Colorado Blog 2019

This will be my last update for my blog. We will be leaving Colorado and traveling to Cottonwood Arizona to visit relatives. It was a wonderful time in Colorado . Today was the mildest day so far. It was 28 degrees at 7am and went up to 41 by 3pm. The sun was in its full glory and you had to put on plenty of sun screen. The only problem with this weather is the morning hours where there is a refreeze of the slush from the day before . This not only includes the parking lots but the snow that hasn’t been groomed. Chunks of ice are all over the place until the melting process begins. The next few days will continue the mild weather. Thank you for reading my blog.

It was a sunny and mild morning. Temp at 8am was already 28 degrees. It had the makings of a great ski day. We went to Copper Mtn   and all of the weekend warriors had gone home. Lift lines were small so we were able to ski down and right onto the lifts. We stayed in the West Village of the mountain which allowed us to get many runs in. By 1pm, we already skied 2 hours but by 1:30pm, some clouds moved in and the wind picked up. As you looked into the sky, you could see a WAVE cloud which is a stationary cloud which doesn’t move. By the end of the day, because of some of the clouds, it was a spectacular sunset.     It will remain mild and sunny for the next few days. Skiing should remain good.

No additional fell overnight. The morning was cold, near 8 degrees, but sunny. After church, we went to City Market to get our weekend dose of apple turnovers and jelly donuts. Because it was a sunny day and not windy, we took a walk by the lake. There wasn’t anyone on the lake which was a surprise. After a light lunch we went to the Sauce to listen to Leon Littlefedda. He plays from 3pm to 5pm and was very enjoyable. We had our HH drinks and ½ price appetizers. About 6pm we returned home to watch the Oscars. The weather forecast for tomorrow calls for sunny and mild temps. It may be a great skiing day. Yesterday at Copper Mtn we checked out the private skiing lesson prizes. To our SURPRISE, the cost of a private lesson was over $750 for a full day. Tooo pricey for us.

The final totals were about 4-5 inches of power snow. The morning started with cold temps, around 8 degrees, and sunny skies. The only problem was the wind that was blowing about 30MPH. This made the wind chill below zero. This was too cold for us even for a walk around the lake. After lunch, we decided to go to Copper Mtn. to watch all of the weekend warriors skiing. We watched them from Jack’s Bar where Lefty Lucy was playing. It was a fun day of watching people. We saw a bridal party walk by in full dress. We then watched patrons get up on the bar to dance and enjoy a “shot ski”. When we left, a light snow was falling.

We had a little of each today. It was a weird weather day. This morning started under sunny skies and temps around 28 degrees. However, the weather report was still calling a BIG storm. So we went to Keystone to catch the first chair. The snow was good and the trails all groomed. We skied our usual 2 hours and with the Friday crowds starting to show up we went home. But by 2pm, heavy snow started and we had a very quick 3-4 inches. The snow turned the roadways into parking lots and I70 was closed again because of multiple spin outs. As quickly the snow started falling, by 5pm it was only very light snow. So I don’t know if that was the BIG storm that was coming. The roadways were still a mess so we stayed in for the night. Tomorrow morning we will see the storm totals. Whatever the totals it will be great skiing for the vacationers.

While it was zero at 7am, by 9am the temp rose to 20 degrees under partly sunny skies. While crossing the Dillon Dam road, the wind was blowing up the roadway causing blinding conditions. However, once past the up slope, the blowing snow stopped and we continued to Copper Mtn. Along I70, the signs indicated to be aware of a snow storm starting this afternoon and into Friday. By 2pm, it was still only overcast. No snow had started but we finished skiing for the day. After taking a hot shower, we went to the Arapahoe Café for dinner and then to the Dam for drinks. We talked with several locals to find out how many days they skied this week. And only 2 or 3 skied all 4 days. Hoping the weather gets better tomorrow or we get that BIG storm.

At least 3 days in row now where the morning temp was below zero. At 7am, it was -4 degrees under cloudy skies. Even by 10am, it still was only +4 degrees. However, we decided to go to Copper Mtn. The second free parking lot (Alpine 2) was completely empty. This had to be a product of the cold weather. As we started to ski, we noticed that the only skiers out there were snowboarders, people taking lessons with instructors and families with small kids on vacation. What was missing were “older” locals. Again, they were the smart people because of the cold. The temp never got above +9 and with the wind blowing around 20MPH, the wind chill was WAY below ZERO all day. We lasted about 1 hour and returned home. We didn’t even have lunch at the resort.   If it still this cold tomorrow, it will definitely be a gym day.

Another very cold morning under partly cloudy skies. It was 3 below at 7:30am. It wasn’t until 10am that the temp rose to + 5 degrees. We decided to get out of the house and we went to Copper Mtn. However, when we got there, it started to snow very lightly and continued for most of the day. While it snowed for about 4 hours, the snow only accumulated about ½ inch. Thank goodness there wasn’t many people skiing today. Between the cold, wind and snow, it was a very miserable day. The restaurant where we had lunch had a wall filled with small logs. It was very decorative. After lunch, we skied down and caught the bus back to the parking lot. We were home by 3:30pm and we rested up. The cold and wind really takes a lot of energy out of you. We stayed in tonight and stayed WARM. The forecast is calling for another very cold day.

Boy was it COLD this morning. It was 2 below at 8am under partly sunny skies. As it warmed into the low teens around 11am, we went to Copper to try and ski. As we got there, the sun went behind the clouds and stayed there. This made the wind chill even lower. The weekend crowds were still around. There were a lot of little kids taking lessons and it seemed the parents weren’t far behind. After skiing a while, it became too cold for me to continue. We returned home, had lunch, took a little nap and then got ready to go to the Dam to compare notes. The weather again is more of the same. I hope stays out a little longer. Yesterday at the Raven, our friend played the ukulele with Moe. I keep telling Jerry he should go it a long (kidding).

The news story of the morning was the snow quall that hit Denver late yesterday afternoon and caused a 49 car pile up on the entrance to Denver International Airport . Pena Blvd. was closed for 5 hours after a flash freeze, which dropped the temp about 15 degrees in 15 minutes, caused the pile up. 17 people were taken to the hospital. This morning, cold temps are back. It was 3 degrees under partly sunny skies. After church we went to the “Pond” to watch the annual Pond hockey tournament. There were about 50 teams from around the country trying to win. About 20 games go on at the same time and it is a double loss elimination tournament. It is a lot of fun to watch. After lunch we went to the Raven County club to see our friend Moe Dixon sing.   The music ended around 6pm and we returned home to rest up for tomorrow. The temp never got above 15 degrees. And the forecast for tomorrow is more of the same cold weather.

We thought that today would be the day the big storm happened. Overnight we received about 1 inch of snow. Instead of wet snow, it was the power kind. Around 9am, it started to snow again. On occasion, it came down big time but after about 3 hours, the snow stopped and total accumulations was only another inch. This round of snow however brought colder temps and by 3pm, it was in the low teens going down to around 5 degrees. Since we didn’t go skiing today, after doing some shopping we made our way over to the Outer Range Brewery. Glenna had stout and I had an IPA. This brewery allows dogs and there were several ones there. It is a small brewery with very little sitting. For dinner, we went to Noodles. As the name implies, many courses contain Noodles. It is a real family place. The weather for tomorrow calls for sunny and cold conditions.

We received about 2 inches of snow overnight bringing our “storm” totals to about 6 inches. A far cry from the forecasted totals. Again it was a mild morning with temps starting at 33 degrees. Around 10am, the sun came out and we went to Copper. We were surprised that we were able to get into the parking lot. This is the start of the big President’s weekend. At Center Village they were setting up for the Winterfest Party associated with this. After skiing for several hours we went to the Eagle BBQ for lunch. The best BBQ in the village. No new snow today and the day ended under a cloudless sky. And how time flies. This morning I received a picture from our neighbors who visited us 4 years ago. When they were here, we had a great time skiing and going to HH with them. The weather forecast again calls for heavy snow tomorrow but with colder temps. We will see.

In the morning there was about 3 inches of heavy wet snow on the ground. The temp was already 37 degrees at 8am under cloudy skies. We got ready and went to Keystone around 11am. The parking lot was already very crowded and the attendants were squeezing every car they could into the parking lot. We went to the Mountain House to ride the lift to the top. At the top we found that none of the trails were groomed and because the snow was heavy, it felt like skiing thru cement. We were completely over dressed and I think it was warmer at the top then the base house. We only lasted 3 runs and then we went to River Run to walk around the village. I noticed that the Keystone ice sculpture had cracks in it because of the warm temps. In the evening we went to Baglia’s in Frisco for our Valentine’s dinner. Tomorrow the forecast is calling for more snow but also temps in the mid 30’s to low 40’s. It may not be a ski day tomorrow .    

As we woke up this morning, the winds were calm and no new snow. The temp at 8am was 33 degrees. So again the forecast was wrong. So as the day started like the last few, we went to Copper. At Copper there are 2 large parking Alpine 1 and 2. As we entered the free lot, there were NO cars in Alpine 2 and only a handful in Alpine 1. I guess the skiers are getting for the Presidents weekend. Around noon, the wind picked up a little but still no snow. We talked to some of the skiers on the lift and found out that they were from Minnesota and the Hawks Ski Club. They are only here for a few days. As we skied around you can quickly see the effects of the wind on the ridge lines of the mountains. They are completely bare. The whole ski area is in need for a lot of snow. After a couple of hours we returned home, had lunch and then a afternoon nap. Around 6pm, it started to snow very lightly. Maybe this is the start of the snow we expected this morning. We will know for sure tomorrow morning ...

Today was one of the top 5 days so far. The temps started in the single digits but quickly rose into the low 20s by 10am. We again went to Copper Mtn and had a great skiing day. There were very few people on the trails except for 2 Ski clubs that had about 10 people skiing together. The only downside to today was that the snow was slick. No power to be found and many patches of ice. What little snow has fallen has been blown away with the wind. One of other improvements has been the installation of a gondola on the American Eagle lift. Every 5 th chair is the gondola and they have separate entries for the lift. After skiing for almost 3 hours, we called it a day. In the evening we went to the Dam to meet some friends from Wales . They are B&B owners and come every year to enjoy the snow. The weather report keeps changing and now calls for high winds in excess of 40 MPH and gusts over 80 MPH. In addition there may be 6 inches of snow. This combination will cause blizzard condit...

The big storm never came. The only thing we got was cold and very windy weather. The sun was in and out, mostly in. We went to Copper Mtn and we were surprised by the lack of cars in the parking lot and on the slopes. The Alpine parking lot was almost empty. The snow board park was the only area you saw people (kids). We were able to transverse the runs and lift lines very easily. But as we got to the top of each run, we had to fight the wind. We skied for about 2 hours and then went to lunch and returned home. In the evening we went to the LaQuinta   hotel where we met a few friends and shot pool. The next chance for snow is now Wednesday night and Thursday. We need snow because the runs are getting very icy.

It was a “Blue Bird Day” today. In the morning, temps were in the low 30s and not a cloud in the sky. After mass, we went to the local market for jelly donuts. This has become part of our Sunday routine. Since we don’t ski on the weekends, we again went to the Nordic Center at Keystone to snow shoe. It was very warm as we started our climb up the mountain. We had to shed one layer of clothes. But as we reached the summit, the wind was blowing the snow around and we had to quickly bundle up. From the summit you can see all of the other mountain ranges. It is beautiful. We snow shoed about 1 ½ hours and returned home. Later that evening, we were invited to dinner over a friend’s house. It is very nice to have friends to make you feel at home. The weather report for tonight and tomorrow calls for 2-4 inches of snow..

It was a warmer day today but it was mostly overcast. Temps started in the mid 20s and rose to the upper 30s by the end of the day. The overhang of snow in the driveway has become an overhang of icicles. We did some shopping and cleaning in the morning and in the afternoon, we went to the movies to see VICE, the story of Dick Cheney. Overall it was a boring day.

What a night and morning. Last night the temp quickly dropped below zero and this caused the Keystone Resort to cancel their night skiing because of safety reasons. Along with this, the restaurants at the top of the mountain also cancelled dinner reservations. In the morning the temp was -8 degrees. But because of a gas lick in Fresco, a power outage occurred at the ski resorts of Keystone, Breckenridge, A-Basin and to a lesser degree Copper Mtn. All of the lifts stopped running; the buildings in the resorts went dark and there were no immediate timeframes as to when power would be restored. Many of the local restaurants were also affected. Around 11am, power was slowly restored and we went to Copper Mtn to ski. While it was frigid in Dillon, when we got to Copper, it was 25 degrees warmer. It became a great day of skiing. I believe that many people heard that Keystone was closed and traveled to Copper. You could tell by the number of cars in the parking lots and the number of pe...