Rocky Mountain High in Colorado

Although it does involve a one hour commute each way, we get to take in some of the most incredible scenery each day. Just as I was starting to catch the blog up "Rocky Mountain High"was playing on the Sirius radio station (thanks to Gary's son Scott who gave us this as a Christmas present !) Unfortunately the blog spot is currently refusing to upload photos...so in order to briefly bring everyone up to date we'll have to skip the photos for these updates....just imagine the most amazing peaks stretching forever, aspen groves, red rocks, pink sunrises and sunsets every day!

Once again the motorhome really is turning out to be the right decision for us!

The original "plan" was for us to spend March in Utah. Well, we've fallen in love with Colorado and have decided to stay on here till early April. A part of that decision had to do with Gary and I missing being a part of a ski school (the camaraderie and not being "a tourist") and it turned out that Beaver Creek has a huge Spring break series of weeks and they needed to add a few new instructors to cover the rush. SO...starting at 9:00 on Sat. March 5th we attended a 6 day training crammed into three days with awesome clinicians. Long days (our commute from Breckenridge is about an hour each way). Yesterday I had a mini "clinic freak out"...it sort of had that PSIA Exam feeling. But today we started teaching via auditing and it all came together in a great way. We still have another day of auditing which will give us more confidence in all the different "procedures" and terrain for teaching which level. Then orientation on Thursday. We should be teaching on our own by Friday. Here we are in our new Vail/Beaver Creek Ski School uniforms!

Just a short note on this ski school....they are SO welcoming to new hires it's been incredible!!!

Again a note to the Alpental crowd: After my clinic meltdown yesterday we were waiting for the bus to the parking lot and this booming voice calls out 'ALPENTAL!" I've just gotta say that a great big huge hug from AL OSBORNE was JUST what I needed!!

Yep....life is very good!!!

Keystone = Best surprise of trip!

Although I keep showing pics of us skiing all these beautiful and extensive resorts what I haven't admitted is how much pain and tentativeness I'd been skiing with. To say nothing of a lack of confidence...every unanticipated bump was a killer.Well for those of you who know Kirk Hardwick (who was the person who got me really skiing again after having ACL surgery many years ago), there are times when a new person comes into your life who provides just the right kind of fun, adventure and encouragement. Well....here she is....Meagan Blitzer!!

 At all of these areas they have really great mountain tours that the "Information" people (most volunteer one or two days a week)guide at different times of the day. Well onFeb. 23rd we joined one of these groups. Megan had run an earlier tour but we started talking and the rapport was instantaneous so she joined the other guide. It was just the five of us and one excellent snowboarder:

Fyi the mountain range you see in the background is Breckenridge.

Anyway, we hit some steep yet groomed terrain with perfect snow consistency and temp and I was finally flying down the mountain with total abandon and joy thanks to Meagan. Since then we've joined her very extended family (including darling 4 year old daughter Kiki who loves to fly through the trees!) for another great day of skiing. Then last Friday we had dinner at their house for killer pizza that her husband Brian made. We also got to meet her mom and dad and their 2 year old Chase.

The last 5 days have been unbelieveably busy for a new reason (next blog) so at least Meagan and I can stay in touch via text and Facebook. Again a note directed to my Alpental friends....she is a total ALNO !!!

A Basin

Not one of the most highly publicized resorts this place is VERY cool with a great laid back atmosphere. Hopefully this will give a glimpse of some of the beauty. (oh and btw the top of one of the chairs is

Vail

I realize a lot of people love Vail but it turns out it's been our least favorite for two main reasons. One is that parking is a nightmare.... well unless you consider that after paying $25 to still have to walk a REALLY long way to the slopes is ok. And the free lots are hard to figure out and even if you do find them you still get dropped off at a location that's quite a way from slopeside. The other thing that surprised us (remember this was a holiday weekend) was the much smaller number of runs percentage wise that were groomed...and ungroomed (due to lack of recent snowfall) equals Volkswagen sized bumps. Add in the Sun Valley injury and it was not a magical experience.  But really we will definitely need to give it another try!

However one kind of cool thing was that Michelle Obama and their two girls were there skiing so it was interesting to observe how security has to be high yet it's really not as obvious as I would have thought ...not nearly as exciting as the skiing scenes in that one 007 movie either!

Really Birds of Prey is at Beaver Creek not Breckinridge

What can I say...with skiing five areas in 7 days and then not doing the posts I'M A BIT CONFUSED! All the posts from a few days that say Breckinridge really are from Beaver Creek! Beautiful weather and the magnitude of these areas is truly amazing!

Beaver Creek Part One

Although our Epic Pass doesn't have any black out dates but a different Locals Pass does have a blackout o over Presidents weekend at both Beaver Creek and Vail we decided that just make it less crowded.  Not so sure about that....there was no parking left anywhere so they ended up letting you park along the road in no parking zones! We actually just got a "taste" for it (it was good!) and we've so been loving Colorado that we started rethinking our itinerary (remember that was part of our crazy decision to buy the motorhome life.

More later....

Breckenridge

They have the most amazingly convenient bus service imaginable.(ok so to those of you who know I am not a real consistent convert to public transportation must be laughing!) Truthfully day one figuring it out was a nightmare but after that a breeze.

After a couple warm up runs we couldn't resist Birds of Prey NOTE THT VIA EDIT TO A LATER POST ACKNOWLEDGES THAT I GOOFED....BIRDS OF PREY IS BEAVER CREEK

NOW....THIS IS BRECKENRIDGE!
Breckinridge is also the home of the highest lift accessed run at over 13,000 feet. We skied so many runs that day up on chair 6 and the T-Bar we didn't quite make the final hike up.But we did take off from this sign to ski an awesome run called "The Whales Tail. You can actually find it (a little bit like "Where's Waldo though) from this shot taken from Keystone looking over to Breckinridge:












The day we spent exploring the Entire Imperial Area was (no one laugh!) with an official "Over 50's group". Of course we were a little skeptical, but our guide Dick was great. Plus another skier in the group had previously guided for a long time...AND a little TV trivia for you...he and his wife competed in the Amazing Race a few years ago

In summary...we've been back to Breck for many more reasons than it's the closet resort to us!

EPIC PASS

Now to the real part of the blog...the skiing. We bought these Epic Passes that give us unlimited access to all of the Vail owned resorts here in Colorado and also Heavenly and now NorthStar in CA. Since we're living less than 10 minutes from Breckinridge we've already skied there 7 times. I'd so often heard how huge Vail was,  the sheer size and also amenities of Breck have pleasantly surprised us. We've spent 3 days at Beaver Creek, 1 at Vail, 1 at Arapahoe Basin, and 2 at Keystone. In the next series of blogs we'll summarize highlights from each resort.

Updates FINALLY now that we're settled in Breckenridge

Arrived late on Feb 17th at Tiger Run RV Resort

 (kind of get a kick out of the "resort part" but our spot is actually a nice size and we aren't looking into anyones windows). The best part is that they have a nice recreation facility with pool, a couple of hot tubs and a community center where we have already attended the "Saturday BBQ" and the Wed. "Wine and Cheese night". We've met some really nice people here at Tiger Run and one thing that this odyssey has taught us more about enjoying is "diversity".  Turns out that we really are pretty young to be retired! We also have had to learn about laundromats ...it's been a a lot of decades since I've had to do with out my own washer and dryer, but at least here if you time it right you can stuff a bunch of washers full and go take a hot tub before then putting it all into multiple dryers!

Decided to detour to Moab on way to Colorado

Having seen the red rock beauty of Zion and Bryce I've often wanted to go visit biking mecca Moab (Arches National Park). Well why not now. This first picture is the view from our campsite:
Here are some of our favorite vistas from the day:

Couldn't believe this color contrast

In the center of below pic is the famous "Courthouse'

Laurie took her physical therapy training to a new level (keep in mind plenty of ice and mud on the 2 mile trip) so as not to miss some of the famous arches:

2-14 Valentine's Day Celebration

I just wish I had a picture of Dawn and I wearing our matching Valentines Day teeshirts! We had a great gathering at one of their friends place to all watch the somewhat corny (but cultish movie if you ski Snow Basin) called Frozen

MOVIE REVIEW

Frozen

last updated: 2010-02-06 01:55:41

Snow boarder and pipe enthusiasts take note:

It also turns out that the weekend we were at Snow Basin it was the final of the four venues of this years Dew Tour.

Dawn and John also have a Faux Da named Brooke Smith...and let me tell you Dawn pulled off the ultimate in getting previously seriously injured snowboarder Kevin Pearce to go introduce himself to Brooke and have this picture taken!!

2-12 Snow Basin sounds like a good idea!

So at 9:00 AM I called Dawn Lowery and ask if we could drive our rolling home to their driveway and ski Snow Basin with her and John the the next day. As one might expect with Dawn...of course that was a good idea! Well, the motorhome was too long for their driveway but we found a secure space to park it in their subdivision and immediately moved into their guest room. Again, since pictures speak a thousand words did we have a great time or what?!

We even managed a run from the start house of the 2002 Men's Olympic Downhill, and quite a few stretches from the Women's Downhill course as well!

2-11 One last night of fun before leaving Sun Valley

Every Friday afternoon all the Sun Valley Instructors have a meeting at The Inn. Afterwards at the bar there is plenty of opportunity for some great socializing. It was kind of a surprise to discover just how many fun, great instructors we've come to know. It's was also great to be included some of the great camaraderie going on. For those of you who know Franz Fuchsberger  (owns Fuxi Racing) one of the hot retail spots at Govey Camp, you immediately recognize some of his gear which Laurie was wearing and resulted in Jim Grossman and I striking up a fun conversation that included shared pics of his two kids...I swear looking at the angles of his 8 year old running gates there's a future Olympian in the making. Plus, if you saw the orange faux fur vest his adorable little daughter was modeling my Alpental friends would know that Fur Day may have future expansion opportunity in SV! Jim is a great fan of jazz musician Paul Tillotson who was playing at the Dutchin Room so we also went there for the final set of the evening and what great entertainment that was!

2/10 "Getting back on the horse!"

Three weeks to the day of my accident I realized I was sort of ready to ski again and with us leaving SV shortly I knew that it would give me a chance to ski and then have my final appointment with my PT and decide if it was ok to continue slowly or not. I'm not gonna lie...every bump I hit was excruciating, and I skied very tentatively. BUT I did ski...and I ask you...does this look like a happy girl or what??

Loewy Lodge RV Park!

MP arrived back at their house sooner than I thought and poor thing drives up only to discover her entire driveway is filled with our motorhome. However, true to her form, she was gracious as ever and it was fun to get to spend time with her.

We also got to see Richard the day we headed out for Utah. Can you believe this view they have down the valley from their beautiful home?!

2/9 Mike Murphy "final performance" in SV

For those who don't know of him he's a musician/comic who has performed for 34 years in Sun Valley. The place was packed, he was awesome, the crowd was totally into it!

Afterwards a dozen of us headed out to The classic Cabin Creek for  a great dinner and much fun

We actually got to go into the hot springs at Frenchman's Bend

In an earlier blog we posted a lot of pictures of the beautiful drive out to Frenchman's Bend where there are a number of natural hot springs in the river. Although the entrance to the most accessible was still a bit tricky with my injuries, I'd been told it was safe as long as I took it slow. For centuries people who are ill have travelled far and wide for the sometimes miraculous healing power that natural hot springs can bring. Honestly I've always assumed it was the same impact that a good jacuzzi offers. Now I'm not so sure. Maybe there is something to the natural chemicals that soak into your skin that IS uniquely healing. I'll also attest to the fact that sitting amongst the beauty all around us was a real emotional boost. Here's what I also know...we went there on the 8th and I went skiing again on the 10th! (but I am getting ahead of the story! That will be continued in the blogs I update tomorrow)

Gary is a coach at heart

During the 3 weeks Laurie couldn't ski, Gary skied with Tom and also connected with Connie and Doug Cameron who we initially  met at the 'ZONE' at a Husky game. All of us are also active members of First Presbyterian Church Bellevue. Gary got the chance to do some informal coaching with Connie and Doug along with some great friends of theirs (Dar and Tom Shilling) Although Laurie had to skip the skiing it didn't mean I had to miss lunch and dinners with these new friends.

We also got to introduce them to our favorite ski dvd 'Images and Concepts' produced by Sean Warman

2-2 Ciro's, Fischer lecture and the Sawtooth

Every Wed from 4-6 there is a great cheese and wine tasting event at Ciro's. We've also always heard about all the different cultural events around town. That same night at the Library the Fisher Nordic VP made an entertaining presentation.
 As it turns out, the REAL highlight of the night was that Gary got to reconnect with Leroy Kingland . Apparently he is a real legend in the ski business in the Northwest and Sun Valley. He was a renowned distributor for Head, Raichle, and Fischer. We don't know his exact age but if you look at this picture it demonstrates that much of flourishing is loving what you do and continuing to pursue your passions as long as possible
!

Another not to be missed restaurant in Ketchum is the rebuilt Sawtooth Saloon (that burned down a few years ago) so we enjoyed a late dinner following the lecture with Tom and Cheri!

1-31 The Watsons also know how to throw a great party!

This was a "wine party" with @ 24 people...so very lively! Each couple was to bring a bottle of wine in a paper sack that had to be priced under $20. Each bag received a number on the bottom of it. To select the bottle you would then take home they bought one of those "claw machines". (the larger versions are found in grocery stores and casinos where you see all the prizes an then use 'a claw" to try and pick up your prize and then dump it into the exit slot.) The Watson version had finger puppets with the wine bottle number written on the bottom of each one. The Seattle/Sun Valley connection must be 2 degrees of separation so it was fun to meet/reconnect with some great people!

1-25 at Tom and Cheri Watsons

The Dahl's (who we'd been staying with since the accident left for a trip back to Seattle on the 24th), and since I was still having difficulty navigating steep steps the Watson's graciously invited us to stay at their home.The best pic I can include of this stay is of theirs (and my) beloved dog Fischer Rose!!

If anyone ever needs physical therapists in Sun Valley area

I was in enough pain from the accident that I was willing to try both traditional and non traditional therapists. Highly recommended was Michael Rollins

who is certified in "Active isolated stretching and strengthening". He also uses ARP wave technology which is similar (but different) to the electrical stimulus used by many therapists. He is also also highly trained in Tai-Chi...guess what... I learned that rather than breathing regularly I hold my breath while in the midst of a focused activity...this could be a life changing discovery!

I also worked with Dean Rutherford who is a Chiropractor in Hailey who did wonders to straighten my neck that was very misaligned after hitting my head so hard. He also added traditional electro stimulus to my treatments.

When Michael had to leave on a business trip he recommended 3 PT's. I chose Jill Pardini who is a certified PT and SCS. Her clinic is Sun Valley Sports Therapy which operates within Zynergy which is an awesome sports facility. Following her treatments I then had access to the clubs aromatherapy steam room and Jacuzzi which allowed for additional stretching/range of motion exercise. She was the perfect match for me....a great blend of optimism and reality!

Today is 2-25. Injured and novice blogger that I am, I am FINALLY going to post individual blogs!

One thing I've learned is that the "post date" isn't really the day something happened. Starting with this series of blogs I'm going to add additional commentary and pics of some of the wonderful people and fun events that occurred during our extended stay in Sun Valley while I was rehabbing from my accident on Jan. 20th. And then continuing with our journey as we left for for Utah on Feb. 12th, and finally arrived in Colorado on Feb. 17th. Although out of order, we hope that you're able to absorb some of the joy we've experienced this past month!

And to think I always thought "to blog" meant to update info frequently!??

So much has happened in the past two weeks (plus lack of network availability) that it turns out that I am a dud blogger. However, as of last night we are finally settled in Breckenridge so ready to get back at it. In a major effort not to bore any of you to death, I'll try to select the pictures that are the most inspiring and keep the verbiage to a minimum. Yeah yeah I know that is an oxymoron where I'm concerned. More later!

Oh...have I mentioned parties??!!

Another delightful quality of life in the Valley are all the impromptu gatherings! While staying in my "hospital room" at the Dahl's there was much to be celebrated! One night we even went over to Dar's...another Tri Delt seen in middle of photo) She'd recently arrived from Hermosa Beach..so how cool was it to get to celebrate her Birthday with a bunch of her SV friends??!