BRECKENRIDGE again!

Well there I was again driving up to Breckenridge, dodging the giant potholes and listening to the weather forecast. The sun was shining but it looked like it was blowing hard and I had heard the ski patrollers say that the higher runs were vulnerable to being closed with the wind.

I enjoyed the morning but by early afternoon the giant wind devils were dancing on the tops and their baby brothers were appearing on the slopes along with occasional whiteouts from blowing snow.

So the upper lifts were shut down as forecast and I was back down on the lower slopes.

Still the wide groomed [ pisted ] slopes were ideal for blasting down GS style with hard rock on the earphones.


Another good day on the white stuff

Skiing the "Boat"

I drove over the continental divide at Rabbit Ears pass to Steamboat Springs AKA "The Boat" on a snowy day.

The skiing was good but the visibility was much poorer than my previous day at Beaver Creek where I was able to ski gently down some of the famous Birds of Prey downhill course in the sunshine.

My legs are protesting at dealing with skiing in the powder at Steamboat even though it was the famed champagne powder that the resorts on the western slope are famous for and I spent an hour in one of the local natural hot springs that night. So I will have a day off tomorrow and relax.

BEAVER CREEK and MARDI GRAS TREES

Beaver Creek is one of the sort of places that have gates on the roads and the wealthy but frightened people pay for guards and valet parking and hot and cold running service.

Opened for 1980–81 ski season, Beaver Creek was a very costly state-of-the-art European style village. However, as most of the condominiums built remain empty during the ski season, as their owners do not need the income of renting them out there is not much going on off the slopes..

However the skiing was some of the best I have had so far and I will be going ack for another day along with Breckenridge.

BEADS AND BRAS IN THE TREES

I added to my collection of adorned trees and learned from a ski patroller I talked to over lunch that this strange habit is somehow derived from the New Orleans tradition where woman bare their boobs in return for plastic beads during Mari Gras.

He did not quite explain to me how this leads to people throwing beads and bras over trees close to ski lifts.

BRECKENRIDGE

Rated by some as the best ski resort in North America I hit Breckenridge today.

I liked the parking sign on airport road.




After a few so so days weatherwise the sun came out although the wind was still blowing hard on the tops. As you can see from the snow devil blowing across the piste.

But it was really beautiful day in the mountains.


Breck as the locals call it has the highest chair lift in North America at 12,840 feet, servicing one of the steepest runs in the resort. Several inches of snow had fallen overnight which made for relatively easy skiing despite the steep nature of the piste and I enjoyed it so much I went back up and did it again.

I had been worried about skiing and staying at altitude as I have been at sea level for months but so far so good. In fact this is the best I have felt for some time.

I am staying in a great Bed and Breakfast which is a luxury home with a terrific view of the Rockies.

NEW BOOTS, NEW RESORT and NEW BUNKMATES

Spent a day sorting out some boots, it was cheaper to buy than rent and to buy I had to find a seller who would let me hand carry the boots out of the store as my skis have bindings that they will no longer adjust. [ Nice racket to sell more kit ! ]

So it was off to Arapaho Ski Basin known as A Basin by the locals who ski there rather than the tonier places like Vail or Breckenridge. Simpler facilities and no ski hosts or people to carry your skis for you but the day was sunny, the snow good and I had a great day.

I liked the exterior bar made out of ice.


BUT THERE IS CRAZY SIDE TO ARAPAHO

Arapahoe Basin's infamous "Beach" scene cannot be replicated by any other ski resort in Colorado. The Early Riser parking lot is home to a stretch of prime real estate known as the "Beach." The Beach backs up to the three lower mountain chairlifts, snow and great skiable terrain.




Come Saturday and Sunday, it is home to birthday celebrations, events, employee parties and crazy costumes.

Due to its popularity, the Beach fills up fast! Availability for reservations start February 19, 2011. There are 10 spots total.

Starting February 19, 2011
Monday through Thursday $100 per spot
Fridays $150 per spot
Saturday and Sunday $175 per spot

DISASTER ON THE MOUNTAIN

I lost old friends today. My Salomon SX 90 Equipes my old faithful ski boots finally gave up. I had had two really good days sking at Winter Park when on the last run down yesterday I felt something give on my right boot. Having already had some issues with the back clip I thought it was just that clip coming undone so I carried on down to the bottom but when I took my skis off I saw that the boot was broken.

Still I had a great days skiing in powder but the snow kept falling as you can see from the ice in my beard. No smiles though as I am in mourning for my boots!

I drove up to Summit and will be based at Silverthorne for the next few days while I ski Breckenridge Copper Keystone Arapaho and Steam Boat. But first of all I will have to find a pair of boots to buy or rent.

The pic is of the sunset from Winter park.


As promised I visited a MEDICAL CANNABIS CENTER. I can only show the outside of the shop as they would not let me take pics inside.

They had a doctor there on site with a list of things for which they can offer a prescription for legal marijuana. [ and the things to say that allowed him to offer it ]

Getting high again in Colorado

Getting high in the Caribbean is easy if not legal. Everywhere you go you see mellow people rolling giants zoots and you come across marijuana plants pretty often. We saw some as we hiked around Indian Creek last week. However it is still illegal and the locals do get busted from time to time. As a result there is a popular song that gets a lot of plays about going to Amsterdam to the “smoke” shops to get a legal high.

Well I am here in Denver and I guess I am high at least 5000 feet and going to get higher as I drive up to the ski resorts. but it was a shock to find pages and pages of advertisements in local free papers for marijuana and how to obtain and grow it legally in Colorado.



Colorado removed state-level criminal penalties on the use, possession and cultivation of marijuana by patients who possess written documentation from their physician affirming that he or she suffers from a debilitating condition and advising that they “might benefit from the medical use of marijuana.” They can possess up to two ounces of a usable form of marijuana and they or their primary caregivers can legally possess no more than six marijuana plants, with three or fewer being mature flowering plants that are producing a usable form of marijuana.
So you really can get high in Colorado.

I guess John Denver new what was going to happen when he wrote “Rocky mountain high in Colorado.”




Stoners rule in Denver! Bob Marley would like it here!


They even have competitions to compare brands and award trophies.








I am off to do some on site research tomorrow.