Avon, Colorado - Day 7

This was my favorite day!!  We enjoyed another big breakfast at Northside Kitchen and set out for our snowmobile adventure.  We choose Sage Outdoor Adventures which was about 20 minutes west in Wolcott.  Angie's brother, Matt, works in Denver and was able to join us for the day!  We were getting rather nervous as we kept driving and saw no snow.  

We continued to drive and took a twisty, turny dirt road up a mountain.  We were greeted by wonderful staff that helped us sign our lives away.  Our guide for the day was Victoria and she was fabulous.  I let her know that I was pretty nervous and she eased all my fears by thoroughly explaining everything and assuring us she would go as slow or as fast as we wanted.  SE rode with me and Lily rode with James.  Let me just say, I found my winter sport.  I absolutely loved snowmobiling.  I was slow at first, but once I got more comfortable, I had a blast!  We rode a trail for a bit, then came to a large clearing where we could play and ride to hearts' content.  So. Much. Fun!!!!

Victoria in the lead, then SE and me.

Lily was not happy with the experience at first because she was feeling the pressure of driving.   Victoria took her around the clearing and when we told her she didn't have to drive, she relaxed and had a great time!  

The views were stunning!

Trouble!

This video just does not do justice to my level of speed and daredevil abilities!

Angie and Lily, followed by Tripp and then Matt

Lily P. was a crazy woman driving!

We drove through so many peaceful Aspen groves.

On our way home we stopped by Northside and grabbed an assortment of donuts for lunch.  One of the thing the girls wanted to do on this trip was to dress up and go out to a nice dinner.  Angie and I spent the afternoon researching places and calling around for reservations.  Most everywhere was booked.  We wanted to go back to Vail Village for the evening and The George got good reviews, so this is what we finally decided on.  It was hard to find, but once we did, we realized it was a straight-up bar with a bouncer and all.  They did not have a table big enough for us, so the girls sat across the room from us.  While they didn't get their fancy dinner, they sure thought they were super cool hanging out at a bar.  We realized that as they get older, SE will absolutely have to chaperone all of their outings.

Once back home, we got in one last game of Bang.  Angie won as sheriff with her deputies, Lily P and James.  I was the renegade and was not suspected at all because James played the Barney Fife of deputies. 

Alas, comes the end of another amazing Porterholtz vacation.  

And guess what - we had no airport/flight mishaps this time!  That is a first!!!!

Avon, Colorado - Day 6

Can I just say how happy I was this day to not ski!!!  Everyone woke up ready for another day.  Angie drove the group over and dropped them off so we could get ready slower and not sit in the early morning cold.  I snuggled under a blanket at home perfectly happy with my sudoku.   Angie and I bundled up and drove over around 10:30.  We even took a blanket!  We lucked out with a prime spot in one of the cushioned outdoor sofas looking directly onto the slopes.  It took about five minutes before we were peeling off layers.  Apparently 50's in Colorado feels much warmer when you're sitting in direct sun.  After sweating for 30 minutes, we decided it was time for lunch.  The boys texted that they were grabbing lunch up on the mountain, so Angie and I took off for Alpine and Antlers.  I had looked at the menu before the trip and had been drooling over a short rib sandwich for days!

Notice they are in a gondola this time!

Their lunch

Our lunch

James and Lily

Sarah Ellen

Angie and I made our way back to the roasting couches after lunch and enjoyed the afternoon people watching.  We would occasionally check on Life 360 for their locations.  Around 3:00, we spotted them coming down the mountain.  The dads wanted to head back up for a few more runs.  SE was rather insulted that she couldn't go.  I explained to her that it was not because she is not capable of doing the same runs, but that they did not want to be responsible for keeping up with anyone while skiing for just an hour.  Lily W. was done for the day.  Lily P and SE took off for a few more runs on the Haymeadow.

Angie and I wanted to get a good video and of James and Tripp coming down a black diamond.  Tripp had his phone with him so we tracked him on Life 360 and quickly wished we had not.  He was going 29 mph!!

Avon, Colorado - Day 5

Let the skiing begin!!  We drove over to Beaver Creek, parked in a garage, easily picked up our lift tickets and were quickly on the snow.  

Angie, Lily, Lily and I signed up for a morning of ski lessons.  We were joined by two other women that were beginner skiers.  Our ski instructor was Joe.  He was wonderful.  Our lessons were for about 3 hours.  I felt really good about my progress and gained a lot of confidence.  

Us with Joe, our ski instructor

Ski school was sold out for Sarah Ellen's age group, so James and Tripp were her instructors for the morning.  They went straight to the top of the mountain and even hit some blues.  SE was fearless and loved hanging with the big boys.

We joined back up for lunch not realizing we picked a restaurant, The Dusty Boot Roadhouse, clear across the village.  Walking and navigating stairs in ski boots is not the easiest of tasks.  We compared notes during lunch and decided we were all ready to head straight to the top of the mountain.  Beaver Creek is unique in that it has many green runs at the top of the mountain.  Our plan was to ski a few of those and head down the mountain on a very easy slope called The Dally.  

Once we were suited back up, we took off for the Centennial Lift.  Angie and I lobbied for the gondola, where we could all ride up together.  James felt the lift would be much faster and we could ride four to a lift.  Off to the lift we go.  Keep in mind that James and SE had been doing this all morning.  He quickly explains that we shuffle up to the gates and a small conveyor belt moves you forward a few feet and then you sit on the lift.  Easy right?  WRONG - so. very. wrong.  The four of us shuffle up to the gate.  It opens and James and SE bolt forward, while Lily and I hesitate because we had never seen this conveyor belt thing before.  In 2.3 seconds the gates close, and Lily and I are still standing there while James and SE take off up the lift.  Okay, so I guess you need to be quick when the gates open.  The next time the gates open, it catches Lily's pole and it goes flying off.  We stand still again and the gates close again.  At this point, people behind us are yelling for us to go.  I promptly yelled back that we are new at this.  Finally, we make it on the lift.  This thing takes off at the speed of light and thank goodness someone was on the lift with us to lower the bar because I was holding on for dear life.  On the ride up in this rocket ship they call a chair lift, I was trying to control my anger at James.  I guess he thought ski school taught us everything we needed to know and we were now ready for double black diamonds.  As the lift nears the landing it comes in HOT and abruptly slows about ten feet before you are to get off.  Needless to say, I topple off, roll down the hill and lose my poles.  I look up to search for my husband waiting to help us and apologize for not explaining the process well.  He is nowhere to be found, but I do turn around to see Angie falling off her lift with Tripp beside her and Lily Porter is nowhere in sight.  One look at Angie and I can see that her anger mirrors mine.  Next comes Lily Porter on a chair lift BY HERSELF!  She missed the gates too and ended up on a lift all by herself.  Bad, bad daddies!!  Finally, I spot James with SE far away ready to head down a slope.  Are you kidding me, dude????

We all regroup, with the daddies getting a stern scolding, and head for our first green slope.  Green, my fanny!  I get to the top and think I am looking down Mt. Everest.  I immediately forget everything I learned in ski school, but as everyone else is heading down I guess I have to as well.  Somehow, I make it down to the bottom.  I go up once more and came down a touch faster at three mph the second time. Everyone did a few more runs of this section until the upper lifts closed at 3:30.  Time to make it down the mountain now.  

Mt. Everest I tell ya

Master of the snow plow

Are we done yet?

Snow bunnies

We set out on The Cinch which is a green that meets up with the super easy Dally where I can finally enjoy a long, gentle slope.  James and Tripp break off for a black run to meet up with us before the Dally.  I am by far the slowest of the group.  The Cinch isn't horrible but it is fairly narrow and often on cliffs.  We finally make it to the Dally - AND IT IS CLOSED!  Hold up!  I have to keep doing this the rest of the way.  At several points The Cinch crosses over black diamonds.  Just looking to the left paralyzed me.  What if I slid that way and couldn't stop.  At one point, I fall trying to make a sharp right turn to stay on The Cinch.  If I missed the turn, I would be staring down a black diamond.  I couldn't get my boot out of the ski so I could stand up, then I couldn't get my boots back in the skis.  A few ugly thoughts were flying through my head at this point - at the skies, at James, at this stupid mountain.  Angie and SE had already gone around a bend, and I knew they would be worried about me.  Sure enough, Angie comes trekking back up the hill just as I get situated.  James texted that they couldn't meet up with us and would see us at the bottom.  Oh sure, I will see you in FIVE hours.  This run would NEVER end.  And yes, I am getting very frustrated with my husband for abandoning me in the middle of this mountain.   Every now and then, a ski patrol would pass and ask if we were okay.  Apparently, it was well past 4 and they were clearing the mountain.  A snowmobile is already carrying a few people down and asks if I want a ride.  We get to an open section and a few more ski patrol check on us.  They suggest we make a left (down a blue) because continuing The Cinch will be longer.  SE is all about the fastest route, so Angie goes with her while TWO ski patrol escort me through The Cinch.  Can you say HUMILIATING!  They even asked if I wanted to ride on a toboggan down.  $%^@ no!  

Finally, I make it to the bottom at 5:20.  The tears start to flow, and I am quick to decide that I will not be skiing the next day.  James apologized profusely and gave me lots of TLC.  It really stinks because had The Dally been open, I think I would have had a much more positive experience.  If, big IF, I ever ski again, I will be content to stay on the bunny slopes all day long. 

The girls were exhausted, but absolutely loved it.  They all decided to ski again the next day.  Angie was on the fence, but I think the last leg did her in a bit too, and she decided to snuggle up to a fire with me the next day.  

We hobbled back to the car, made it home and ordered pizza from Gondola pizza.  It was an early night for us all.

Done, done, and done

How we all felt!