Monday 02-27-17

It was warmer this morning and sunny. The day started with temps in the low 20s but it was very windy. We went to Copper Mtn and the snow was good. Not many people were there. Around 11am, the clouds moved in and it looked like it was going to snow any minute but it didn't. By early afternoon, it was VERY windy and many of the trails became icy so we called it a day. After lunch we started to pull out our Mardi Gras beads and get ready for the pre-Mardi Gras events at the Dam Brewery. We met many of our friends that were in costume and getting into the mood for tomorrow. While it didn't snow today the forecast is still for 5-6 inches tonight and tomorrow. Not sure what our plans will be .

Sunday 02-27-17

It was colder in the morning today than yesterday. The temp at 8am was 2 degrees. But under sunny skies, it rose into the mid 20s by noon time. This made for a great day to go snow shoeing. After mass, we went to the Keystone Nordic center and we walked  for about 1 1/2 hours up and down the mountain trail. The trees for the most part blocked the wind, but as you came upon a clearing, the winds really picked up. Snow shoeing is more tiring than skiing. The Nordic center wasn't that crowded. I guess many chose to try and fight the crowds and go skiing. Since we didn't have lunch, we went to Sauce on the Blue for a late lunch/early dinner and to listen to some fine music. The forecast for tomorrow is for snow to be moving back in on Monday afternoon.

Saturday 02-25-17

Today it was the coldest day in a while. Temps started in the low single digits and didn't rise above the low teens. We had snow showers most of the day and it became windy in the afternoon. We didn't go skiing because of the weather conditions. However we spent most of the morning looking for my phone. I put up signs in the parking lot, retraced my steps while walking Benny and looked several times in my clothes. I also had shut my phone off so I couldn't ring the phone. After several hours of looking, I found the phone deep down one of the sides of the couch. Even tough I looked there several, I guess the 25th time was the magic one. In the afternoon we walked by the lake to get the local newspaper and then took a ride to Keystone to see the crowds. And boy was it crowded. In the parking lot by the Mountain House, there were many school buses. This meant there were a lot of KIDS on the slopes. In the evening, we went over to our friends house for dinner. According to the weather forecast, Sunday will be sunny and then snow moving back in for Monday and Tuesday.

Friday 02-24-17

Overnight we received about 1 inch of new snow.  It continued to snow lightly off and on during the day. This small amount of snow made for great skiing conditions. We went to Copper Mtn and had a ball. The Waffle truck opened today and started selling many different versions for $6 plus 1-3$ for toppings. At noon time, there were many people lined up for them. Around 2pm, the wind and snow picked up and continued into the night. Temps also started to fall and was in the single numbers by nightfall. We went to Pug Ryan's and met some friends for dinner and drinks. Lets hope it continues to snow for the next several days.

Thursday 02-23-17

No snow overnight but we had snow showers most of the day. Total accumulations were about 2 inches. We went skiing at Copper Mtn where we had snowy and WINDY conditions. Many of the trails weren't groomed overnight and with the light snow, the trails became hard to ski. We lasted only 1 1/2 hours and we went to lunch at Union Creek. This was where most of the visitors/skiers were hanging out. After lunch we returned home and got ready for the 20th anniversary party of the Dam Brewery. They had many drink and food specials for the occasion and we had dinner there. The forecast continues to call for snow showers for the next few days with falling temps.  Maybe tomorrow we can ski a little longer.

Wednesday 02-22-17

It was another beautiful morning. But the weather forecast said that after today we may be in for snow and cold temps over the next 6 days. So with that news , we went to Breckenridge to ski. A lot has changed since we were there last year. The free parking lot has been reduced by at least 50%. Hate to try and find a parking spot on the weekend. At the top of peak 7, a new restaurant was built called the Pioneer Crossing. Mac and Cheese is $17 or Lobster Mac and Cheese for $19. A single slice of pizza is $13. Add a topping and it goes $15. Thank goodness we brought our lunch. Skiing was good and many of the runs were empty. The only problem we had was the wind. We had wind gusts over 40 MPH. Overall we had a good day. Lets see if the forecast holds true.

Tuesday 02-21-17

Another warm day. Denver had their 4th record temp this month at 74. It was sunny with a little wind here in the mountains. We went to Copper Mtn where we skied for about 3 hours. Many of the weekend holiday visitors had left so we again had the mountain to ourselves. We skied the Timberline, American Flyer and American Eagle lifts all day with no lift lines. At the end of the day, we had lunch outside at JJ's at the bottom of the Bee lift. Around 3pm, the clouds moved in and it really cooled off. Maybe some light snow tonight. After we returned home, we rested from our long day of skiing. No Happy Hour tonight.

Monday 02-21-17

We had total accumulations of between 4 and 8 inches of heavy wet snow overnight. The winner was Copper Mtn resort with 8 inches. It was a partly sunny start to the day. In an attempt to beat the holiday crowd, we went to Keystone at 8:30am and we were lucky to get a GREAT parking spot right in front of the free parking lot. There wasn't any long lines at the lifts as we got started and so our first few runs we had the trails to ourselves. But by 11:30am, the people were out, many with their families, and we called it a day. Also, many of the trails weren't groomed overnight and this was another factor in our quitting early. As we headed down Schoolmarm to cut over to Paymaster, I noticed a bright yellow sign designating Schoolmarm a Family Ski Trail. Maybe this is designed to make sure the beginners stay on the right trail.  I the evening we went to the Dam Brewery to compare notes on where to ski tomorrow. For the most part, yesterday's snow is all melted and with the forecast for temps near 50, we will have to ski the upper half of any resort we go to.

Sunday 02-19-17

Today we had many different types of weather. It was overcast in the early morning,  then we had about 3 hours of sun and then the clouds rolled in and we had light rain and finally heavy wet snow. All thru these different types of weather, the temp remained in the low 40s. It was a weird day. By evening the wet snow that was accumulating covered all of the dirty snow. By 10am, we had about 3 inches and maybe more to come. It could be a good ski day tomorrow.

Saturday 02-18-17

It was a mostly overcast and mild morning with temps starting around 30 degrees. Since we were not going skiing today, we planned many different activities. After breakfast we went to the Pond Hockey tournament in Silverthorne where we watched the many teams play on the local pond. There were up to 15 games going on at the same time. After this we drove to the Frisco bike trail to walk the trail. However, since the path wasn't cleared, it was very icy and dangerous so we only walked about 1/2 mile. We then went to Copper Mtn to see the crowds. When we saw that the overflow parking lot was completely packed we knew it was very crowded. After parking the car we went  to Union Creek and saw the massive crowds trying to ski and at the base, all of the ski racks were taken up.  After lunch, we went to Keystone to check out the crowds there. We arrived around 4pm and we were able to watch the Kids parade thru the village. After all of this travelling around, we ended our day at the Arapahoe Cafe for dinner.  Tomorrow continues to be a mild but RAINY day.

Friday 02-17-17

What a sunrise. At 6:45am, the sun started to appear over the mountains and it lit up the low hanging clouds. It was great. While it wasn't a Blue Bird type of day, the sun was out most of the day. We went to Keystone and we arrived around 8:30am and started our ski day by 9am. There wasn't much left of the groomed trails as we started. But the snow was good. By 10am, the crowds started to appear. Lift lines at the Montezuma and Argentine lifts increased. It seemed that the lifts weren't moving at regular speed. They kept on stopping and this started to increase the overall time frames. By 11:30am, the snow was very soft and with the crowds increasing, it was time to leave. The parking lots were overflowing and the secondary parking lift on RT 9 was filling up quickly. The slopes will be crowded ALL WEEKEND. After skiing, we went to the Red Mountain Grill for happy hour and cocktails. Still no measurable snow in the forecast and mild temps to continue.

Thursday 02-16-17

Three in a row "Blue Bird" days. The morning temp started around 20 degrees and continued thru the day to the upper 40s. Denver in fact set another high temp of 73. We went skiing to Copper Mtn around mid-morning with the hope that the snow would be softening up. Many of the trails were OK but the lower level trails were very icy. The good thing was that there wasn't many people on them. Many of the highest peaks were bare and no new snow in the forecast. We skied for about 2 hours and then we had lunch at Union Creek. After lunch, we returned home and got ready for Happy Hour at the SAUCE restaurant. The latest weather forecast continues to show warm temps and not much snow on the horizon.

Wednesday 02-15-17

Another "Blue Bird" day. The sun was in its glory all day and temps rose into the high 30s in the afternoon. We skied Copper Mtn. and it was very enjoyable. While some of the runs were icy, there was a lot of good snow on others. It also appeared they were getting ready for the weekend. They were moving in a Belgium Waffle truck and placing it at the foot of one of the ski runs. Many of the runs weren't groomed the last several days. Maybe they are holding off till the weekend. At he end of the day, we went to JJs Bar to listen to music by Moe Dixon. As we returned to the parking lot, it was like a swimming pool. The warm temps continue to melt the snow and it is suppose to be warmer tomorrow and Friday.

Tuesday 02-14-17

Overnight a cold front moved over the mountains which dropped the morning temp to 14 degrees at 7am. Also, the clouds disappeared and the morning became the start of a "Blue Bird" type of day. We went to Copper Mtn to ski, but the conditions were basically Spring Skiing. It was icy in spots. But because it was Valentine's Day, there wasn't many people skiing. The Loveland resort was holding their annual "Get Married on the Slopes". News reports had approximately 100 couples getting married. The daytime temp reached only into the low 30s. After skiing, we went to JJ's at the B lift for cocktails and a light lunch. While we were there we watched the maintenance team digging holes in the snow to try and get rid of the melting snow which was causing large pools of water everywhere. We stayed by the outside bar and put our feet up on the fire pit. It was a very relaxing Valentine's Day.

Monday 02-13-17

Today was another overcast day. Temps started near 30 degrees and stayed in the low 30s all day. The strange think this morning was the low clouds. While the tops of the mountains could be seen, from the ground midway up was covered with these low clouds. They stayed around for most of the day. We went skiing at Keystone and we were skiing in and out of them. The contrast between the clouds and the snow on the trails made for a difficult ski day. On some trails the clouds appeared to move slowly up the trails. It was spooky. Hopefully tomorrow will be a sunny day.