We got up a little earlier and head off to the mountain. It is warming and snowing. There is already 4 inches on the ground. We are once again happy about awd! We figure things out and get situated and off we go. A couple of different people (side note… SCREAMING KIDS ON PLANES SUCK – earplugs help) told us the best place to ski, so we go there. It was great. We ski a couple of runs together and then split up. I hit the black diamonds and Marlo sticks to the blue squares. This is our third day skiing so the legs feel it. I was getting way into it. There was LOTS of new snow and there were places that have not been skied on since that last dumping. I hit one place with no tracks and my pole (rented) would go all the way in without hitting bottom! It was steep and deep! I ended up closing the lifts. I did not wipe out much. Once my binding let go but that was basically it for most of the day until the last run. Marlo recommended that I take the gondola down so of course I decided to ski down instead. You had to take a lift up across the mountain to ski down… so I did. The lift stopped once… this is at the end of the day and it is the fullest that I have seen the lift all day. Only two chairs were empty. It started right back up. I got to the top of the lift and checked out the trails… one was a black diamond for me:> well my legs were a bit shot and it was steep! Worse than that was that the track I picked was steep and deep, but somewhat packed… I was bombing down the slope and and bamm, wipeout! My right ski stopped for some reason and over I went. The snow was deep and I never put those powder straps on. I looked up hill where I thought that my ski should be. All I saw was a hole in the snow that went down about 3 feet. I probed with my pole and found nothing. I said out loud that this was not good… then I looked down the hill about 4 feet away and there was my ski. It was sitting as pretty as can be right on top of the snow sitting upright ready to be put back on… I did not dwell on my good fortune, but I was VERY thankful…
I met Marlo thee flights of steps up at the Smokey something bar… the “base” of the canyons is pretty cool. It is ¼ up the mountain and you take a mini lift up from the parking lot. It is where the expensive condos are. There are bars and restaurants and stores and what-not. Kinda cool.
We crash for the night and eat in. I head over to the hot tub in hopes of soaking my weary legs. BUT the tub is cold once again! I am not a merry man. There were a few people in there. One girl from Minnesota and one from Colorado. They talked fast and at the same time… I listened a little. They mentioned that the door to the heater room was open. There was hope… some more people arrive. I send them into the pump room hoping that one of them has a clue. I am disappointed… finally I get out of the tub soaking wet and explore the pump room. Now, I am pretty sure that playing with electricity and natural gas while soaking wet is probably not the best of plans, but hey, I want a HOT tub. I flip some switches and nothing happens. I look at the burner and I notice that it is missing something crucial for heat… Flame! I do not see the burner on or a pilot. I see in the dark what seems to be the valve and it looks on. Then I see the big red button that looks like it may start the thing… I push it several times. After I drip dry a tiny bit. I did whack the side of the furnace in a manner that would not kill me if the thing was not properly grounded first. I may be foolish, but I am a complete moron… well after several clicks nothing seems to happen. I slide back in to the not so hot tub. A little while later we feel heat coming out of the jets. I was a hero. An hour later the hot tub… was hot. I hung around awhile talking to the Minnesota and Colorado people for a bit and then Marlo showed up and caught up with everything. Then six or seven very young Argentinean girls show up. Then are between 19 and 21… pups, but still ;> Marlo and I chit chat with them a bit and Adam shows up. He is a disenchanted Philly person. Apparently he was robbed and pistol whipped in Philly so he decided to move to a kinder gentler location of Utah. He likes it. It was a financial advisor… not the best news, but he was nice. Marlo said the he was good looking. He was 27 and asked us if it was creepy if he hit on the youngings. We heartily encouraged him. It did not go wonderfully. They were a bit standoffish and stayed in their pack. He invited them over to his place for some meat.. on the grill. They don’t like spicy American food. They want steak. Adam offered to supply it and invited them over the next night at 7:30. It seemed like the odds were low that they would show up.
The tub was hot and so was I. It was time to time to get out. We went back to the condo ate some food that we had bought and watched “Bugs.” It was better than expected. Typical bug movie… bad greedy guy builds tunnel, hides evil killer bugs, people get et, almost everyone except the hero and the hot chick die… time for bed…
I hope you thanked the snow Goddesses for not burying your ski 3 feet under the snow.
You know why you always loose your ski in deep powder on the last run of the day???? Of course you know.
I was very thankful!