Leap Day

What a gorgeous day I awoke to on Feb. 29. The snow was deep and the sun was shining. It was chilly but I had plenty of clothes. Since, according to some, I had overpacked this gave me an opportunity to wear my final outfit. Everyone else seemed content to stay at the lodge but I headed over to the mall for breakfast. The Big Hoss was closed and I was baffled but I enjoyed watching the view in every direction.

I decided to take the bus to Aspen one last time. What a winter wonderland as everything was covered in snow! Not once did we slide although I thought surely we were on a slippery slope.

It was so peaceful and serene in Aspen. Few people were out and I enjoyed just wandering around through the peace and quiet breathing the fresh, cold, dry air.

The chairs outside Peaches Cafe were all wet and empty but it was warm and cozy inside where I had a breakfast that I will not soon forget.

As many geocachers did, I made sure that I found a cache for Feb. 29th so this is my micro cache that was near the park. Inside for the non-cacher is a tiny logsheet that I signed. Now I will go to geocaching.com and log my find.

Back at the lodge I finished my packing and rejoined the five folks that weren't able to fly out the previous day. Carolyn made it back to Houston and Becky's flight to Kansas City was uneventful.

Leaving Aspen - NOT

This was to be our travel day from Aspen so we departed from our usual morning breakfast in the lobby looking out over the snow covered field above the hot tub/pool.

It has been a perfect week and Joe has been a most excellent host at the Pokolodi. Any mother would be proud of him as a son as I am sure that Sandi is. 

We made a quick shopping trip across the street at the village mall and stopped at the Stew Pot for lunch.

It soon began to snow as Becky and I proudly displayed our boots for the day. 

Chris and Darla are settled in for what we did not know would be a four hour afternoon at the airport. 

I, being a bit antsy to sit, wandered out into the snow to take pictures. Those clouds were a harbinger of things to come. The snow got heavier and the visibility dropped enough that our flight never could land. Oh My! Stranded in Aspen. Sweet!

The Pokolodi van shuttled us one more time and we arrived back to see the most marvelous snowfall we had all week as it snowed into the night. I couldn't resist going out to play.

I returned to the lodge for a cup of hot chocolate but now I know to add a little rum! I ate the turkey sandwich I had carried around all day to have on the plane in case I got hungry. What a day.

Krabloonik 2/27

We rushed back to the Pokolodi from town on Monday evening as Joe and the lodge were hosting a wine and cheese get together in the lobby. It was quite nice with a fancy yet down home feel to it.

We had decided that we behaved way too well and deserved a nice dinner out complete with wild game.  We chose Krabloonik, the place where we had intended to go dog sledding but didn't.

 Brian drove us over in the van just as the sun was beginning to set. It was a beautiful drive a little further up the mountain from the lodge.

We peered down at the log cabin nestled in the snow on the side of the mountain where we would dine on wild elk, buffalo, trout, lamb and chicken. 

Once inside we could no longer heard the barking dogs. The atmosphere was fantastic; both elegant and cozy while the wait staff was friendly and attentive. It turned out to be the best $100 meal have I ever had. There were less expensive options but the elk was my choice.

Krabloonik offers dogsled rides and either lunch or dinner with the trip. Maybe next time. 

After dinner it was time to begin the packing process one last time.

Aspen and Snowmass Village, CO 2/27

Monday is our last full day and we have hardly dined out. The lodge has provided an ample amount of healthy food for us at a continental breakfast each morning, On this day we decided to walk down the hill to have breakfast at the Artisan in the Stonebridge Inn. We had planned to have dinner here but our carriage driver had worked here and discouraged us. The lady from Ecuador was so cute and friendly as she operated the omelette bar to perfection.

Some got omelettes and some got the breakfast buffet, but all got plenty to eat.

We could not resist posing in front of this handsome cabinet in the entry to the hotel.

Becky and I again tested our boots as we trudged back up the hill but the camera couldn't handle all the white snow! She had on some great looking brown boots.

Sandi, Becky, Carolyn, and I decided to go to Aspen on our last day. I wanted to go to the ACES center but never quite got there. On the way we hopped off the bus at Buttermilk. Buttermilk caters to beginners and families. The week before we were there First Lady Michelle Obama was there with her two daughters. She stayed at the Crown families home while in the area. You never know what you will learn from the locals in the hot tub!

This is also famous for the ESPN Winter X games. It includes a 22 foot superpipe. How fun to watch some of the activity here.

We went on into Aspen and all seemed to find our way back to the Thrift Shop. When we returned to Snowmass Becky and I decided to go down to the Nest at the Viceroy for aprés ski or aprés shopping for us. Rooms at the Viceroy start at $539 during ski season and this is probably not a place I will stay but I sure can stop and play. Becky and I enjoyed wine and sushi while being warmed by the open fire alongside the Assay Hill ski slope. 

Had we gone back to ski another day I think we would have skied Assay Hill. It sure looks steep to me at this point but we were progressing rather nicely.  As we were leaving Carolyn and Barbara joined us.  I marveled at how those staying at the Viceroy stopped by the Nest and someone came out to get their skis. 

We enjoyed the presentation of the hot chocolate as we left the Viceroy and helped ourselves. 

We walked over to base village and took the gondola up Fanny Hill and went back to the Pokolodi to pack in time to go out to dinner. The lifts close at 3:30 or 4 and they being grooming the snow with heavy machinery of which I know not the names.

Academy Awards gala

After a busy day on the ski slopes we convened with the rest of our AARP group in the lobby of the Pokolodi to watch the academy awards. On our first day in town I bought some turkey to make use of the fridge in our room and just in case I got hungry. I did not know where the grocery was and I took the easy way out with a 14.99 pack of turkey, but there was a lot of turkey!

If you are going to have $14.99 turkey then you want some good bread to accompany it, hence the seven dollar loaf of bread.

It seemed like a good idea but I never got hungry. So we decided to prepare some little sandwiches to go along with the other snacks at the Oscar Party. Nothing like having a combo kitchen/bathroom. 

We then dressed for the occasion. Becky wore a black and white loose fitting top with a draped bodice and her new black cowboy boots from the elegant Thrift Shop in Aspen.

I chose a pink wool sweater to cover my Missoni for Target pink turtle neck and accented this with my new lavender ski boots.  To accessorize I wore some gaudy hot pink earrings I located on sale at Belk's and my new large bling ring.

There was a group of about seven ladies from Wisconsin, who ski together weekly, staying in the lodge. They were quite cute and fun to watch. We referred to them as the senior AARP group. They also came to the lobby for a watch party and ordered pizza. 

Most of us managed to stay awake to the end of the show. Darla and I were pleased that The Artist won as we had predicted. It seems odd that so many movies are being remade in 3D and yet a black and white, silent film wins the Oscar!

Becky and I debated going into Aspen where they were having a watch party at a ritzy private club. We felt sure we might see some stars attending but I wouldn't have recognized them anyway and we did not locate a good vantage point from which to gawk!

Skiing at last 2/26

For decades I have wished that I could ski. Now I wonder why I never did anything about it. I guess because I don't like driving in the snow and worried I would get stranded between Arkansas and wherever. My friend, Becky, has talked me into going for lessons with her and Carolyn, our new friend from Houston.

Sure, Becky is all smiles because she has skied. Myself, a lot nervous! We chose Four Mountain Sports at Snowmass Village for our lessons. 

We got our tickets the night before and at 8:30 we were riding the Elk Camp Gondola up the mountain.

Carolyn and Becky are ready to go. I debated wearing a helmet but did. It should be required!

 That covered walk up the middle is actually the magic carpet. We just step on with our skis and away we go up the tiny hill.

This is most of our group of seven attempting to stand up without falling. We have already been around the hill several times wearing only one ski. What a muscle workout that was!

Becky is happy and Peter, our instructor, is a former PE teacher from Boston and was an excellent teacher for our group.

I am happy once I realize I can stand up on skis. I think the helmet saved my life! I only fell twice but once was a pretty good wallop to the head. I am excited that I can fall and nothing breaks.

This is Becky's snow angel scene. Her poles were further uphill mixed up with the poles of the girl who fell further uphill.  I was perched precariously above them on the side of the hill trying to go nowhere. 

Had Becky brought a camera she could have caught me falling in this exact same spot at the end of the 9-3 day. 

After an amazing day on the slopes we returned to our lodge to convene in the lobby for the Academy Awards. We wanted to ski one more day but just ran out of time. As it turned out my ski boots were too short (as I kept telling the guy who fitted me and insisted they weren't) and my big toe on my big foot is none too happy.