Thursday, March 03, 2005
Phillip: Dinner at Four Seasons
Tonight Julie and I had dinner at the Four Seasons restaurant. The hotel is very luxurious with beautiful paintings and artwork in the halls. The waiters were all very friendly and we chatted a bit about the skiing. We started with a glass of sparkling wine and salads. Julie had beet salad with beet sprouts and feta cheese. I had watercress and endive with blue cheese. Then I had an elk T-bone steak which was a bit dry and too much meat for me. The polenta side dish was delicious. Julie had crepes with porcini mushrooms and oxtail; very tasty. For dessert I had a chocolate volcano cake with a fudge filling with a pomegranite sorbet. Julie's passion fruit creme brulee came with a coconut sorbet, which tasted great with with my chocolate cake. Each dish was presented very elegantly with colorful flourishes like the sugar crystal corona in my sorbet and the macadamia tuille which arched over Julie's sorbet. All this elegance and good food is thanks to our friend Nato, who gave us a gift voucher for the dinner. Julie gave him an acupuncture treatment at Mimi's dinner party and he felt so much better the next day, he surprised Julie with dinner at the Four Seasons. Thanks Nato!
Nicholas: Journey School
Yesterday I went to the Jouney School with Melissa and Michelle. I had loads of fun there. First I went to dancers workshop. It was a little bit fun. After that I had math; it was really easy. All you had to do was multiply and add in your head. I had Spanish with Melissa. It was easier than I thought. After school, I went to the Pierces' house. There we played Beckon. I always hid next to the jail so whenever someone was in jail, I would free them. When we went to tennis, I was with kids that were really small and were like 5 and 6. It was really dumb because we learned things like how to hit the ball. Yesterday I had lots of fun.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Alexa- skinning Brooke's Mountain
Today Mimi hired Tom to be a guide for us and we skinned 2,000 vertical feet up Brooke's mountain. The group consisted of me, Mom, Dad, Mimi, Frank, and Tom. Skinning is when you put skins on the bottom of your skis and they let you climb up without slipping backwards down the mountain. It took pretty much all day. Tom said it was about a 3 mile hike. It was amazing even though it was really really really tiring. The summit was the most breath-taking thing I've ever seen. You could see so far, and the mountains looked so dramatic. We looked over the edge and it was a sheer drop. It reminded me of something you'd see in an Omni theater movie. After eating lunch, we finally got to ski down. The snow was so nice: untracked powder. You pretty much just floated along on top of the snow; you didn't really need to use any edging. We skinned back up one section and skied it again. Finally we skied all the way back down to the cars. I'm still wicked tired, but it was so fun and I loved it!
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
Phillip: The Bubba Snow Curse
We got here a week ago Saturday. The snow fall for our first three days was 10", 3", and 1". Then Bubba and her clan arrived on Tuesday. The snowfall for the next week was 0", 0", 0", 0", 0", 0", 0". Then Bubba left on Tuesday and the snowfall was 3". Hmmm?
We got on the first public tram this morning at 9:00 and I was on the last tram of the day at 3:30. Both runs down Rendezvous Bowl were coral reef. The morning was particularly bad because the clouds and flat light made it impossible to tell where the bumps were. All the runs in between were excellent. Having some new snow made all the trails fun again.
This evening the boys and I lounged in the Great Room and ate chili and chips while watching the latest TGR film "Soul Purpose." They ski some of the same terrain as we do in Jackson Hole, but they jump off the big cliffs and land backwards.
Tomorrow is a backcountry tour with Mimi, Frank, and our guide Tom Turiano. We will be skiing in Teton National Park with special touring skis, skinning up a mountain to ski back down. We rented the special equipment tonight and packed our bags with emergency equipment and extra clothing, so we are ready to go bright and early tomorrow morning.
We got on the first public tram this morning at 9:00 and I was on the last tram of the day at 3:30. Both runs down Rendezvous Bowl were coral reef. The morning was particularly bad because the clouds and flat light made it impossible to tell where the bumps were. All the runs in between were excellent. Having some new snow made all the trails fun again.
This evening the boys and I lounged in the Great Room and ate chili and chips while watching the latest TGR film "Soul Purpose." They ski some of the same terrain as we do in Jackson Hole, but they jump off the big cliffs and land backwards.
Tomorrow is a backcountry tour with Mimi, Frank, and our guide Tom Turiano. We will be skiing in Teton National Park with special touring skis, skinning up a mountain to ski back down. We rented the special equipment tonight and packed our bags with emergency equipment and extra clothing, so we are ready to go bright and early tomorrow morning.
Nicholas: Steller Jays
Today I was skiing with my dad. We wanted to get home so we went into Rawlings Bowl. It was really long and I saw a ski on a cliff. I skied onto the cliff and picked it up. I was scared that I was going to fall off and at first I was wobbley, but then I regained my balance. I gave it to my dad and he carried it down to the nearest chair lift. The chairlift was Union Pass. My dad gave it to the guy operating the chairlift.
On the way I saw a Steller Jay. It's a mix between a Blue Jay and a crow. It has a blue body and a black tail and head, with black spots on its body. It has a big black crest and beak. I saw it with my dad on a chair lift called Union Pass. There were two of them flying around a tree. Steller Jays are very beautiful.
On the way I saw a Steller Jay. It's a mix between a Blue Jay and a crow. It has a blue body and a black tail and head, with black spots on its body. It has a big black crest and beak. I saw it with my dad on a chair lift called Union Pass. There were two of them flying around a tree. Steller Jays are very beautiful.
Monday, February 28, 2005
Alexa- skiing with Lever
Yesterday was really fun, the only bad part was that Chris and Melissa were sick, so they had to stay home. In the morning I skied with my parents and my aunt Bee. All the other cousins were taking a lesson with Lever (an instructor and friend). We all ate lunch together, then afterwards we switched and my parents and I skied with Lever. He was really helpful in fine-tuning our skiing form and style. He also told us from which parent we had inherited our "ski" genes from. He told me that since my skiing style was a lot like my aunt Mimi/Bee's (my mom's sister), I had inherited my ski genes from my mom's side.
After skiing until the lifts closed, all the cousins went back down to the rink and played hockey.... again. Gus, Charlotte, and Caroline met us there and we started a game: Gus and Michael against everyone else (me, Nick, Charlotte, and Eric). They were winning 10-0 when the skate rental guy, Brett, offered to be on our team. With his help, we started to catch up, and it was really fun.
Later that night, Bee had a grownups only dinner party with a special chef named Mahu. All the kids ate hotdogs at the Teton club, then watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which is a really good movie. Finally around 10:30 our parents came home and Gus, Charlotte, and Caroline's mom took them home so I could finally go to bed. Up here, we start early and end early.
After skiing until the lifts closed, all the cousins went back down to the rink and played hockey.... again. Gus, Charlotte, and Caroline met us there and we started a game: Gus and Michael against everyone else (me, Nick, Charlotte, and Eric). They were winning 10-0 when the skate rental guy, Brett, offered to be on our team. With his help, we started to catch up, and it was really fun.
Later that night, Bee had a grownups only dinner party with a special chef named Mahu. All the kids ate hotdogs at the Teton club, then watched Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which is a really good movie. Finally around 10:30 our parents came home and Gus, Charlotte, and Caroline's mom took them home so I could finally go to bed. Up here, we start early and end early.
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Michael: Skating
We've been walking down to Chrystal Springs Pond a lot lately. We rent skates, and they have hockey sticks and pucks we can use. I really like skating. I'm the best out of my family. We skate with my cousins; none of them are too good. They're ok, but not great. My brother Nick is a good goalie. The stick is as big as him, but he can still block shots. I really like skating; it's so fun.
Nicholas: Death and hockey
A few days ago a girl got hit and killed by a snowboarder that was straightlining down the mountain. It was just before lunch, so on the way home we saw the girl that got hit. Her face was bloody and gross. The snowboarder was only 16 and he was sent to jail.
Yesterday I played hockey and I was goalie. About 20% of the shots were goals, but I saved 80% of the shots. Once my brother shot the puck and I was out of the goal, but then I dove and blocked the puck with my stick.
Yesterday I played hockey and I was goalie. About 20% of the shots were goals, but I saved 80% of the shots. Once my brother shot the puck and I was out of the goal, but then I dove and blocked the puck with my stick.
Michael: Moose
In Jackson Hole you see a lot of moose. They are like squirrells in massachusetts. One difference is that moose are gigantic, and squirrells are tiny. Moose can be dangerous. If you make a moose angry, they have the power to kill you. Unlike elk, moose are not afreaid of people. that makes them even more dangerrous. Many times I have seen moose right outside the Teton Club (where we stay). I always see moose on the side of the road when we're driving around. Moose are some of my favorite animals. They're fun to see and watch. Moose don't care if you're near them, they carry on thier regular business. Moose are really cool.
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Alexa- skating (again)
After skiing in the morning, I went with my dad and brothers to go pick up my mom from the airport. We got her a little box of chocolate and my dad got her a rose, she was the most loved person on her plane. Later we shopped around in town, then met up with the rest of the cousins at the VC. We skated for a long time and played hockey. This time we were the only kids playing, and it was really fun. We went in for a little and got some pizza for dinner, then we headed back out and played hockey until it got dark. Tomorrow's going to be very fun, read all about it!
Phillip: Weather
Doobers arrived in Jackson Hole on 2/19 and return home on 3/5.
From the Jackson Hole Daily, Feb 26-27 (Sat, Sun)
Snowfall at Raymer Plot (9,300 ft)
Fri, 2/18 - 1"
Sat, 2/19 - 10"
Sun, 2/20 - 3"
Mon, 2/21 - 1"
Tue, 2/22 - 0"
Wed, 2/23 - 0"
Thu, 2/24 - 0"
Fri, 2/25 - 0"
Extended Forecast
Sat, 2/26 - 0"
Sun, 2/27 - 0"
Mon, 2/28 - 0"
Tue, 3/1 - snow showers
Wed, 3/2 - snow showers
Thu, 3/3 - snow showers
From the Jackson Hole Daily, Feb 26-27 (Sat, Sun)
Snowfall at Raymer Plot (9,300 ft)
Fri, 2/18 - 1"
Sat, 2/19 - 10"
Sun, 2/20 - 3"
Mon, 2/21 - 1"
Tue, 2/22 - 0"
Wed, 2/23 - 0"
Thu, 2/24 - 0"
Fri, 2/25 - 0"
Extended Forecast
Sat, 2/26 - 0"
Sun, 2/27 - 0"
Mon, 2/28 - 0"
Tue, 3/1 - snow showers
Wed, 3/2 - snow showers
Thu, 3/3 - snow showers
Phillip: An Eventful Night
Nick and I crawled into bed last night to read a bit before falling asleep. Drip, drip, drip. What was that noise? Water was dripping from the ceiling above the window and puddling on the sill. I called the desk and a guy came up to investigate. He borrowed my pocket knife and headlamp to open a utility panel and look into the mess of pipes and wires in the ceiling, but couldn't see a problem, so a maintenance worker will come up today. After he left, I put a couple of towels on the window sill to soak up the water and muffle the Chinese water torture. This morning the towels were sodden, but the drip had disappeared.
When I made up the bed, Nick's sheets were covered in blood. There were five crusted drips on the rug leading from his side of the bed, past the foot of the bed, to my side. There was blood splattered in the bathroom sink and smeared on the towels. Nick must have had a nosebleed during the night, but he has no recollection of it, nor was there any blood on his face or hands. Anyhow, I spent some time cleaning the rug and soaking the sheets and towels in the tub filled with cold water. The Teton Club staff keeps the units in excellent shape, but I want to make their jobs as easy as possible.
When I made up the bed, Nick's sheets were covered in blood. There were five crusted drips on the rug leading from his side of the bed, past the foot of the bed, to my side. There was blood splattered in the bathroom sink and smeared on the towels. Nick must have had a nosebleed during the night, but he has no recollection of it, nor was there any blood on his face or hands. Anyhow, I spent some time cleaning the rug and soaking the sheets and towels in the tub filled with cold water. The Teton Club staff keeps the units in excellent shape, but I want to make their jobs as easy as possible.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Phillip: Tragedy
We saw a horrendous accident yesterday. We were riding up the Sublette Quad when we heard a loud crash and looked down at Laramie Bowl. We saw two bodies sliding down the mountain for a hundred, maybe two hundred feet. The smaller body was totally limp and her ski equipment was spread out all over the trail. A man skied up to her, screaming obscenities at the snowboarder who came to a stop about 10 yards below the limp body. The man yelled for someone to get the ski patrol and began performing CPR. The snowboarder stood up and then sat back down.
When we got off the lift at the top, Mimi told us she had seen the whole thing. She heard someone going real fast and looked over and saw a snowboarder straightlining the groomed half of the bowl. He was going about 40 or 50 miles per hour when he hit the skier broadside without making any attempts to avoid her. She was just slowly skiing along when he collided with her from above and behind. His snowboard broke in half with the impact and her pole was bent around his body in a U-shape. Alexa was pretty upset by the idea that a fun family vacation could be destroyed by such a terrible accident, and I didn't feel much like skiing anymore either, so we went in early. The rest of the crew came in soon after.
Mimi went to the clinic where the sheriff took her statement as a witness. Mimi said the atmosphere was grim and that some of the ski patrollers were crying. We hoped for the best, but feared the worst because the crash was just so awful. Today we learned that the woman died. She was a 29 year old skiing with her husband. The snowboarder was a 16 year old boy.
When we got off the lift at the top, Mimi told us she had seen the whole thing. She heard someone going real fast and looked over and saw a snowboarder straightlining the groomed half of the bowl. He was going about 40 or 50 miles per hour when he hit the skier broadside without making any attempts to avoid her. She was just slowly skiing along when he collided with her from above and behind. His snowboard broke in half with the impact and her pole was bent around his body in a U-shape. Alexa was pretty upset by the idea that a fun family vacation could be destroyed by such a terrible accident, and I didn't feel much like skiing anymore either, so we went in early. The rest of the crew came in soon after.
Mimi went to the clinic where the sheriff took her statement as a witness. Mimi said the atmosphere was grim and that some of the ski patrollers were crying. We hoped for the best, but feared the worst because the crash was just so awful. Today we learned that the woman died. She was a 29 year old skiing with her husband. The snowboarder was a 16 year old boy.
Phillip: Trenching the 'Roy
The Bubbas got here yesterday and we've been cruising the groomers with them the last two days. It's been a lot of fun. Chris, Eric, and even Paul are skiing much better this year. Paul has decent angulation with his lower body and even some separation between upper body and lower body. Last year every part of his body faced the direction his skis were travelling, but this year his shoulders stay more in the fall line. Yesterday when we skied PaintBrush to Toilet Bowl (double diamond and single diamond), Chris looked longingly from the cat track, but listened to his mom and skied around on the easy trail to meet us below. The third time we went that way, Chris went with us and skied in control down Toilet Bowl. Today he and Eric both did Bernie's Bowl and Chris did Ten Sleep and Cirque.
There has been no snow since Monday so we ski the groomers and some north facing slopes until the afternoon when the sun has softened up the trails. These bluebird days make for beautiful vistas and it's nice to hang out in the warm weather, but the snow is either crunchy or slushy, so I don't feel an urgency to get in a lot of runs. Today we sat on the snow at the top of Rendezvous Bowl and watched the paragliders lay out their sails and then fill them with air and run right off the side of the mountain. Several of them had tandem harnesses and were offering rides. I asked if they were looking for a volunteer, but when I learned a 30 minute ride cost $195, I decided to ski down instead.
I've used these last couple of days to work on my technique. I'm trying to slice a clean arc through the snow with the edge of my ski instead of letting it slide or chatter. I'm finally experiencing the effect of getting the hip angulation that Lever was trying to teach me the last couple of years. It's a bit scary because when I get the skis up on their edges I go a lot faster.
There has been no snow since Monday so we ski the groomers and some north facing slopes until the afternoon when the sun has softened up the trails. These bluebird days make for beautiful vistas and it's nice to hang out in the warm weather, but the snow is either crunchy or slushy, so I don't feel an urgency to get in a lot of runs. Today we sat on the snow at the top of Rendezvous Bowl and watched the paragliders lay out their sails and then fill them with air and run right off the side of the mountain. Several of them had tandem harnesses and were offering rides. I asked if they were looking for a volunteer, but when I learned a 30 minute ride cost $195, I decided to ski down instead.
I've used these last couple of days to work on my technique. I'm trying to slice a clean arc through the snow with the edge of my ski instead of letting it slide or chatter. I'm finally experiencing the effect of getting the hip angulation that Lever was trying to teach me the last couple of years. It's a bit scary because when I get the skis up on their edges I go a lot faster.
Alexa- all the cousins
All the cousins are here now! Bubba's family got here late Wednesday night, and Mom's flying in tomorrow, so then everyone will be here! Skiing with all the cousins is so fun, especially the little guys because they're sooooo cute! Unfortunately, it hasn't snowed for a few days and the weather reports aren't predicting any anytime soon.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Michael: The 6th Day
Today is the 6th day in Jackson Hole. My cousins Chris and Eric arrived last night. They never stay as long as us.
Today we skiied easy. Eric isn't a great skier (he's 7). We stayed on a bunch of groomers (groomed trails). Eric and Michelle, one of my cousins who lives here, always ski together. Michelle is a uch better skier than Eric, so she goes slow. Chris is an ok skier (he's 10). Not as good as Nick, Alexa, or me, but he's better than Eric.
I had fun going a little easy; I was tired. Now we're off to my Aunt Bee's house. Eric, Chris, Paul, and Bubba stay with Bee. I really like going to their house.
Today we skiied easy. Eric isn't a great skier (he's 7). We stayed on a bunch of groomers (groomed trails). Eric and Michelle, one of my cousins who lives here, always ski together. Michelle is a uch better skier than Eric, so she goes slow. Chris is an ok skier (he's 10). Not as good as Nick, Alexa, or me, but he's better than Eric.
I had fun going a little easy; I was tired. Now we're off to my Aunt Bee's house. Eric, Chris, Paul, and Bubba stay with Bee. I really like going to their house.
Nicholas: I'd rather do homework
Yesterday I went skiing, but it stunk. So I came home and did homework. I finished all of it. Then my dad came home from skiing O.B. (out of bounds). He almost fell off a cliff.
After lunch my cousin Michelle came over and went in to the hot tub. There are rocks surrounding the tub so Michelle and I were jumping off the rocks into the hot tub. The stairs to the hot tubs looked like a river and the hot tubs were little pools that you could sit in. The hot tubs are built into the ground so now they look like mini ponds or lakes. It's really hot at first, but once you get used to it, it feels cold.
Then we went ice skating. My brother and sister played hockey while I skated around with Michelle. Michelle is a really good skater; she is better than my sister, who is 15, while Michelle is only 6!
Last night my other cousins flew into Wyoming from Boston. Today we will meet them, because we haven't seen them for a long time [ed: not since 12 days ago]. Yesterday I had lots of fun even though the skiing stunk.
After lunch my cousin Michelle came over and went in to the hot tub. There are rocks surrounding the tub so Michelle and I were jumping off the rocks into the hot tub. The stairs to the hot tubs looked like a river and the hot tubs were little pools that you could sit in. The hot tubs are built into the ground so now they look like mini ponds or lakes. It's really hot at first, but once you get used to it, it feels cold.
Then we went ice skating. My brother and sister played hockey while I skated around with Michelle. Michelle is a really good skater; she is better than my sister, who is 15, while Michelle is only 6!
Last night my other cousins flew into Wyoming from Boston. Today we will meet them, because we haven't seen them for a long time [ed: not since 12 days ago]. Yesterday I had lots of fun even though the skiing stunk.
Alexa- skating
Yesterday the girls had to go to school and Bee, Frank, and Dad ditched us to go OB, so it was just me and the boys skiing together. We got on the first public tram, but the bowl still sucked. Actually, anything that hadn't been groomed was pretty awful, so we decided to call it a day around 11 and work on homework. I mean, I'd rather miss a crappy ski day doing homework than a good one.
Afterwards, we went skating on a little rink right at the base of the mountain. It was sooooo fun! Even though I can't skate well at all, I still really enjoyed it. Michelle and Nick were having races and she was so happy when she beat him. I somehow got myself into a hockey game with a bunch of other boys, but it was mostly me standing there laughing. They were all really cool though and it was lots of fun. Then we went back to the Great Room because our parents were listening to some live music and later we had pizza with some family friends.
Afterwards, we went skating on a little rink right at the base of the mountain. It was sooooo fun! Even though I can't skate well at all, I still really enjoyed it. Michelle and Nick were having races and she was so happy when she beat him. I somehow got myself into a hockey game with a bunch of other boys, but it was mostly me standing there laughing. They were all really cool though and it was lots of fun. Then we went back to the Great Room because our parents were listening to some live music and later we had pizza with some family friends.
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Phillip: Four Shadows
This is just an outline, I'll flesh it out into a excrutiatingly long report later.
8:40 Beat the buses to the tram line
9:00 Make the 1st public tram with 2 places to spare
9:12 Mimi and Frank visit Corbette's Cabin. I listen to ski guide describe options to his group.
Option A - Four Shadows
Option B - No Shadows
Option C - Hike back off the ridge
9:20 ski across the bowl and check transceivers before heading OB
9:32 put skis on pack and begin hiking
pass guide calming a gripped client on the rocky ascent
9:57 past the crux, begin slogging up the ridge
10:20 Mimi drops into Four Shadows. Then Phillip, then Frank
traverse across the avalance debris off Cody Peak.
570 steps up Cody Bowl. Brain is short of oxygen. No idea how much time has passed.
ski traverse under cliffs and chutes (Once is Enough, Twice as Nice).
catch a tip, and hug the wall.
goof again and fall off the high traverse. Frank helps me side step back up.
see a skier jump the cliffs we will have to traverse above to No Name Peak.
ski No Name Face. Choose the run out that goes between a couple of big rocks
ski out Pinedale Canyon. tired but this year I have enough in reserve so I don't thrash my way home through the woods. Only one mishap where trail dips, and hangs a sharp right next to a boulder. Snag my ski and tumble.
1:00 Back at Teton Club for lunch and lassitude. My best ski day ever. The kids report that skiing in bounds was so bad they quit early and did homework instead.
8:40 Beat the buses to the tram line
9:00 Make the 1st public tram with 2 places to spare
9:12 Mimi and Frank visit Corbette's Cabin. I listen to ski guide describe options to his group.
Option A - Four Shadows
Option B - No Shadows
Option C - Hike back off the ridge
9:20 ski across the bowl and check transceivers before heading OB
9:32 put skis on pack and begin hiking
pass guide calming a gripped client on the rocky ascent
9:57 past the crux, begin slogging up the ridge
10:20 Mimi drops into Four Shadows. Then Phillip, then Frank
traverse across the avalance debris off Cody Peak.
570 steps up Cody Bowl. Brain is short of oxygen. No idea how much time has passed.
ski traverse under cliffs and chutes (Once is Enough, Twice as Nice).
catch a tip, and hug the wall.
goof again and fall off the high traverse. Frank helps me side step back up.
see a skier jump the cliffs we will have to traverse above to No Name Peak.
ski No Name Face. Choose the run out that goes between a couple of big rocks
ski out Pinedale Canyon. tired but this year I have enough in reserve so I don't thrash my way home through the woods. Only one mishap where trail dips, and hangs a sharp right next to a boulder. Snag my ski and tumble.
1:00 Back at Teton Club for lunch and lassitude. My best ski day ever. The kids report that skiing in bounds was so bad they quit early and did homework instead.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Nicholas: Headwall
Today we hiked the Headwall. I carried my own skis. It was very tiring. It took us 13 minutes, but it took Michael 16 minutes. Then we skied the upper part of Casper Bowl. It was all powder. I had so much fun.
At night we had a fun snowball fight, but then came an annoying kid and he made it not fun. He was calling people mean names, like "stupid head." Then we just left and started eating. After we ate, we played king of the hill; my brother was really hard to push down because he is really heavy. I had so much fun today, skiing and playing.
At night we had a fun snowball fight, but then came an annoying kid and he made it not fun. He was calling people mean names, like "stupid head." Then we just left and started eating. After we ate, we played king of the hill; my brother was really hard to push down because he is really heavy. I had so much fun today, skiing and playing.
Michael: Headwall
This morning we hiked almost 20 minutes up the Headwall, a long cliff. It took us as long as the hike to strap our skis to our packs as well. It was really hot walking up, so everyone took off their coats. At the top, we sat down and had a snack. After the long journey, it felt great to ski down Casper Bowl. It was pure powder. I had so much fun!
Later that morning, we met up with Gus and Charlette Pierce. We skied with them for the rest of the day. After skiing, we got pizza. It was such a fun day!
Later that morning, we met up with Gus and Charlette Pierce. We skied with them for the rest of the day. After skiing, we got pizza. It was such a fun day!
Alexa- lots of fun
The concert last night was sooooooooooo good! Not only were the three boys amazingly talented, they also had a great stage presence and they were really entertaining.
Today we hiked the Headwall. It only took us about 15 minutes, but it felt like more because we were carrying packs with our skis, helmets, and jackets strapped on our backs. Skiing down it was completely worth it though! In the afternoon we skied with Gus and Charlotte too (some friends of ours).
After skiing we went over to the VC (Village Cafe). The grownups had a little beer, or maybe it was a lot, and the 7 kids played outside. We started out with a massive snowball fight, girls against boys. Later another boy we didn't know joined in. When he started being rude to everyone and hitting the littlest of the cousins in the head with ice chunks, we decided to all gang up on him. Since it was 7 vs 1 he really had no chance. I would've felt bad but he was not a nice person at all. After he started crying (yeahhhhh that was bad) we decided it was time to go in. The pizza still wasn't ready, so we went back out and had an intense game of king/queen of the hill. It was really fun and Michelle (my youngest cousin) was so cute! There were actually two random people sitting watching us, it must've been quite a sight.
Today we hiked the Headwall. It only took us about 15 minutes, but it felt like more because we were carrying packs with our skis, helmets, and jackets strapped on our backs. Skiing down it was completely worth it though! In the afternoon we skied with Gus and Charlotte too (some friends of ours).
After skiing we went over to the VC (Village Cafe). The grownups had a little beer, or maybe it was a lot, and the 7 kids played outside. We started out with a massive snowball fight, girls against boys. Later another boy we didn't know joined in. When he started being rude to everyone and hitting the littlest of the cousins in the head with ice chunks, we decided to all gang up on him. Since it was 7 vs 1 he really had no chance. I would've felt bad but he was not a nice person at all. After he started crying (yeahhhhh that was bad) we decided it was time to go in. The pizza still wasn't ready, so we went back out and had an intense game of king/queen of the hill. It was really fun and Michelle (my youngest cousin) was so cute! There were actually two random people sitting watching us, it must've been quite a sight.
Nicholas: Rock Springs
Yesterday I went skiing out of bounds. That's where they don't have avalanche control. It was really fun where we went; the place we went was called Rock Springs. I went off a lot of jumps and so did my cousins. We had to be really careful because of two reasons. The first reason is, some snowboarders could have caused an avalanche or they could have hit one of us and really hurt us because they were going fast. The second reason is we could have died out there too. All of us are still alive and had lots of fun. We were at first going to hike up the Headwall and ski down, but it was closed. I'd say yesterday was the funnest time of skiing this year.
Monday, February 21, 2005
Phillip: A Very Good Day
We've been here 3 days and it has snowed 3 days. This morning we put on our packs and Pieps, planning to hike up the Headwall and ski down Casper Bowl. But the ski patrol didn't have time to stabilize that terrain so the Headwall was closed and we decided to ski Rock Springs instead. This was the first trip OB for the four little ones (melissa, michelle, nick, and michael), so it was a big deal. Frank led the way, picking the best route and assessing avalanche danger. Then Melissa, Nicholas, Michael, Michelle, and Alexa went. They all skied the powder really smooth and in control. Frank may have had the pressure of being the guide, but he also got the pleasure of first tracks. By the time Mimi and I went the kids had pretty well tracked things out, though we didn't have to look to hard to find freshies.
Mimi decided my three kids needed to try some powder skis today and so she and Frank rented Bandit 2's for the biguns and some nice fat Rossignols for Nick. Nick's old skis were way to short--I didn't realize he had grown so much since last year--and Alexa and Michael had good skis for New England's stiffer conditions, but not so good for Jackson Hole. The rental skis were a big hit and I think we have three more converts to Fatties.
We did a couple more runs including Tower Three Chute and Study Plots before going in for an early lunch. Alexa is still suffering a cold and had trouble breathing when skiing hard. So after lunch she and Michelle stayed at the Teton Club and took a nap and soaked in the hot tubs. The rest of us took the tram to the top and had an awesome run down the Bowl. I declared it the best run of the year (even if the year so far consisted of only two ski days for me). Then we skied Alta 3, Bird in Hand, and Two in the Bush. The deepest snow was in Alta 1, but I didn't ski it very well. At the bottom I declared it "Alta 1, Phillip 0."
I made ravioli and pizza for dinner and then we went next door to the Grand Teton Music Festival and listened to Time for Three, advertised as "not your average string trio. These young guys, two on violin, and one on double bass, perform everything from Bach to the Beatles, from bluegrass to Brahms." Alexa and I thought it was the best concert we had ever been to, but Nick said he liked Entrain better. Of course, Nick did sleep through the entire second set tonight. But that was better than Michael, who fell asleep during the second song they played. Anyhow, for less than the price of lunch at most ski resorts we got to hear a very entertaining concert. The day started and ended on a high note and wasn't too shabby in between.
Mimi decided my three kids needed to try some powder skis today and so she and Frank rented Bandit 2's for the biguns and some nice fat Rossignols for Nick. Nick's old skis were way to short--I didn't realize he had grown so much since last year--and Alexa and Michael had good skis for New England's stiffer conditions, but not so good for Jackson Hole. The rental skis were a big hit and I think we have three more converts to Fatties.
We did a couple more runs including Tower Three Chute and Study Plots before going in for an early lunch. Alexa is still suffering a cold and had trouble breathing when skiing hard. So after lunch she and Michelle stayed at the Teton Club and took a nap and soaked in the hot tubs. The rest of us took the tram to the top and had an awesome run down the Bowl. I declared it the best run of the year (even if the year so far consisted of only two ski days for me). Then we skied Alta 3, Bird in Hand, and Two in the Bush. The deepest snow was in Alta 1, but I didn't ski it very well. At the bottom I declared it "Alta 1, Phillip 0."
I made ravioli and pizza for dinner and then we went next door to the Grand Teton Music Festival and listened to Time for Three, advertised as "not your average string trio. These young guys, two on violin, and one on double bass, perform everything from Bach to the Beatles, from bluegrass to Brahms." Alexa and I thought it was the best concert we had ever been to, but Nick said he liked Entrain better. Of course, Nick did sleep through the entire second set tonight. But that was better than Michael, who fell asleep during the second song they played. Anyhow, for less than the price of lunch at most ski resorts we got to hear a very entertaining concert. The day started and ended on a high note and wasn't too shabby in between.
ALEXA
I'm really tired.... my legs aren't in skiing shape and I'm still a little sick. When we stepped off the plane and walked down the steps and into the airport (they don't have those attatchment thingys that you walk through) I remembered why I love it out here so much. It was snowing softly and the air smelled so fresh and nice.
Yesterday was the first day I've skied all season. We skied with my cousins and aunt and uncle. It was fun, as usual. When we were in line for the tram early in the morning, my dad was acting like possibly the most embarassing person on Earth. In front of us there was a group of 6 boys, one of which I recognized as a sophmore from WHS and another that I knew from middle school. I discreetly pointed this out to my father and when we next passed them as the line snaked through the corral, he turned to the latter boy and said "so you're (name with held)!" The boy just looked at him like "who are you? don't talk to me" and i just pretended I wasn't with him. The thing dad doesn't get is that I know the boy's name, but I have never talked to him in my life, and frankly I have no desire to. I just hope we don't see him around the Club, but I think he's staying here because I saw him here last year.
Today was really really fun! In the morning we got all of packs (to carry skis; we were planning on hiking the Headwall, but it was closed) and peips (transievers to find people who are buried in case of an avalanche). Luckily we didn't need to use the peips, but I always feel kinda cool when I'm wearing one. We went OB (out of bounds of the resort) and skied a bowl called Rock Springs. It was amazing! I did the same run last year and it was my first time going OB and this time it was my brothers' and my cousins' first times. Last year I was a little nervous because it definitely is more dangerous, but this year I wasn't really all that nervous. My aunt and uncle live here and they know when it's safe or not and they know what precautions should be taken, so I mean i trust them completely, but there were some other skier and boarders that didn't seem to know proper safety for skiing OB and I was kinda wary of them.
In the afternoon I stayed back at the Club with my cousin Michelle because I was really tired and wasn't feeling too well. It was really scary: when we were skiing one of the shoots [chutes --ed.] all of the sudden I like, couldn't breathe and had to sit down and have a little coughing fit. So the two of us went down to the slopeside hot tubs and watched other skiers. Then we had a solitare marathon and we were sick, we won almost every time. Then tonight we're going to see a string trio in the village and it sounds like they're wicked good.
Yesterday was the first day I've skied all season. We skied with my cousins and aunt and uncle. It was fun, as usual. When we were in line for the tram early in the morning, my dad was acting like possibly the most embarassing person on Earth. In front of us there was a group of 6 boys, one of which I recognized as a sophmore from WHS and another that I knew from middle school. I discreetly pointed this out to my father and when we next passed them as the line snaked through the corral, he turned to the latter boy and said "so you're (name with held)!" The boy just looked at him like "who are you? don't talk to me" and i just pretended I wasn't with him. The thing dad doesn't get is that I know the boy's name, but I have never talked to him in my life, and frankly I have no desire to. I just hope we don't see him around the Club, but I think he's staying here because I saw him here last year.
Today was really really fun! In the morning we got all of packs (to carry skis; we were planning on hiking the Headwall, but it was closed) and peips (transievers to find people who are buried in case of an avalanche). Luckily we didn't need to use the peips, but I always feel kinda cool when I'm wearing one. We went OB (out of bounds of the resort) and skied a bowl called Rock Springs. It was amazing! I did the same run last year and it was my first time going OB and this time it was my brothers' and my cousins' first times. Last year I was a little nervous because it definitely is more dangerous, but this year I wasn't really all that nervous. My aunt and uncle live here and they know when it's safe or not and they know what precautions should be taken, so I mean i trust them completely, but there were some other skier and boarders that didn't seem to know proper safety for skiing OB and I was kinda wary of them.
In the afternoon I stayed back at the Club with my cousin Michelle because I was really tired and wasn't feeling too well. It was really scary: when we were skiing one of the shoots [chutes --ed.] all of the sudden I like, couldn't breathe and had to sit down and have a little coughing fit. So the two of us went down to the slopeside hot tubs and watched other skiers. Then we had a solitare marathon and we were sick, we won almost every time. Then tonight we're going to see a string trio in the village and it sounds like they're wicked good.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Phillip: First day on skis
This was our first day on skis since our vacation here last winter. Most years we would have 12 or more days skiing in Vermont before coming out west, but this year... Anyhow, there was 8" of freshies on the ground this morning so we took the tram-a-lama-ding-dong to the top and had a great run down Rendezvous Bowl. The visibility was good and the snow was light.
Everyone looked good. Mimi and Frank are amazing as usual, but the rest of us skied well too. Changes from last year: 1) Nick seems to have outgrown his skis. 2) Melissa is now airing it out off every bump, showing Nick where the good hits are. 3) Frank is skiing new "Bro" skis that are really fat and straight. Only 50 or so have been made and each is numbered. Frank requested that his have number "55" even though they were actually pair number 48 or something like that. When we asked why he chose 55, he said he show us after dinner.
The North Hoback was really nice in the morning, mostly untracked powder. We took a short cut to get there, just a narrow path through the woods, with whoop-de-doos and branches you have to duck under. Michelle and Melissa call it "Mr Frog's" after Mr Toad's Wild Ride, the traverse into Casper Bowl. We also skied powder in Ten Sleep, Cirque and "Moron" Woods. After lunch we skied bumps in Bivouac Woods and on Ranger under the Gondola. So by the end of the day my legs were beat. Our last run was Saratoga Bowl; on the AV chair up we reminsced about a couple of years ago when I took Nick there for the last run of the day and froze his fingers, encouraged him to jump off a rock and hurt his leg, and thoroughly made him miserable. Today was much better, but Nick fell on the traverse out, lost a ski, and sort of hurt his ankle. So he still doesn't like Saratoga.
I feel old. I've had all sorts of minor aches and injuries in the last year, starting with the pulled calf muscle towards the end of last our last ski trip out here. Then I had a groin pull trying to play a game of pick-up soccer with the kids during the summer. Then just before my karate test this December I pulled a hamstring. Now I have tendenitis in the elbow and am feeling sorry for myself. Perhaps something good can come of all this, because I am trying to ski smarter and smoother and be easy on my body instead of just muscling [?] the skis down the mountain.
Apres ski was beer and chips while the kids hot tubbed. Then off to Mimi and Frank's for a super chicken dinner out of her new slow cooker. Then Frank showed us the video that inspired the 55 on his skis. It's called Shfifty-Five; check it out at http://www.ebaumsworld.com/schfiftyfive.html. Frank told me there was another funny clip at the same site, but that it wasn't appropriate to watch with the kids. In the car back to the Teton Club, Alexa told me Frank must have been refering to "End of the World" at the same site. So much for protecting high schoolers from swear words. To judge for yourself, go to http://www.ebaumsworld.com/endofworld.html and click "start."
Before I go to bed I need to put the batteries in the transceivers and pack my shovel and probe. We are planning to take the kids up the Headwall. Don't worry, Mom.
Everyone looked good. Mimi and Frank are amazing as usual, but the rest of us skied well too. Changes from last year: 1) Nick seems to have outgrown his skis. 2) Melissa is now airing it out off every bump, showing Nick where the good hits are. 3) Frank is skiing new "Bro" skis that are really fat and straight. Only 50 or so have been made and each is numbered. Frank requested that his have number "55" even though they were actually pair number 48 or something like that. When we asked why he chose 55, he said he show us after dinner.
The North Hoback was really nice in the morning, mostly untracked powder. We took a short cut to get there, just a narrow path through the woods, with whoop-de-doos and branches you have to duck under. Michelle and Melissa call it "Mr Frog's" after Mr Toad's Wild Ride, the traverse into Casper Bowl. We also skied powder in Ten Sleep, Cirque and "Moron" Woods. After lunch we skied bumps in Bivouac Woods and on Ranger under the Gondola. So by the end of the day my legs were beat. Our last run was Saratoga Bowl; on the AV chair up we reminsced about a couple of years ago when I took Nick there for the last run of the day and froze his fingers, encouraged him to jump off a rock and hurt his leg, and thoroughly made him miserable. Today was much better, but Nick fell on the traverse out, lost a ski, and sort of hurt his ankle. So he still doesn't like Saratoga.
I feel old. I've had all sorts of minor aches and injuries in the last year, starting with the pulled calf muscle towards the end of last our last ski trip out here. Then I had a groin pull trying to play a game of pick-up soccer with the kids during the summer. Then just before my karate test this December I pulled a hamstring. Now I have tendenitis in the elbow and am feeling sorry for myself. Perhaps something good can come of all this, because I am trying to ski smarter and smoother and be easy on my body instead of just muscling [?] the skis down the mountain.
Apres ski was beer and chips while the kids hot tubbed. Then off to Mimi and Frank's for a super chicken dinner out of her new slow cooker. Then Frank showed us the video that inspired the 55 on his skis. It's called Shfifty-Five; check it out at http://www.ebaumsworld.com/schfiftyfive.html. Frank told me there was another funny clip at the same site, but that it wasn't appropriate to watch with the kids. In the car back to the Teton Club, Alexa told me Frank must have been refering to "End of the World" at the same site. So much for protecting high schoolers from swear words. To judge for yourself, go to http://www.ebaumsworld.com/endofworld.html and click "start."
Before I go to bed I need to put the batteries in the transceivers and pack my shovel and probe. We are planning to take the kids up the Headwall. Don't worry, Mom.
Phillip: We made it!
Mimi, Frank, Melissa, and Michelle came to the Jackson Hole airport to meet us at 1:30 yesterday afternoon. They waited and waited but didn't see us. Finally, they went home and got our message: We wouldn't land in Jackson until 7:30. Back in Chicago, we volunteered to be bumped from our flight and take a later one through Dallas to Jackson. Sitting in the back of the plane next to the noisy jet engine, I wondered if we did the right thing, but when I calculated that an extra 6 hours of travel just earned me about what I take home from work in a week, I felt more comfortable. We discovered an unexpected bonus when we landed: while everyone else crowded around the luggage carousel, we just walked over and picked up our bags which arrived 6 hours earlier.
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Jackson Hole 2005
Our family is leaving for Jackson Hole on Saturday. While on vacation, each of us will write a daily report and post it to this blog (http://jacksonhole2005.blogspot.com/) so our friends, family, and teachers can read about our activities.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)