More Winter Goodness

My blog was just eaten, so now I begin again.

After returning from New England's winter wonderland in early February, I was not yet ready to be finished with winter. Consequently I took a couple of weeks to enjoy the wintry goodness of Colorado's mountains. Additionally, I needed to get some CME credit hours, and two excellent conferences coincidentally were occurring in Summit County while I was there. What luck!

The first conference was held at Breckenridge (as seen above from across the valley at Keystone). As usual, the runs at Breckenridge were immaculately groomed. The weather was also cooperative (as it usually is in February).

I also got a chance to ski at Keystone (as seen above). It had been about 15 years since I last skied Keystone, and I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. The resort was much larger than I remembered, and I particularly enjoyed the night skiing which allowed me to arrive late after the conference and still get in 4-5 hours of runs under the lights. I think I'll be buying some discounted tickets to Keystone this next season.

Perhaps the best thing about this trip was the ability to stay at "the Moose" in Silverthorne (as seen above looking from Keystone across Lake Dillon at the base of Buffalo Mountain. OK, you might need a magnifying glass, but it is there!) I've grown very fond of this cozy place with the big views and am finding it increasingly difficult to leave. I take solace in planning my next trip as it gives me something to look forward to.

In between conferences, I got a visit from Forrest and family/in-laws. I think all would agree that we had a great time. I do need to work on my restaurant recommendations in Breckenridge, but so far the restaurants in Leadville have not let me down.

The next week I attended a great sports medicine conference at my favorite resort, Copper Mountain (as seen above). I've experienced more days with classic Colorado blue sky and abundant deliciously soft snow here than at any other resort. Of course the best time to go is in February before the spring break crowds arrive. Aww... I'm already thinking about next year's trip.

Overall, this has been a very good winter for me. I've been able to live in places with snow cover on the ground for about 4-5 months. My ski season began in Idaho back in early November. I then had a quick rendezvous to Colorado just before Thanksgiving. The skiing continued throughout December and January while in New England. I then finished with a bang in Colorado during February and March.

I write this not to boast, but rather to help me reminisce about the good times in the future when I might be tied down to a job, responsibilities, marriage, and kids (not that all those things are not desired). However I'm grateful for this current season in my life during which I've been able to accumulate memorable life experiences at a rather fast pace. Like all seasons, it will eventually pass leading to new experiences and seasons. The warm chinook wind of change is in the air...