Day 20: 1/20/08

Conditions: Snowgasmic! (4+ inches of fresh atop 3-6 inches of fresh from yesterday.)
Location: Mount Bohemia, MI

Highlights:

Things that words cannot express…
- Looking down at a totally untouched run as the beginning of “Thunderstruck” seems to echo through the snow.
- The tingle of fresh powder hitting your shins
- Having that “this is going to be a great run” sensation all day long
- The feeling that you don’t want to stop for anything – lunch, a bathroom break, or a much-needed rest – because the powder is just too good
- The false enthusiasm of lift operators as they pretend to be happy for you, even when it’s obvious that deep down they are bitter because they have to work.
- Realizing that you paid only $100 for a season pass and are having just as much as you would have out West.

Lowlights:

- Not only does today have no lowlights, but it actually negates any previous lowlights.(Except for lowlights that involved anyone getting taken off the hill in a ski-parole toboggan…those still suck and are therefore still lowlights – especially if the individual involved cannot enjoy powder days for 6 weeks.)

Après Ski:

We drove up to Copper Harbor and sat in the parking lot of the Marnier North bar so Steph could do work for her online class with the magic of WiFi. Then we came home, cooked dinner, and watched another episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Days to go: 30

Day 19: 1/19/08

Conditions: 3-6 inches of fresh, soft powder
Location: Mount Bohemia, MI

Highlights:

- Steph’s first Bohemia Powder day. After dealing with ice, rain, hard-pack, rocks, and dirt in the past this day was pretty damn awesome. For once, there was no question that it was worth the 10 hour drive.
- The Extreme Back Country was full of deep, fresh snow all day.
- Untracked tree-runs off the main lift – at 3:00pm

Lowlights:

- We determined that Haunted Valley is neither haunted nor a valley. It’s not even that scary. In fact, the scariest part isthe 1 mile traverse back to the lift.

Après Ski:

We hung out in the cabin, cooked dinner, watched the documentary Jesus Camp (much scarier than Haunted Valley) and an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Days to go: 31

Day 18: 1/13/08

Conditions: 1 inch of light snow on a limited, frozen base
Location: Boyne Mountain, MI

Highlights:

- John, our favorite Disciples lift-operator, was promoted for a day to the high-speed chair in Duane’s absence. We were so proud of him….
- Nicknaming the little kid who laughed at Steph several weeks ago The Green Munchkin.

Lowlights:

- The conditions were questionable at best. The woods were un-ride-able. The base was icy. Superbowl was overflowing with racers. At the end of the day, we questioned whether or not we got our money’s worth.

Après Ski:

We drove home, with the usual stop at Sam’s and Meijer. Shakespeare was desperate for attention upon our arrival. Steph cleaned and did Masters work. Dirk just cleaned.

Days to go: 32

Day 17: 1/12/08

Conditions: 3 inches of heavy snow on a limited, frozen base
Location: Boyne Mountain, MI

Highlights:

- Steph mastered the skill of videotaping someone else while simultaneously snowboarding down the hill.
- Duane the lift operator said he missed us the past few weekends. Aw…

Lowlights:

- 3-5 runs were completely monopolized by high school racing teams.
- While going down Broken Fence Run – a tree run where the entire base had melted away we learned two important lessons:
1. When there are only a few inches of snow on top of leaves and debris, it can be very difficult to get an edge and turn
2. If a person(s) falls in these conditions, the slippery leaves will make it all but impossible to get up…causing that person(s) to slide down the leave/snow mixture uncontrollably
- In a prelude to next week’s MLK chaos, there were a variety humorous/idiotic displays of skill and fashion, these included: old pins (194 and higher), orange hunting suits, Carharts,

Après Ski:

We stayed at Jack and Vicki Hobey’s summer home and ate dinner at the Red Mesa Grille. Evening activities involved watching a movie, reading, and (for Steph) catching up on Masters work.

Days to go: 33

Day 16: 1/4/08

Conditions: Packed powder
Location: Keystone, CO

Highlights:

- The two mile mogul run
- Dirk’s chairlift conversations with people who are “living his dream”

Lowlights:

- It was possibly our last day in Colorado for the year – barring a trip to A-Basin in late June.
- Flashbacks to the Day 14 tree run.

Après Ski:

We drove to Lincoln, Nebraska and arrived at the Fairfield Inn late at night. The receptionist gave us a quizzical look and asked us, “weren’t you two here last week?”

Days to go: 34

Day 15: 1/3/08

Conditions: Icy, windblown
Location: Breckenridge, CO

Highlights:

- T-bar North and South
- Our last run down the Breckenridge Luge

Lowlights:

- Breanne got a call from her Radiologist and found out she suffered a compression fracture in her spine (for some reason, Craig was very excited about this development…).
- The conditions were lousy: ice and hard, wind-blown snow

Après Ski:

Breanne and Craig went out to dinner while Steph and Dirk stayed in. Everyone packed and watched Superbad.

Days to go: 35

Day 14: 1/2/08

Conditions: Packed powder
Location: Keystone, CO

Highlights:

- A very long mogul run
- A tree run down Bushwhacker
- We paid $5 each to ride a CAT up to the top of Independence Bowl. Unfortunately, this lead to our first lowlight

Lowlights:

- Breanne met the ski parole – as in they gave her a ride out of the Outback Bowl in a toboggan. Thankfully after many hours at the medical center she was alright.
- Steph and Dirk got lost in the woods in the middle of very thick, heavy powder and potential tree wells. The run resulted in Steph breaking down to tears when she realized she might not survive the run. Thankfully, they did survive.

Après Ski:

Breanne and Craig made it home safe and sound. Steph and Dirk were too tired to cook, so we grabbed dinner at the South Ridge Seafood Grille (again). More football (Go WVU!).

Days to go: 36

Day 13: 1/1/08

Conditions: Packed powder
Location: Breckenridge, CO

Highlights:

- Craig and Breanne disappeared for a run and returned engaged.
- Bailing off the T-bar when it temporarily stopped to do one of two things: save Breanne and/or poach a run under the closed T-bar South. Both were successful.
- We actually had room to take off our boots and relax at lunch.

Lowlights:

- The T-bar was temperamental
- Imperial bowl was windblown and closed
- Once again, it was incredibly windy

Après Ski:

We all went out to dinner at the South Ridge Seafood Grill. It was amazing.

Days to go: 37

Day 12: 12/31/07

Conditions: 6+ inches of fresh powder and cold
Location: Breckenridge, CO

Highlights:

- Good: Waking up to a lot of new snow.
- Better: Finding out that all major roads – including I-70 – are closed.
- Best: Loading the chair on a virtually empty mountain at 8:15 (the lifts actually open at 8:30).
- Everyone had a different favorite
o Dirk: Trees off of E Chair
o Steph: T-Bar North
o Breanne: The Burn
o Craig: The trees under the Breckenridge Connect Lift

Lowlights:

- Hmm….it’s so hard to come up with lowlights on a day like today and it would seem fundamentally wrong to complain about anything after all the stashes we found.

Après Ski:

Steph made lasagna and everyone watched football.

Days to go: 38

Day 11: 12/30/07

Conditions: Snowy and windy
Location: Breckenridge, CO

Highlights:

- We woke up to 3+ inches of fresh snow on top of the few inches we received yesterday
- We had some great runs down The Burn, Little Johnny, and in some epic trees off of the Breckenridge Connect Lift
- It was warmer than yesterday…at least by 5-10 degrees

Lowlights:

- 6 Chair, Imperial Lift, and the T-Bar never opened because of the extreme wind
- Lift lines were atrocious because so many lifts were closed

Après Ski:

We left the hill at around 1pm because all the expert terrain was closed due to insanely high winds. The crowds were massive in the few open areas and it was just too much to take. Later, we ventured out on a fool’s errand to the closed liquor store and the grocery store. Treacherous conditions made the drive, well… interesting. Dirk made Mexican Feast Part II and once again we were in bed by 9:00.

Days to go: 39