And it was awesome! The mountains, the skiing, the seeing my friend - so, so good.
I was super-nervous about this being a sort of cursed enterprise, so I didn't think it wise to go back to the same place as last year's ill-fated trip. So, instead of Crested Butte (which I hear was lovely), we went to Steamboat. Which was very, very nice.
(As a side note, when Mike and I were in Glacier a few years back, we were riding in a shuttle seated bus behind a family from Texas. One of their kids - a boy, about 11 or so - was clearly awed by all the scenic beauty, and he turned to his brother and said (I kid you not!) "Yah almost forget what Fort Worth looks like." Oh, my prophetic soul.) Anyway, being in Colorado was like that - you almost forgot what Fort Worth looked like.
This is not Fort Worth.
Speaking of forgetting and remembering, I was totally worried that, since it had been nearly six years since I'd last skied, I'd be a disaster on the mountain. That was not true, thankfully. In fact, I was rather pleased that I was able to keep up with my dear friend (although she may have slowed down for me!). Something else that was a big help? Fleece long underwear! Where has this stuff been all my life? Oh, right. I live in Texas. Nevermind; you know what I mean.
We only skied for two days - our first day was a challenging snowy, low-light day.
But our second day was glorious and perfect and sunny and warm.
We were staying at this motel downtown that was the perfect blend of kitsch and comfort.
Best of all, the motel was not only in front of a mountain shuttle stop, but also across the street from the actual Steamboat Springs hot springs.
Alas, after a hard day of skiing, some hot tubbing, and dinner, we didn't do much else. And that was perfect. I had these visions that Miso and I would sit around and knit and chat, but we were just too tired! On the other hand, being able to go to sleep when you're tired and knowing that you've got an uninterrupted night of sleep in front of you is really, truly a luxury (for which I thank Mike greatly!).
On my last day there, I had an afternoon flight out. So I spent the morning just chilling in the town. I actually walked to a lovely little coffeehouse and sat and knitted and breakfasted in peace. And look at all that hot coffee! And that scone! Just for me!
On my way back from my coffee interlude, I came across the town's Winter Carnival Parade. Notice that all the high school kids in the marching band are "marching" on cross country skis. How awesome is that? I think I might be in love.
This was a totally successful, amazing weekend getaway. What a change of pace! And, best of all, I got to come back to my two loves - all rested and refreshed and full of stories!
