Colorado Blog 2019

Another cold and sunny morning. Two Blue Bird Mornings in a row. It was about 4 degrees at 7am, but again because of the sun, it warmed to the mid teens by 10am. We went to Keystone to ski and we found the snow in great shape and very few people to screw it up. The kid’s snow board park was empty and maybe some day I will try it. The runs at Keystone are much longer and steeper and because of that, we only made it to 1pm. We came home for lunch and a quick map before getting ready to go out for HH. We tried a new restaurant in Frisco called Frisco Prime. The deals on the drinks were OK, but the meals weren’t as good as some of the other restaurants. We went to the Dam Brewery for one last cocktail and check out the deals for Super Bowl Sunday. It is HH from 3pm to 6pm. I think we will go there to watch the game. No new snow in the forecast and tomorrow may be another Blue Bird Morning.

This morning was one of the coldest so far. It was 2 below at 7am. But the sun was out and not a cloud in the sky. It would be a “Blue Bird Morning”. By 9am, the temp warmed up to 8 degrees. So after breakfast, we went to Copper Mtn to ski. Around lunch time, it started to become VERY windy. You could tell at the highest pecks, the rocks were starting to show. We skied in Union Creek bowl, where the wind was blowing the snow sideways and causing some white out conditions. So we skied out of the bowl and down to West Village for lunch. After returning home, we went to Pug Ryan’s for Happy Hour where we talked to some other skiers that experience the same conditions. While no snow is on the horizon, warmer temps are.  

It was a sunny and cold start. Temps were around 5 degrees. But by 9am, the temp was up to the low teens. The sun definitely warms everything up. You can judge by the number of cars in our parking lot, how many skiers we would see on the slopes. There was a total of 2 cars in the parking lot and that’s about the same number on the slopes. We had most of the trails to ourselves at Copper Mtn. Again, it was another ski down and ski on the lift day. We had lunch at the new restaurant that is at the top of the Kokomo lift. We sat outside and had fantastic views of the surrounding mountains. We will continue to eat at this restaurant until it is found out by the locals. No Happy Hours today. Tomorrow the forecast calls for more sunshine and even warmer weather.

It was a snowy and windy morning. This caused all types of problems on the roads. The Eisenhower   Tunnel and the Rt I70 East bound was closed for almost   4 hours due to a car fire in the tunnel and several spin outs. When this happens all of the traffic is off loaded onto the local streets of Silverthorne and Dillon. It was a COMPLETE mess. Along with this closure, the Dillon Dam Rd was also closed until 10am. It wasn’t until 1pm, that things got back to normal and too late to go skiing. The only thing we did was play ball with Benny in the backyard. In the late afternoon, we went to the Dam Brewery to find out if anyone when skiing today and the answer was a resounding NO. Tomorrow, it is suppose to be SUNNY, but very COLD

The morning started overcast and temps in the low teens. It wasn’t the type of morning we were hoping for. However, by noontime, it warmed up to the low 30s but still overcast. We did a few chores and then I went to the car wash to try and remove 2 weeks of dirt and grime from the car.   It was a totally relaxing day. We ended the day by going to the Arapahoe Café for burger Sunday. The Café was packed because the roads heading East back to Denver had a 2-3 hour delay because several accidents and high volume. Tomorrow we may get more snow and colder temps.

Overnight we received a coating of snow and during the day, a very light snow continued. It was a cloudy and cold day. In the morning we did our Saturday chores and in the afternoon we went to Breckenridge to see the International Ice Sculpture contest. Summit county has a free transportation service between all of the local resorts. So we went to Frisco to catch the bus and 35 minutes later we were in Breckenridge. The town was packed with visitors and it was a very good idea to travel by bus. The Ice Sculptures were all carved during the week and the judging took place in the evening. When you see the displays you wonder how the people could have carved these sculptures. After walking around for almost 3 hours, we returned to the bus station for our trip back to Frisco. It was a LONG day and a lot of walking. Tomorrow should be a warmer day filled with sunshine.

Another 1-2 inches of snow fell overnight. In the morning it was overcast and cold. But again by 9:30am, the sky started to brighten and we went to Copper Mtn. We found great skiing conditions which included fresh power on many of the trails. The weekend crowds hadn’t arrived yet, so we had many of the runs to ourselves. We did find another improvement at Copper. At the end of the Roundabout trail and at the top of the Kocomo lift, a new restaurant/rest stop was built. It is a good ski in/ski out stop and an alternative to the Union Creek restaurant in West Village . By the end of the afternoon, the sun was out and the lift lines were becoming longer. For dinner, we went to Taco Margarita, where the food was excellent along with the margaritas. You can just about finish one. As we were returning from dinner, it started to snow again. Tomorrow it suppose to be sunny and temps in the mid 30s.

This morning we had additional 2 inches of snow bringing the 24 hour total to 5 inches. The town clears not only the streets, but makes an extra effort to plow the sidewalks. Around 10am, I decided to clean my car of snow. It is becoming a daily chore (see video). Every time we decided to go skiing, the wind and snow picked up. Around 11am, I talked with several people coming back from Keystone and said it wasn’t worth it. There were white out conditions not only in the parking lot but at the top of the mountain and very cold wind chill temps. That ended the thought of going skiing today. In the late afternoon, we went to the Arapahoe Café for ribs and Happy Hour. After dinner we made our way down to the Dam Brewery for one last happy hour cocktail and make arrangements for skiing tomorrow and happy hour on Sunday. Only light snow is forecast for tomorrow.

Over night we had another 2 inches of snow. The morning was overcast and cold, around 8 degrees. After taking Benny for his morning walk, we decided to go to Copper Mtn. and hope that some of the trails were groomed. To our surprise, the conditions were good. While not all of the trails were groomed, we found power conditions that we could easily ski thru. In the true sense of the phrase, we were able to ski down and onto the lift. Very few people around. One of the new lift improvements is that they added a blue bubble over the safety bar for each chair. The blue bubble covers the chair and blocks the wind. It makes riding the chair lift a good experience. The day remained cold with the temp not getting above 14 degrees. We returned home around 3pm and relaxed for the rest of the evening. According to the weather forecast, another storm is expected for Wednesday afternoon thru Thursday. This one will bring high winds.

This morning it was cloudy and very cold. Temp was around 6 degrees. Because of the light contrast , we weren’t sure whether we would go skiing today. However, about 9:30am, it got brighter out and we went to Keystone. It was a good choice for the first hour. There weren’t many skiers and for the most part had the trails to ourselves. Then the clouds lowered and it started to snow lightly. We continued for another hour and called it quits. By the time we got back to the parking lot, the wind picked up and it felt even colder. In the evening, we decided to stay in because the snow was becoming heavier and we couldn’t see across the lake. Visibility was almost down to about ¼ mile. The snow is expected to continue thru the night and tomorrow.   It now seems that it is snowing every day.

This morning was sunny and mild with temps in the mid 20’s. Compared to the NorthEast, with temps in the single digets and wind chills way below zero, this is a heat wave. The headline in the newspaper this morning was a Moose chasing snow boarders down the slope at Breckenridge. Glad I wasn’t there. Around 11:30am, we decided to go Keystone and hoped that the people would be starting to leave. Well, the visitors were still there, but since it was lunch time, we had the slopes to ourselves.   However, around 1pm, the clouds quickly moved in and by 1:30, snow started falling. With the snow and white conditions, we called it a day. The snow closed I70 East bound to Denver . On the news they reported it was taking 3-4 hours to get down to Denver . This is usually a 55 minute trip. Also, they revised the weather forecast for Denver . They are calling for blizzard conditions tonight and tomorrow morning. By 7pm, we had about 4 inches on the ground.

Another beautiful and mild morning. It was 27 degrees at 10am going up to the mid 40’s. The headline in the local newspaper was that the Breckenridge Ski Resort will try and stay open thru Memorial Day. This hasn’t happened since the mid 90’s. The resort is closing in on 200 inches of snow for the season. This didn’t happen until late March last year. The forecast is for more snow Monday afternoon into Tuesday. Two weeks ago, Breckenridge had there annual Ullr Fest (God of Snow). I guess he listened. One of the first things the snow plows plow are the sidewalks. Just like home (ha ha). Makes for safe walking conditions. In the afternoon, we walked over to the remodeled Amphitheater. It opened over the summer and had concerts scheduled each weekend. After the walk, we went to the Sauce on the Blue to watch the 2 championship games and Happy Hour. We all saw the 2 best games of all time.   GO New England and LA Rams. It should make for a hell of a Superbowl.

The total snowfall for the resorts was between 6-10 inches. This morning was clear with temps around 12 degrees. The tree outside our window was heavy with the white stuff. And as I walked Benny this morning, there was a steady stream of cars going up the mountain to Keystone.   Today we when snow shoeing at the Keystone Recreation center. When we arrived, clouds moved it and the temp dropped into the high teens. We were smarter this year and only stayed out about 1 hour. Last year on our first day snow shoeing we were out about 2 ½ hours and we were really hurting after that. With all of the people arriving for MLK weekend, we decided to stay in and have dinner at home. It was a nice quiet evening at home. Tomorrow, there will be periods of sun and much milder, temps in the mid 40s. The big event tomorrow night will be the Super Blood   Wolf Moon. So plan to stay up late and see this event.

We awoke to a complete white-out. The snow and wind was really blowing. When I took Benny out for his walk, I had a hard time seeing where we were going. Thank goodness, Benny knew. Needless to say, we didn’t go skiing today. There was about 6 inches of new snow on the ground and light snow continued for most of the day. If you have Aetna insurance , they have a pert that allows you to go to a gym on them.   So I made my way in the afternoon to the Silverthorne Recreation center. On the way back, the Dillon Dam road was closed as well as the Loveland Pass. This forced a great deal of traffic onto I70 to get around. There were many backups and 1 or 2 accidents. It was a complete mess. In the evening we went to Arapahoe for dinner. We went around 5pm and the place was almost empty. No problem getting a place at the bar. The reason was because people coming up the mountain were stranded on the I70 highway which was closed both ways. We had dinner and the $2 PBR beers. Th...

Overnight we received an additional 2 inches of snow. The reports from the ski resorts all showed 4-6 inches of the white stuff. This morning was clear and mild with temps in the mid 20s. As I walked our dog this morning, I noticed the side driveway was closed because of the overhang of snow/ice from the roof. Same problem for the last several years. We went to Copper Mtn and again the crowds were missing. We skied right onto the lift. Maybe the crowds are gearing up for MLK weekend. The trails had very few people on them. By 2pm, the winds picked up and brought with it very mild temps. At the base it was 39 degrees. I guess this is the forerunner of the major snow storm we are suppose to get tomorrow. In the evening we went to the bar/restaurant famous for their over 100 bottles of liquor – Sauce on the Blue. Happy hour was great. Maybe we will wake up tomorrow and there will be a foot of snow (ha ha).

Well the snow started around 5am and lasted till around 1pm. I would say that we had about 3 inches of snow. Temps were near 30 degrees all day, so the snow was very wet. Because of the light snow and white conditions, we didn’t go skiing today. Stayed home and continued to put the condo into shape. The one thing we did, was use our new washer and dryer. This is much better than going to the Laundromat. We did take a side trip to Keystone to check out the parking situation. Last year there was a free parking area by the mountain house. Now you have to pay $10 daily to use the lot. Also the non-discounted weekday lift ticket is $158. Around 4pm, we went to Pug Ryan’s for happy hour and say hello to the bartenders. Our next chance of snow is Friday evening into Saturday. Let’s hope the snow fall is larger

Tuesday started with a wonderful sunrise over the mountains with clear skies and temps around 10 degrees. By 9am, it was up to 16 degrees and off to Copper Mtn we went. One thing I noticed yesterday was that they have done away with pass checkers and now everyone must use EZ-Pass. I think this has made access to the lifts much faster. The one thing I noticed today was the non-discounted daily pass of $178 (WOW). I can’t wait to see what Breckenridge and Vail charge. Anyway, it was a great skiing day -   Almost NO lift lines. Maybe people are staying home waiting for the weekend. By the end of the day, the clouds were rolling in and maybe we will get some snow tonight.

Sunday night we brought our skis to get tuned up. Monday morning we picked them up and off to Copper Mountain for our first day of skiing. It was a great morning. Under sunny skies and temps around 5 degrees it was a wonderful start. We skied about 2 hours and then stopped for lunch around 1pm. We didn’t want to push our first day so we called it a day. Anyway, we had to get ready to go to the Dam Brewery to meet our friends. It was great seeing them all and exchanging news. Really nothing has changed. The weather report calls for snow starting Tuesday night and continuing Wednesday. I remember these same weather reports last year, so maybe this year will be different.

Another year going out to Dillon Colorado. We left Wednesday , Jan 09, at 7am under sunny skies and temps in the mid 30s. As we got half way thru Pennsylvania , the clouds quickly came upon us with a light snow falling. The temps also dropped into the high 20s. As we traveled into Ohio , the snow picked up in intensity and as we arrived in Columbus , Ohio we were glad we were at our destination. This day we traveled 535 miles. We stayed at a Drury Inn and Suites hotel because included in the nightly charge is   a happy hour that allows you 3 free drinks and a buffet and a morning breakfast made to order. On Thursday, we started our travels around 8:30am under cloudy conditions. But as we entered Indiana , the sun came out and we had clear sailing thru Illinois and to Columbia , Missouri . However, the weather warnings started for ice and snow conditions along I70 starting Friday morning.   On Friday, we left 7:30am to get a head start on the weather warnings. But ...