymore.

It's been 3 weeks since we crossed the Kansas - Colorado border, and 3 weeks since we have been in a different world, not just a different state.   Every day has been a mini-adventure, and when we string them together they weave a story of wonder and awe.  And the daily physical challenges of skiing and cross-country.  All the while, I've been able to keep up the hectic pace of being an exec at a major US corporation.   It isn't impossible, after all.   It just takes discipline,  and a great team I can depend on.

Sometimes I ask myself,  "Self, why did you leave Colorado;  17 years ago?".  (17 years!  Has it really been that long?!?!?!)  The answer isn't very satisfying.  "Because "they" wanted me to." ("They" = HP/job/career/advancement/money).  Not that we haven't had an amazing life, living in Boston, Minneapolis, and Austin.  But there remains plenty of time left,  God willing,  to enjoy the wonders of this mountain place that feels so much like home;  as a visitor for now.  Perhaps as a returning resident in the future.  It's all good.

When we lived here in the 80's and 90's,  we had a vacation home in Silverthorne; ~15 miles from Breckenridge.   It was a family magnet that created volumes of memories and experiences and love.  In the short 3 weeks we have been here,  we are re-living that same magnetism and joy of family.   Kristin was here for 2 weeks,  and will be back after her 1st week of her final college semester at Colorado State University (Biomedical Sciences).   And the "Lange Gange" visited us to enjoy the snow and mountains, our niece and nephew having grown to young adults with amazing talents,  and their own sense of self.

After the Lange family left for home, we suddenly realized that this was practically the 1st day we had alone in our new temporary home.  I finished work (ok, I am technically "on vacation") around 3 and we went out to ski the trails.

After a hot tub, we went to an amazing restaurant in an old Victorian home in Breck; the Hearthstone. http://www.hearthstonerestaurant.biz/.  The food was a fabulous end to another great day of our adventure and fantasy-come-true.

We are so blessed.

-Karl