Crested Butte luxury homes.
Ryan skiing along Slate River Road near Crested Butte. In the summer he camps in the valley below. We went for sushi afterward and Ryan said it was a perfect day.
Ryan and Josh at the Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce bust stop on the way to the mountain. There is a free bus that travels from Gunnison to Crested Butte and hitchhiking is allowed.
Ryan goes of a jump at DC Park and Pipe at the top of Painter Boy.
Ryan skiing down the mountain. He was teaching himself to ski backwards as I was learning how to ski forward.
I am afraid of everything.
I was terrified of the prospect of skiing. I didn't know how I would get down the bunny hill. I couldn't fathom skiing for five days. I worried that I would be too cold. I worried that I wouldn't have enough to do during the nine-day vacation. This must be the reason most of my outdoor adventures do not go any further than the pages of Outdoor magazine, which I subscribe to in order to have an active fantasy life. Every year, I have a strong urge to cross country ski around the end of December. Then, I add up the cost of the trip on an Excel spreadsheet and worry that the drive might be hazardous, and quietly wait for the urge to pass. But this year, I was going to have the ski vacation of a lifetime.
I got some $150 ski pants on sale for $75 online in the middle of summer. Then I bought some inexpensive ski gloves, socks and sock liners and a balaclava while Christmas shopping. I took along my winter running gear. I was all set.
It was a wonderful, relaxing time and I can totally understand why Ryan goes to school at Western State College of Colorado. The streets are wide and cars drive slowly, and there's a bike lane. In between Gunnison and Crested Butte, there's a sign that says "bicycles for the next 26 miles." And wherever you look off into the distance around the town--north, south, east, west--there are mountains all around. He took me to all of his favorite camping and fishing spots during the summer. We went cross country skiing on Slate River road near Crested Butte. The scenery was breathtaking. I kept thinking that I would pay big bucks to go to a fancy cross country ski resort to see this view--but it was free. No trail fee was required because this was a dirt road through a state forest that was a cross country ski trail in the winter. People and their dogs cross country skied, and backcountry snowmobilers passed us. We must have skied about 10 miles that day. The trip back was hard and I was tired, but I kept quiet because I didn't want to complain about anything. We topped off the first day of the year by eating at a fancy sushi place.
The next day, I went downhill skiing the very first time. It took me a long time to even ski down to the bunny hill. And it takes a long time to get used to the ski lift. But somehow I got down the slope the first time. I skied once when I was a teenager and then watched e-How videos from the folks at Grisham, Oregon, so I had a vague idea of what to do. Ryan was a pretty patient teacher. He gave me pointers going down the hill. When we were at the bottom, he demonstrated specific skills, and after a day or so, I was doing carving turns. I graduated to Houston, and then went on some of the other green runs.
Not too longer after my trip, my second son went to a local mountain to snowboard with friends. I knew he'd pick it up easily because he also skateboards and surfs, and he came back a "triple board athlete." Now he wants me to go skiing with him. I have the distinct feeling I'm going to be getting into winter sports!!!!!!
But nothing compares to the Colorado Rockies with real snow, blue skies against white aspens, friendly people, and powder days where people take off the morning to ski. There are the late afternoons where the sun shines on the mountains before sunset.
