Spring Fling - Day Four

Today it was off to ski Breckenridge. I'm not sure quite why. Not a big fan of crowds, and over-hyped resorts. But, I was determined to maximize the value of my Epic Pass and hit another area. Of course, I'm cheap, so I have to look for where I can park for free. Seriously, paying for parking bugs the crap out of me. I had dinner and three beers for less than many of the Vail resorts charge for close-in parking.

A few inches of fresh snow had me hopeful. A Spring pow day? Awesome. Didn't quite work out that way. A couple of locals had told me that Breck "over reports" snowfall. They were right on today. It snowed just enough for them not to groom, but not enough to be interesting. Plus, temps dropped 10 degrees and the wind was WAY up. To say I missed on dressing for the weather was a significant understatement. I was COLD for much of the day. I'm finding my tolerance for being cold isn't great anymore. And, it didn't help that I'd consciously made some bad decisions. Spring gloves? Stupid. Lighter shell? Stupid. Note to self - it's colder on the mountain than it is in the parking lot, dumbass.

By lunchtime I was seriously contemplating bailing for Keystone. But, I stuck with it. Lunch was mediocre and pricey. Snow conditions varied from piles of pushed around powder to icy golf-ball sized pellets. 

Add to this Breck's terrain. It just didn't do it for me. Blues should have been greens, and blacks ranged all over the map. I had a lot of trouble finding runs I liked. I should offer a disclaimer -- at least out West, I love big, steep, fast blue runs. Skiing fast and steep is my thing. I'm to old (and smart) to ski bumps anymore. And there was none of this to be found today. To add insult to injury, I think I skied one of my favorite runs for a good chunk of the day yesterday at Arapahoe Basin. Steep. Fast. Smooth. And well-suite to blasting it. So, today was disappointing. By the end of the day I had finally warmed up and got in a few nice runs. But nothing that really lit me up. This is part of the skiing game though. Some days are epic, others mediocre, and still others disappointing. That's how it goes.

I did conclude one positive from today -- I'm in a TON better shape than my first visit to Colorado two seasons back. On that trip, I was reminded that I was the fat, out-of-shape guy. Now with three seasons of 2,000+ miles on my road bike, I am STRONG and ready to rock. That feels rewarding.

Tomorrow is my last day. Snow's in the forecast tonight and tomorrow. I think I'm bound for Keystone. Close to my hotel and Denver. And I really didn't get to fully explore it on Saturday due to my late arrival. 

A great trip all around, though I am eager to get home and get my road bike out. Funny how I enjoy every sport's season, but when it winds down, I'm anticipating the next one.

-Sean-