Brighton

Got to Brighton this morning and had some great runs. Too late for most of the powder though - gotta get here early to hit that. Looks good for tomorrow - forecast is calling for 2 feet tonite!
Cottonwood Canyons Forecast
This forecast is for use in snow safety activities and emergency management. Issued at: 2008-01-31 14:50:00

Synopsis:
Winter Storm Warning in effect from 4 PM this afternoon through 6 PM Friday. Light snow this afternoon will pick up in intensity this evening as the 700 mb warm advection thermal ribbon moves across. Periods of heavy snow associated with the onset of the 500 mb cold trough will occur later tonight into early Friday. Strong west to west southwest winds will prevail until about 2 or 3 AM then shift more towards the west northwest and weaken behind the 700 mb trough axis. Another storm will affect the area Saturday night into Monday with significant snow amounts once again.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st Period: 12 Hour Forecast beginning 5:00 PM
Weather: Snow...increasing in intensity late this evening through the night.

Snow Amount Most Likely
10-14" 80%

Next Most Likely
15-18" 20%

2nd Period: 12 Hour Forecast beginning 5:00 AM
Weather: Periods of heavy snow early then becoming showery late morning through the afternoon.

Snow Amount Most Likely
6-9 " 70 %

Next Most Likely
10-12 " 30 %

Remarks: Areas favored by west southwest flow will receive the greatest snow amounts through Friday morning.


I hit a nice run today and got in some deep stuff. Tried to make a turn and didn't quite pull it off. Nate said all he saw were my ski boots sticking out of the snow. Uncle Jim was right - the snow is deep in Utah!

Good times.

Utah

Left Denver this morning at 6:30 am to try and beat rush hour. On the way out of Ray's drive I saw a coyote walking around. He darted across the street when I got close then I saw a rabbit run across the street the other way and the chase was on. COuldn't stick around though - time to go! I felt pretty good as I wipped through town without a delay. Karen took me through Fort Collins for some reason. That crazy Australian. Made great time till I got outside of Laramie, WY. The weather turned and traffic stopped. For two hours. Roads were wicked for a few hundred miles. Hit Utah and the weather got nasty again. Followed Karen again as she took my to East Big Cottonwood Canyon Road which is the entrance to Brighton Ski Resort. Now, I saw a few signs that said something about "When this light is flashing, 4 x 4 or chains are required" It was flashing. Do you think that stopped me? Hell no!!!! Onward ho, damn the torpedoes and full steam ahead!!!!

Dumbass........

About 5 miles in (up a steep canyon road mind you) the snow started coming down harder. And harder. The road was trashed and I was tearing right through it. Up until 8 miles when I couldn't keep a straight line. I pulled into a pub to check directions. I gave them the address and they never heard of it. Said it didn't sound right as the numbers were off. So I took off (as I entered the road it was uphill and I started sliding backwards) and drove all the way to Brighton. Walked around and asked three people. Once again, no help. Drove to Solitude - no help. There was a truck in the parking lot with 6 feet of snow on the roof - hmm....warning sign perhaps?

So I made my way back down to keep looking for the elusive 10976 when I passed one of the only drives which had been cleared. I tried to stop and turn but I slid right on by. Turned around at the pub again and made the turn into the drive. About 20 feet down I realized it was a private residence (a very nice one at that) and tried to stop. Slid down the entire drive until I stopped by their front door. Turned around (barely) and tried to exit. Up the hill. Covered in snow. Not gonna happen. Sat in the car and laughed. Thought about it and finally got out and knocked on the door. The couple who answered were surprised to have company. I explained the situation and Mt Roberts siad "I'll get you out" he proceeded to get into his 6 wheeled front end loader / snow thrower tractor (one of the coolest toys I've EVER seen) and I hooked a tow roap to the bottom and he pulled me right up the drive. I determined who we were renting from and he knew the guy - the Announcer for the Utah Jazz - and offered to drive me to the house. So that's how I found the place. Oh, his wife, Pam, is from Bryan, OH so he said he was obligated to help me.

I'll take pics later - time for a glass (or two) of wine and some hot tubbin'.

And maybe I'll stop at Wal Mart tomorrow and buy some chains.

On to Utah

Toured the state capital yesterday. Need to return another day for the dome tour as we missed it. Met a sweetheart Staffer named Lisa who took up on a little "behind the scenes" tour. The pic was taken at the plaque marking a point exactly one mile above sea level. It's one of three markers on the steps. The first was engraved on the steps and the next two are bronze plaques. So you don't need to be in a plane to join the mile high club, right? Nice.....

My friend Elliot lost his brother suddenly last week in a horrible tragedy. He was only 34. I attended the service and the dinner where I met some wonderful people. Then I took him out on the town. We had some nice talks and shared some thoughts on life and anything else we could think of. I can't fathom what the Berry's are going through. Say a prayer for Nate Berry and be sure to tell those near and dear to you that you love them. Life can be too short.

Well, not sure if I'll have Wi-Fi access in Utah so I may not be able to update the blog or use email til next week. Go have some fun!

Carpe Diem

Vail & Keystone

Went for an 8 mile hike Friday in a canyon West of Denver. Spotted a red tailed fox and a herd of mountain goats. Headed to Vail Saturday morning and spent the weekend on the mountain. Beautiful, expansive and expensive ($92 for a lift ticket!) but the 5" of powder helped. First time I've experienced powder - up to my knees in many spots. Spent the day with Sharona and some of her friends. Apre' ski then back to the condo for a birthday celebration. I was informed I had to wear a flower and a necklace in order to gain entrance to the hot tub, hence the flower and necklace;)

Met Ray at Keystone Sunday and hit the slopes for some great runs. Hit some moguls and spent a lot of time in the trees. Too bad I didn't bring my camera for the best shot of the day.

Resting Monday and packing for Utah. They just got hit with a storm and had somewhere between 1 and 3 feet of powder. More on the way. As long as I can get there it promises to be incredible! More to come.

What day is it?

When I was in Florida, I asked Uncle Jim how he was adjusting to retirement. He said every day was Saturday except Sunday, which was Big Paper Day. As I've traveled, I've lost track of what day it is more often than I care to admit, but I always seem to remember Big Paper Day. Today is not Big Paper Day, that much I know.

Headed to the gym right now then I'll take a day trip in to Denver. Maybe tour the State Capital building, the U.S. Mint and the Denver Art Museum. I need to figure out the whole public transportation system too. Buses, light rail and door to door service for a few dollars a day. What a deal.

Going to a formal dinner this evening c/o the Colorado Bar Association. Should meet some interesting people there. It's a New Orleans theme (wasn't I just there?) and I hear the band is great.

Off to Vail tomorrow to ski with an old friend and two of her friends. Finally! I get to spend some quality time with some women.

Peace

Keystone & The Great Divide

I can't believe it's Wednesday already. Completely exhausted from skiing at Keystone yesterday. I drove up Loveland Pass to the Continental Divide and we stopped for a photo op. Yes, it was as cold as it looks. Keystone was a great place - nice runs and no crowds. Being a Tuesday helped I'm sure. Still working on getting my ski legs. Maybe a few lessons will help.
Went out for sushi last night and found a gold mine - two bite sushi! And two pieces per order. What a deal! Got home and went to bed at 8 pm. And got up at 8:30 am! Best night's sleep in ages. Wasn't up for 5 minutes when Ray spotted a coyote in the back by the bike path. Couldn't get a pic but trust me - it wasn't a dog.
Taking a day off to rest and return my 2nd boot dryer - what a POS.
Can't believe I'm headed to Utah next week. Probably leave Monday? Planning on skiing at Vail on Sat so I'm gonna see if I can find a place to stay and leave from there. Id like to take a few days to explore Utah.
BTW - you can leave comments if you'd like. Just click on the comment link below.

Breckenridge at last

I was excited to get up Sunday morning as we were making the drive to Breck to pick up my season pass and ski for the day. What a great drive. The scenery was breathtaking as we drove through the mountains and across the Great Divide. I'll take pics Tuesday as we're headed back then.

The skiing was great and although I am fairly well adjusted to the altitude I still don't have my ski legs. I'm good for a half day no problem but the lactic acid gets me late in the afternoon. Gotta find a gym nearby and get to work. I thought I was prepared for this - not!

Drove by Red Rocks on the way back. Can't wait to catch a show there. Lenny Kravitz is in town tomorrow night but it's a small venue and sold out. We entered a drawing with a radio station outside of the REI downtown a couple of days ago so there is still a chance, albeit a small one.

More snow today and very cold so it's a day to rest. It's a holiday after all - a day off, right?

Denver

Calm after the storm.

Well, the snow melted and the sun was shining so we headed downtown to check out the scene. Had lunch at Cherry Crickett - best burger ever. What a view of downtown. I love this town! Headed to Breckenridge tomorrow to get my pass and ski. Big fun on the horizon - I'll tell you all about it later.

Taos

Big entry today - many things have happened.

Made the drive to Taos the other day and decided to check out the town. First order of business was to find a place to stay. Drove to the resort and started calling around. $240 to stay at Taos Ski Valley with ski in and ski out. Not. Got in touch with Jim at the Amizette B & B and told him I needed early check in and a late check out. Can't keep everything in the car as it would freeze. He said "no problem, you're the only one staying here". Had a great room with a beautiful view - the pic was taken through the bedroom window. $69 a nite. Jim makes a mean omelet too! Shuttle picked me up and I was off to the slopes. Amizette Inn is worth checking out if you make it to Taos.

I'm getting ahead of myself though. After I checked in, I drove to the Pueblo. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. Cool place but VERY primative. Bought a cool ring and a piece of cherry pie.

Hit the Plaza and had a personal wine tasing. The proprietor suggested I drive to the gorge to see the bridge. It was nice but no big deal. Kinda dark for a pic but here it is anyway.

So on the way back I noticed a plane circling. At first I thought it was a patrol plane looking for speeders. After the second pass I noticed the front landing gear was down but the rear was not. Problem. Then I noticed the airport right next to me. So I drove to the parking lot right in front of three fire trucks, rescue squads and several police cars. I parked and got out to make sure he landed ok. He made a few more passes and came in for a landing. Front wheel hit then the rear hit. Sparks flew and he came to a stop. I tried to take a pic but I was distracted. Check out the story

Had way too much fun at the local pub - ask me about it. Nuff said.

Since it was 16 below in the morning I left my camera in the room. Lots of bowls but you had to hike to get to every one. Not yet. Maybe later. Nice conditions and had a great day on the slopes. It was empty. I think we're in a recession because how else can such a resort be so empty on such a wonderful day?

My plan was to drive to Denver after skiing so I went to the room, showered and packed up for the drive. Life was good. There's the first clue that things were about to change.

I've driven over 5,000 miles so far and last night was the most terrifying drive by far. Ran into a storm outside Colorado Springs and the roads turned to shit within 1 mile. I had been travelling 90 mph when all of the sudden it started to snow. The roads were icy immediately. I had the radio on and they had a story about a fatality outside of Colorado Springs which shut down I 25 - the route I was on, only the other direction. Just as the story ended I saw the accident scene. Pretty scary! I slowed down even more. There were 5 fire trucks, 5 ambulances and like 50 patrol cars. Debris all over the road. The snow started coming down harder and my windshield got dirty so I turned on the wipers only to discover the fluid was frozen (Damn Florida wiper fluid!) so the blades smeared the windshield to the point where I couldn't see!!!!!! And I couldn't stop or pull over without causing an accident. It was the most terrifying drive of my life. I almost lost it. I followed the truck in front of me so I could see the tail lights. Otherwise I had no idea where the road was. I pulled off the next exit and cleaned the windshield. I got off every exit for the last 10 miles.

Anyway, made it safe and sound. And yes, I did have two martinis to calm down!

Santa Fe

Yesterday I spent the day in Santa Fe. Only an hour from here and a beautiful drive. Met with a friend of mine (thanks for thinking of me Jan) from a few years ago then hit the Plaza downtown. Santa Fe is the capital of NM (and it's the highest elevation of any state capital) and has a very historic downtown, which also hosts a thriving arts community. It would be a fantastic place to live. Hmm. Kinda pricey.

Only have one pic to share, it's a bronze sculpture of an indian and a cougar. The artist had a work in progress inside. It was a huge clay model that was almost ready to be shipped to the foundrey for casting.

Since my sister was able to score a pair of BCS tix for me, I picked up a very pretty turquoise necklace. I hope she likes it.

Thinking of heading to Taos tomorrow to ski for an afternoon then off to Denver Friday so I can hit Breckenridge Sat & Sun. Utah is right around the corner too. We rented a house 1 mile from Brighton. Must visit Alta as well.

Tramway in Albuquerque

Today was a day off for the most part. Picked up a boot / glove dryer at the ski shop and a hat at REI. Lunch at Wild Oats then drove over to the Sandia Peak Tramway - longest in the world. Click on a pic to get a better view. Pic one is a cool pad with the tram tower in the background. Pic 2 is the view from the top of the Santa Fe ski resort. Pic 3 is of the tram - look close.

Fogot to mention that we took the Turquoise Trail to and from Santa fe last weekend. Had dinner at a local place in Madrid. Very interesting place / people (Mom - you would love it!).

Tomorrow looks like a trip to Santa Fe to walk around and check out some of the art galleries, etc. Maybe ski in the afternoon. What the hell - why not?

Sante Fe skiing

Hit the slopes sat & Sun to get my ski legs. It's a beautiful 90 minute drive to the parking lot, including a 30 minute drive through a state and national park up the mountain. (that's Nate & Lisa btw) I plan on spending a day in Santa Fe soon to check it out. Fantastic architecture and a lot of history. Also, more art galleries in one place than I've ever seen.

Woke up Friday night at 3:50 am to the sound of a pack of coyotes howling right outside my window. Apparently they just found their dinner and were celebrating. That's something I haven't experienced before.

Sandia Park, NM

Drove to Carlsbad Cavern in the AM and spent 3 hours touring the caves. It was awe inspiring - highly recommended. Pics didn't turn out so well as my flash wasn't strong enough. There are photos on the web site if you are interested: http://www.nps.gov/cave/photosmultimedia/index.htm
Drove to Roswell, NM for a lunch break (note to self - do NOT eat "mexican" food while on the road) then had an afternoon drive to Sandia Park. I'm glad I filled her up before leaving Roswell as there is nothing on that route.
I took Route 285 to 40 West (Historic Route 66) and got to view a spectacular sunset for what seemed like 40 minutes. I hear that's normal so I'll take a pic soon. The pic of the horse & mountain was taken this morning on Lisa's front porch. Sweet view, huh?
Looking to hit Santa Fe tomorrow as the ski conditions are fantastic.

Carlsbad, NM

Hit the road after The Alamo and made it to Carlsbad, NM. Speed limit through much of TX was 80 and I drove just under 90 and passed two cops who just watched me go. Something cool about that. Even had one cop flash his lights from the other side to warn me about a speed trap coming up! I passed several huge semi trucks and it took me a minute to figure out what they were hauling. A few months ago I flew from Anaheim to Columbus and I recall seeing wind farms East of the Rockies. From 30k feet. Those things are huge! Well, turns out that's what they were hauling. I snapped a few pics. Each fan blade is over 100 feet long. http://www.desertskywind.com/project.htm
Be careful when passing something like this on the open road. Do not pass on a curve.
Found some natural porn in the cavern - thought you would enjoy it.

San Antonio

What a beautiful place to stay - the Riverwalk is gorgeous. I walked over to The Alamo after breakfast and took a tour. Neat place although very little of the original structure remains. If anyone is looking for a getaway weekend I would highly recommend this area. The Drury is a nice hotel but look into the Omni. Omni La Mansión del Rio. Get a room overlooking the Riverwalk.

New Orleans recap

Wow - what a crazy town New Orleans is. Drove from Tampa to Biloxi and spent a few hours at the Hard Rock when my Dad called to tell me about Bourbon Street. I had a wild hair so I bailed on Biloxi and made the drive. Hindsight being what it is, I should have stayed in Biloxi. Do any of you remember High Street (in Columbus, of course) back in the day when Papa Joes and Park Alley ruled? Multiply that by 1,000 and you'll get an idea of what Bourbon Street is like. My Dad, Larry, Eric, Brad, Paul, Kevin and myself shared two rooms at the Best Western in the French Quarter. 5 minute walk to all of the debauchery one could ask for. Did some sightseeing (saw Lenny Kravitz Monday) and took it all in. People didn't seem to grasp the concept of what it took to earn beads. They were being handed out for no reason. Disappointing to a few members of our group, the names shall be withheld at this time. We hit some pre parties then walked to the Super Dome. It was amazing. Intense. Memorable. All the way until the end of the first quarter. Tressel was out-coached again. We were outnumbered 4 to 1. The taunting was terrible. If I hear "Tiger Bait" one more time I'll have to string somebody up. LSU had the home field advantage for sure. After the game we walked back to the hotel and crashed, Enough was enough!

On the way out of town I drove through part of the Lower 9th Ward. It was terrible. FEMA trailers in almost every front yard. The homes looked like nothing had been done and we're more than 2 years out. What the hell happened to all of the money spent after Katrina? These people are in bad shape. No wonder they have the highest murder rate in the nation.

Got up early this morning and drove to San Antonio. 544 miles? And I have over 800 miles to drive to Albuquerque! I'm thinking of staying here for another night and then split the trip into two days. This town is pretty cool from what I've seen. I'm staying at the Drury right on the River Walk. I took a stroll to a Mexican restaurant and had a great meal then did the loop. This is a great date place. I'd go look for a date, but quite frankly I'm wiped out. I need to rest. It's 9:22 and I'm out.

Florida update

Haven't posted anything as of late as I've been busy playing golf and having a great time. Only so much I can post on here anyways.

Quick note - big cold front moving in and they are calling for a frost warning tonite. Lead story on the news this morning - I'm not making this up - was a reporter standing outside putting his coat on and zipping it up. Aparently to show people how to prepare for the "extremely cold" weather we are about to receive. Classic.

Last weekend I headed to Bradenton to visit an old friend. Stopped by Clearwater Beach and Pass-a-grill Beach on the way down. Only reason to go to Clearwater in high season is to eat at Frenchy's. Go early in the day. Pay attention at the roundabout too. It's a mess.

A friend of mine is visiting the Tampa area soon and asked for some things to do. Here goes it:

I highly recommend Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island. You enter a state park (Honeymoon Island) and take a ferry to Caladesi Island. To get to Caladesi you enter an inlet surrounded by mangrove trees. Once at the dock, you take a foot path across the island to one of the best beaches in the state. Bring a cooler / picnic basket as there are limited facilities. It's just North of Clearwater Beach.

Depending on the season, you can swim with Manatees in several locations. At Homosassa you can rent a pontoon boat and take it up river to a natural spring, drop anchor and swim with manatees. If you're lucky, one will swim up and roll over so you can scratch it's belly.

Lowrey Park zoo is nice for kids, although I've never been there.

The Salvador Dali museum in St Pete is wicked cool if you're in to that type of art.

Head to Anna Marie Island just outside of Bradenton. Be sure to take the Skyway bridge over Tampa Bay. Not quite the Golden Gate but it's cool. There are some quiet beaches on the far North end of the island which are not crowded, unlike the public beaches. Lots of rental properties to be had. Cool piers with restaurants / bars / fishing as well. Great place to chill on a warm day.

That's an overciew - hope it helps RED.

Time to rest up for Biloxi & New Orleans. Go Buckeyes!!!