Saturday 01/31/15

Saturday 01/31 - Today was a cloudy, DAMP and snowy day. Temps were in the mid 30s so the snow that was falling was very wet. Not much of it was sticking to the ground. After breakfast, we did our food shopping and cleaned around the house. In the afternoon we went to Copper Mtn to see what was going on. We walked around the village which was crowded with the weekend skiers. Around 3pm, we went to Jack's to have a few drinks and see the local band - Lefty Lucy. In the evening, the temp started to drop down to the mid 20s. Hopefully the snow will not be as wet and start to accumulate. Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday and we have parties to attend. 

Friday 01/30/15

Friday 01/30 - The morning started out with temps in the mid 20s and overcast conditions. Snow is in the forecast for this afternoon. When we got to Copper, the parking lot was twice as crowded as it has been the last several days. The weekend now begins on Friday. The ski rental shop had many more people getting skis'. I asked one of the agents how much the daily rental was and to my surprise, she said $41 per day. In town, the rental price is about $17. With the extra people came many more accidents on the slopes. The ski patrol was busy all day. It started to snow lightly around 1pm and with that we called it a day. Skiing 5 days in a row is tough on the knees. Since we don't ski on the weekends, just keep that snow coming. Tonight we go to the Arapahoe Cafe for our cheese steaks and mussels. SNOW SNOW SNOW

Thursday 01/29/15

Thursday 01/29 - The warm mornings continued. It was 30 degrees with sunshine. This meant it was going to be another mild day on the slopes. The crows were out and singing in the parking lot. We went to Copper Mtn and there were a few more people on the slopes. Many of the slopes were groomed so the runs weren't too icy. After skiing, we went to JJs bar to get tickets for the Fat Tuesday party. Moe Dixon had started playing and the crowds were already in the PARTY mood. There was group singing and they were practicing the New Orleans Congo line. This Fat Tuesday is shaping up as one of the best. After JJs, we returned home and got ready to go to the Dam. Weather forecast are calling for some snow starting Friday afternoon. Lets hope it continues into the weekend.

Wednesday 01/28/15

Wednesday 01/28 - This morning it was overcast. Temps were in the high 20s. The good news, it wasn't expected to get warm today. Temps only near 35. The bad news was that the slush from yesterday which turned to ice wasn't gong to melt today. The warm weather of the past few days really did a number on the snow pack. In town, the streets and the lawns were snow free. In the mountains, much of the snow turned to ice. When we went to Copper Mtn, we found fewer people on the slopes than yesterday. I didn't think this could happen. Cann't wait til tomorrow to see if the crowds come back. Yesterday on the way back from skiing we stopped off at Breckenridge where they are preparing for the Ice Sculptures contest beginning this Saturday. The warm weather has started to melt the big blocks of snow that are used for the sculptures. THINK COLD AND SNOW.

Tuesday 01/27/15

Tuesday 01/27 - It was truly an HISTORIC day here in the mountains and in Denver.  In the morning temps were in the 20s but quickly rose into the high 40s and low 50s. It was a record high in Denver where it hit 76 degrees. We went to Copper Mtn where it was a day like we have NEVER seen before. The parking lot was less than 1/4 full and they cancelled the second parking lot bus stop and we had a long walk for ourselves. When we got to the lifts, not one person was in the ski rental shop, not one person was on the lift line and if we saw 3 people skiing, it was a lot. It was VERY warm. We now need SNOW and COLD weather. In the evening, we walked to Pug Ryans for drinks and got into a couple of Super Bowl pools.

Monday 01/26/15

Monday 01/26 - It was a beautiful morning. The sun shined brightly off the mountains. Morning temp was 22 with a high of 48 in the afternoon. Not a cloud in the sky.  We went to Breckenridge today and enjoyed the sunshine and no crowds. We are having HISTORIC warm weather here. In the afternoon, it hit 50 degrees and down in Denver it was 73. More of the same for tomorrow. As we ride the lift, you see many of the people also enjoying the sun. We skied about 3 1/2 hours and came home to get ready to go to the Dam Brewery to check out everyone's ski story. Another beautiful day on tap for tomorrow.

Sunday - 01/25/15

Sunday 01/25 - I think the warming trend has started. Even though it snowed about an inch last nigh and this morning is overcast, the morning temps was 29 degrees. The forecast calls for a high in the mid 40s . After breakfast, we went snow-shoeing at the Keystone Nordic center. This center besides snow shoeing has tubing and cross country skiing. We went up into the mountains  where the trails are marked with red ribbons. However, some parts of the trails are not marked and you have to make your own trail.  We were out about 2 hours and covered about 3 miles. In the evening we went to the Arapahoe Cafe for our $6 burgers. Monday is supposed to be the warmest day with temps in the 50s. 

Saturday 01/24/15

Saturday 01/24 - It was another cold but cloudy morning. Temps were near zero. It was a slow warm up into the low teens. But by the afternoon, it was approaching 25. After skiing 5 days in a row, we decided to make Saturday a rest day. In the afternoon, we went to Keystone village to watch the activities with Snow Fest. They had a parade thru the village followed by the cartoon characters. We also saw the crowds that skied. Many of the skiers were hanging around to go NIGHT skiing. I haven't tried this yet but I want to. Sunday and Monday the temps are suppose to keep on getting warmer.

Friday 01/23/15

Friday 01/23 - With some overhead clouds, the temp this morning was only 0. And by 9am, it had warmed to 6 degrees. We went to Copper Mt this morning and found that the cold weather kept many of the early morning skiers at home. The sun was in and out all day and it was another beautiful day to ski. The lift lines at Central Village were small. No more than a few seconds to get on the lift. The village also had very few people. Maybe they are all coming up this weekend. We skied until 3pm today. We returned home and then got ready to go out to dinner at the Arapahoe Cafe. Weather forecast is for a warming trend. 

Thursday 01/22/15

Thursday 01/22 - This morning, even though it was sunny and no clouds in the sky,  it was by far the coldest since we have been here. It was -10 to -15 degrees, but the good thing - no WIND. We waited til 10am before we went out. It warmed to 0.  When we arrived, we were able to park in the pay parking area for  FREE. Not many skiers came to the mountain. When it is this cold, you can see for miles. The longest trail is Schoolmarm which is 3 1/2 miles. On a day like this, it is a good trail to do. In the afternoon it warmed up to 15 degrees. It felt like a heat wave. We stayed until 3pm and came home to get ready to go out to the Dam Brewery.

Wednesday - 01/21/15

Wednesday 01/21 - Another snowy morning. This time only about 2 inches.  After cleaning off the car, we headed for Keystone. Once the clouds moved out, it was a beautiful morning of skiing. And again we had the slopes to ourselves. The final ski pass un-discounted prices are: (1) - Vail and Beaver Creek at $159 per day, (2) - Breckenridge at $148 per day, (3) - Copper Mt at $138 per day, (4) - Keystone at $125 per day,  (5) - A-Basin at $85 per day and (6) - Loveland at $63 per day. Depending on the resort, prices REALLY vary. Its great to get the season pass.

After skiing today, we were trying to find a new restaurant to go to dinner. We wanted one with early bird specials. We came across the Snake River Saloon  advertisement but figured we couldn't make it. Their EBS was only good from 5:30-5:45p - total of 15 minutes. So we went back to our favorite - the Araphoe Cafe for burgers.

Tuesday 01/20/15

Tuesday 01/20 -  We received 7 inches of new snow last night and it continued to snow during the morning hours. With all of the fresh snow, the snow boarders were out making their own slopes using the handrails down to the lake - see video. After cleaning off the car, we made our way to Keystone for skiing on the fresh power. We had the ski area to ourselves. More snow is on the way for tomorrow.

Monday 01/19/15

Monday 01/19 - A lot of activity on the lake today. The Summit County Water Rescue Team was holding a mock water rescue. They cut out three blocks of ice in the form of a triangle. Each block was 14 inches thick. They then put on there scuba gear and jumped into the water. They submerged under the ice and came back up about 10 minutes later. The water was 31 degrees and the area they jumped into was 30 feet deep. It was exciting.

We also went to Copper Mtn skiing. We thought that the weekend crowds would still be there, but SURPRISE SURPRISE, we had the slopes to ourselves. Conditions were real good. Even the outdoor bar on the slopes was open. Hopefully tonight, it will snow and make the conditions even better. Anyway, since it is Monday night, Its Dam Brewery night.

Sunday - 01/18/15

Sunday 01/18 - What a difference a week makes. Last Sunday morning we were travelling thru PA on I76 under sunny conditions. Today, I heard reports of massive pileups on I76 due to freezing rain. Also, many of the bridges between NJ and PA were closed.

Our weather here this morning was good. It was 26 degrees this morning under partly cloudy skies. Forecast was for temps near 35 under cloudy skies. This was going to be the big football weekend for the AFC Championship between Denver and New England. With Denver losing last week, not much interest in the game today.  After lunch we walked around the lake and then we went to Keystone. The crowds were there and we were glad we didn't try to ski today.

At game time, we went over our friends house and watched the trilling ending to the Seattle/GreenBay game. I am sure they will be talking about that game for many years. The second game was basically over at half time. New England completely dominated the Colts. Now we wait for the Super Bowl. Hopefully we will be back to our normal routine tomorrow.

Saturday 01/17/15

 Saturday 01/17 - We had our first snow last night, which was about 2-3 inches. The morning clouds opened into brilliant sunshine. After breakfast, we walked the lake and met several people trying to get their kites ready for the afternoon wind. Unfortunately, the wind never picked up. In the afternoon, we took a ride to Breckenridge. The lifts and slopes were crowded. As I passed the lift ticket booths, I noticed that the un-discounted ticket was $149 a day. Not sure how families can afford this. Even the senior discount was $139. You really have to order your tickets on-line and order them 7 days in advance. Still trying to find what the cheapest price is.