SkiChicken.com

It is a beautiful day over at Copper Mountain, and I’ll be joining them for the opening day festivities later today. I was only able to ski the afternoon last year, but I found the mountain empties out. It is a much better experience having the mountain entirely to yourself, and hearing the music and fun at the base in the background.

In previous years, I tried to get up there early only to get tuckered out at 2pm like everyone else. Now I am going to arrive at noon or 1pm and ski my (chicken) heart out!

I just got back to Thornton from Breckenridge. How Cow - there was a bunch of snow. We BARELY made it back over the continental divide. Many cars - including ours - were spinning their wheels trying deperately to get over the pass. I had better traction on the side of the road, but found our short little car could easily bottom out it I wan’t careful. Through careful twisting of the wheel back and forth, the occasional grain of sand(hey, I’ll take what I can get), and a lot of luck, we made it back over the pass and through the Eisenhower tunnel.

Even after the tunnel it was slick. It’s rare for me to see weather on both sides of the tunnel, but we saw it today. Some cars were exiting the tunnel way too fast, and one nearly went off of the road to the left! I got behind a nice dark horsetrailer with blinking lights and we made the white knuckle journey down the other side of the mountain. I was surprised to see SUVs behind me moving at the same snail’s pace. Maybe we all had a little more excitement than we needed that day. Snow is WONDERFUL to ski on, but horrible to drive through. Visibility was pretty minimal for a good part of the journey down the mountain. From Georgetown onward, it was clear sailing.

I have met the snow of the 2007 Colorado season, and I have this to say:

• It’s slick
• It’s fluffy
• It’s wonderful
• It makes me giddy
• I miss it already

I should pack up today and go to the mountains and ski! My buddy Mike was over last Friday(We drank beer and threw knives at my dartboard - it was great!). He asked me “A Basin is open - Why haven’t you gone?” I suddenly knew I had failed God and man with my delay.

Am I preparing for the full season, or delaying? It’s hard to say. Sure, I’m finishing up some projects, and waiting for the amazing snow to fall. Sure, I’m waiting for Copper to open. We’ve got to get up there- Who’s with me?!!

Arapahoe Basin is open! Unfortunately, I was not one of the happy ski folks shown on channel 4 news tonight. The snow looked like packed powder. I licked the TV set, but couldn’t tell anything else about the snow. A Basin always seems to be the first to open and last to close. I haven’t skied there before, but this may just have to be the year. I’ve heard the bowls can give you a little vertigo, and I’m excited to see what that’s like. Anyone been to opening day at A Basin this year?

Free skiing?! Could two more perfect words ever be placed next to each other? Not in my book. And hats off to Crested Butte, a lovely little resort off of the beaten path. I’ve been wanting to try crested butte, and this will definitely be the year. The resort will give away free passes at ticket windows from November 25 to December 15, “no string attached”. They open for the season November 17.