Tag: 2012

Sundance Resort Opening Weekend

It finally snowed a good 8 inches and it was glorious. Shoveling the deck and figuring out how to use the snowblower, two awful tasks in my opinion, were actually pleasant this morning because of the beautiful blanket of white on everything. Now, snow in and of itself isn’t actually that amazing – its what you can do with it that truly inspires. Snowboarding!

Sundance Resort opened this weekend with limited access. Ray’s Lift to Midway and the tow rope were the only lifts open. I’m a back mountain rider so normally the limited access would have dampened my snowboarding spirits. But not today. The wait had just been too long from last season, plus the weather was perfect.

The flakes fell fat and slow all day, leaving powder caches along even the bunny slope. Strapping on my board for the first run of the season, I felt the nerves building. Would I remember how this all worked or would I find myself sprawled out on the snow like a newbie?

I took the first few turns nice and slow. A smile came unbidden to my face and could have giggled with glee at the feeling of sliding down the mountain again. My speed picked up and my body remembered all the movements it had no use for since April. Soon, I felt like an old pro, the queen of the mountain. I had forgotten how much fun it is to snowboard.

Now I’m hooked once again to this crazy sport. I’ve gotta say, I’m looking forward to a great season!

Harvest Festival

Sundance hosted a Harvest Festival this past Saturday. The music was bluegrass. Stalls sold boutique jewelry, handbags, photography, vegetables, wood crafts and even furniture. Sundance chefs provided the food and the lift was in full swing. Big E particularly enjoyed the Screech owl on display thanks to the local wildlife rescue. It was so cute!

I enjoyed the music and was so excited to see a Gluten Free food stand with samples. Big E is allergic to wheat so we rarely find things he can eat at places like that. I was so excited to give him a cookie that it was only when he was coughing, spitting and getting a rash that I realized my mistake. These cookies had eggs and nuts in them, other allergy foods that we avoid normally. So, we ended the lovely festival by racing home as fast as possible to get Big E some medicine. He’s fine now but I still feel like a bad mom. At least he doesn’t hold grudges, if he can forgive me I’ll make sure to forgive myself.

Red, Yellow, Green and All Colors Between

On a hike this past Sunday the whole fam got out to enjoy the fall colors. Little g did good in the pack, probably because Mountain Dad had her this time. In the pack with me is another story. The trail we did was the Sundance trail to Stewart Falls. I love hiking this trail, even though I have yet to make it to the falls with the tots. It’s nice because there’s a river that runs alongside for a while, a great distraction for tired tiny hikers. This time of year is especially nice since the colors exploded on the scene. Looking at the mountainside, it’s as if Monet painted an amazing impressionist painting using treetops as brushstrokes.

Autumn Leaves

Big E, little g and I walked on the Stewart Falls hike yesterday to enjoy the beautiful fall colors. There are few places on earth as lovely as the mountains at Sundance at any time of year, but in the fall it is spectacular. Just driving in the canyon you can see exploding reds, oranges and yellows set against the green if the pines. The colors alone deserve a trip even without enjoying the fresh air, the bubbling brook, or the laughter of my little kids.