Monday 01/31/2011

Well the cold is starting to arrive. This morning it was -3 degrees. Yesterday the high temp was 37 degrees. Denver yesterday the high was 67 and this morning it was 19. We when skiing at Keystone and when the snow and FOG came in around 1:30pm, we called it a day. Over the next few days temps are suppose to go down to -27 degrees. Not sure whether we will ski in that weather. Also, we read a report from Keystone that a 23 year old women was killed apparently skiing thru the trees without a helmet. We are just going to try and stay warm. I have also included additional pictures of the Ice Sculpture in Breckenridge

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Sunday 01/30/2011

Today is the last day of the warm temps. We took this opportunity to go to Breckenridge where they were having their Budweiser Ice Sculpture event. With the warm temps we didn't know how long these sculptures would stand. The different of people start with a 20 ton block of snow and ice and carve away. No power tools are allowed.

Saturday 01/29/2011

Saturday was a day of getting chores done. We did laundry, went food shopping and walked around Lake Dillon. Most of the trail is cleared and you didn't need a jacket on. Temps were in the high 30s to low 40s. It is the calm before the Monday storm. Sunday's weather is suppose to be much like today's

Friday 01/28/2011

The weather keeps on getting better. Looking out onto Lake Dillon this morning, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was warm around 20 degrees. This certainly was going to be a sunscreen day. At the slopes it was Military Appreciation day. All military - present and former skiied for FREE. Most of them were trying out snowboarding. Snow conditions are excellent. However, for me I took my second and third falls. Not sure why I am falling so much.

Picture of ski lift going over the snowboard terrain park. It brings out the daredevils.

At the top of the mountain you get a view of the Continental Divide and Lake Dillon

At lunch we eat outside in total sunshine and 35 degree temperature. It is a great feeling.

Thursday 01/27/2011

The weather just keeps on getting better. This morning temps were in the mid teens under full sunshine. Today was a sunscreen lotion day. There were a few more people on the slopes but still no wait lines at the lifts. We only skied to 2pm because we were getting tried. Forecast is for a even better weather tomorrow with afternoon temps in the mid 20s.

Wednesday 01/26/11

It was a beautiful day in Dillon. Temps this morning was around 10 degrees with sunshine. Not many people on the slopes. It looks alot like last year. No wait lines at the lifts. I was the first to take a fall. After again skiing to 3pm, we skied down to the parking lot. We are relaxing now before we go out.

Tuesday 01/25/11

This morning we woke up to total sunshine, however the temp was -4 degrees. We waited til 9:30am before we started to get ready to go skiing. By then it warmed to -2 degrees. The good think was that there was no wind. If you dress in layers, you will be warm. The snow was good and there wasn't any crowds. Just like last year. We skied until 3pm when it started to snow. We will be going to the Dam Brewery tonight to see the OLD crowd.

Monday 01/24/11

This morning we were able to get an early start at 8:30. We travelled the remaining 400 miles in about 7 hours. We travelled rt 70 all the way to Dillon, Colorado. Posted speed limits were 70 to 75 miles per hour. I was able to put the car on cruise control and watch about 300 miles of cattle and farmland pass by. This section of rt 70 is VERY STRAIGHT. About 40 miles outside Denver you start to see the snow covered mountains. You drive thru Denver and then into the foothills before making the climb up into the mountains. The temperature in Denver was 38 degrees with very little snow. By the time you hit the Eisenhower tunnel which goes thru the Continental Divide, the temp was 6 with LOTS LOTS of snow. Once down into the town of Dillon, we picked up our keys to the Condo and unpacked the car. We are at 9,120 feet and you get tried very quickly. Hope to go skiing tomorrow.

Sunday 01/23/11

With snow falling this morning, we had a late start. We started at 9:15am. Today we stayed on rt 70 all the way to Hay's Kansas. We passed the Chiefs/Royals stadiums in Kansas City. Missouri, the State Capital of Kansas - Topeka and past the Windmill farms of Ellsworth, Kansas. If you wanted to see farmland, it was in abundance. Once in Kansas, the temperature started warming up to the mid 30's. Not much snow in Kansas, with very little in Hays. I am now waiting for the Chicago game to end so I can watch the JETS over at the Whiskey Grill.

Saturday 01/22/11

After a VERY COLD start (-2 degrees), we started out trip at 8:30am. Our travel today took us pass downtown Columbus Ohio, downtown Indianapolis and the Colts Football stadium and on the out shirts of St. Louis. We crossed over the GRAND River and the MISSOURI River, both frozen over. All of our travel was on Rt 70 with speeds between 55 near the cities and 65-70 out on the plains. We crossed into Central time and gained an hour. Total mileage today was 543 miles which again took about 9 hours. Weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow calls for SNOW. We will have to wait and see what happens. Temperature now is 32. It is getting warmer

Getting Ready - Friday 01/21/11

Time for our trip West is finally here. After a fresh dusting of snow last night, we started out at 8:45am. Road conditions along the way were good. We travelled along 195 and the NJ Turpike in NJ, rt 276, rt 76 and rt 70 in Penn., WVirgina and Ohio. Traffic was flowing at the posted speeds, with the speed limit in WVirgina at 70. Once we reached mid Penn., snow showers lasted most the way to Ohio. Temps fell in the low teens with a very strong breeze. Temps tonight are going to be below zero. We covered the 521 miles to Reynoldsburg, Ohio in about 9 hours. We arrived around 5:30pm and we were having cocktails by 6pm. Tomorrow our goal is to be in Columbia, Missouri