the last weekend of ski season - an epic journey

I've got a story about my sister, whom we shall call "the Seester," and her boyfriend, whom we shall call "the Youngin'".  

They would prefer to remain anonymous.  Something about future employers.  That is, until my blog becomes famous.  You know, where you get 500 comments per post.  Rorex, you'd better get busy, my friend.   

So, the Seester invited me to go skiing with them since it was the last weekend of ski season at Winter Park and Copper Mountain.  But as you may recall from my last post, it snowed here.  A lot.  I mean, a lot a lot.  As in, they closed portions of I-70.  Namely the portions we wanted to use.  But the Youngin' was bound and determined to get there come hell or high water!  And get there we did.    

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Please note where I-70 is in relation to Denver and Winter Park. Please note the route we took. Please note this became a mini-roadtrip. Or an epic journey. However you prefer to look at it.

But like all road trips, there are interesting things to see. This is Walden, a pit stop about 4 hours into our 6-hour journey.  Please have a look at the map again. 

 

We were about to turn left out of the gas station, when I happened to look right and see this fantastic moose.  The great thing about blogging is that you have an excuse for taking ridiculous pictures.  

However, I'm not too sure the Youngin', in his overwhelming desire to get to Winter Park, was very thrilled about these picture stops.  But who can take a man seriously when he's wearing goggles?

Of course, I wasn't the only one causing delays.  Snow plows aren't such fast moving vehicles themselves.  

Please appreciate the height and distance of his spray.  The Seester worked very hard to get this picture for me.  P.S. - Those are *finally* the slopes of Winter Park in the background.  

This was around 3 pm.  Lifts close at 4 pm.  

For those of us who don't ski or who don't have season tickets and arrive an hour before the lifts close, we...tailgate.  

Outside.  In the cold.  With wet snow falling.  I'm smiling, but I also have 3 layers of clothes on.  Literally.  The people behind me - they're from Wyoming.  They only have 1 layer of clothes on and they're still smiling.

So what makes a 6-hour drive to a 2-hour destination and tailgating in the snow worth it? 

  

Getting the BEST picture of my sister.  Ever.

Yours truly,

The Snow Wrangler