Vail

I left work on a Tuesday evening, heading westbound into the mountains. Uncle Ed and Aunt Lisa on my mother's side of the family planned a family ski trip in Vail that week, and invited me to tag along--an offer too sweet to pass up!

An hour and a half drive put me in the heart of Vail, where I joined my aunt's cousins, the Dorfners, in a night of card games, booze, and "Aunt Pam's" chocolate pretzels. The Dorfners are a fun clan that immediately took me in as their own. They are the type of genuine and good-hearted people that could only come from one place: Pittsburgh.

Despite staying up too late the night before, we were up early Wednesday, eager to hit the slopes. It was my first time skiing Vail, and I was not disappointed. We were blessed with ideal conditions: bluebird skies, temperatures in the 40s, and no lines. The slopes were mostly groomed, which was fine for us East Coast skiers.

For me, the most attractive aspect of the mountain is the terrain. The enormous front side of the mountain funnels down into the European-inspired town. The back side, however, extends into a series of peaks and bowls--inspiring a feeling of being surrounded by wilderness and mountains, far removed from town. It's big, but not overwhelmingly so.

Despite the size of our group and the myriad of ages, I was glad that the Dorfners and I were all able to ski together. We spent the morning in Blue Sky Basin, a large area on the back side of the mountain. It took almost half an hour to navigate there via a series of lifts, gondolas, and trails. My favorite slope was Grand Review--a long, tree-lined trail that I could have skied over and over again.

After lunch, we skied the front side of the mountain. Simba and Avanti were crowd favorites.

We put in a full day of skiing (9am-3:30pm), tracking over 30 miles per my cousin Leanna's phone app. I felt satisfied to have skied hard, arguably the best I have in years. I was initially uncertain how I would feel about skiing Vail, but I have since concluded that it might be my new favorite mountain.

I was greetily tempted to stay the rest of the week with the Dorfners, but I had to return to life and work in Denver. Driving back at dusk, surrounded by the silhouettes of the mountains, left me with only one thought: how much it will break my heart to leave Colorado.

Summer in February

An unexpected warm spell hit mid-February with temperatures soaring into the 70s. I loved every minute of it.

On a sunny Saturday, Dana and I spent the afternoon in Boulder. We went to Chautauqua Park, which is where I hiked to the Royal Arch over the summer.

This time, however, Dana and I followed the 1st/2nd Flatiron Trail. Roughly a mile each way, the short trail was challenging on account of the elements. I quickly learned that spring in Colorado is referred to as "mud season" due to the snow melt. As we ascended the trail, the mud turned into ice. It was slow going, but we managed to stay on our feet! On top of that, the wind gusts were strong and powerful. Despite the difficulties, however, I enjoyed the time outdoors.











After the hike, Dana and I went brewery hopping in downtown Boulder. We tried out Walnut Brewery and West Flanders Brewing Co., the latter of which offers excellent Belgium-style beers.

That night, we watched musician Martin Sexton perform at the Boulder Theatre. Both venue and music were incredible. Martin is a talented and engaging musician, who I would be eager to see again.

The following weekend was free of work and filled with plans. Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins were in town. Dana and I met Anna and Alex at Rhein Haus for German brews before heading to the Pepsi Center to watch the game.

It was a strange sensation to see the Penguins play someplace other than Pittsburgh. Equally odd (nostalgic, really) was the amount of Pittsburgh fans at the game. Where have these people been hiding all this time?

The Colorado Avalanche were no match for the Pens--the game ended with a win of 4-1.

That Friday was particularly warm (hot, even), but that didn't stop Dana and I from checking out the ice skating rink downtown. The small rink had an ever-growing puddle in the center, which did not stop the eager children from plunging into.

From downtown, we biked over to Little Man Ice Cream in trendy LoHi. This famous spot is worth the wait, complete with enormous portion sizes and vegan flavors.

The last stop of the day was Call to Arms Brewing Company in the Berkley neighborhood of northwest Denver. It was one of those times when everything was just right--beer, weather, jams, and company.

That Saturday was gray and dreary, so I went for an afternoon drive and ended up in Boulder. I stopped at the Celestial Seasonings Tea Company at the suggestion of a co-worker, and was very impressed. The factory offers free informative tours, unlimited samples, and a delightful gift shop with ridiculously discounted teas. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone even remotely interested in tea. A must for any visitor!

Less than a mile down the road is Avery Brewing Co., bringing my brew list up to #32.

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Salida

Having a long weekend away from work equates to one thing in my mind: road trip. As a result, last weekend was spent in Dana's hometown of Salida.

Dana and I set off with Little Red on Thursday, traveling 2.5 hours southwest of Denver via highway 285. We drove through South Park, a flat grassland in the basin of the mountain ranges. The vast and windy area serves as the setting of the animated television series, South Park. As we reached Buena Vista, the snowy "collegiate peaks" loomed in front of us. This area has the highest concentration of 14,000' peaks in the U.S. The most notable include Mt. Princeton, Mt. Colombia, Mt. Yale, and Mt. Harvard.

We stopped at the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs for an afternoon soak. Though very cold outside (single-digit cold), the natural hot spring water was hot! The historic bath house has pools reaching up to 105 F while the network of creekside pools vary in temperature. Dana and I spent most of our time "pool hopping" in Chalk Creek until our skin shriveled up into raisins.

We arrived in Salida after just a short drive through Poncha Springs. Dana's mom, Alison, and cat, Xena, greeted us, and the three of us went to Amicas Pizzeria and Microbrewery.

On Friday, Dana and I skied Monarch Mountain. With only a 30-minute drive ahead of us, we were able to sleep in before heading out--a luxury not possible in Denver.

It was another frigid day, but the sun provided some warmth. Still, I resolved to warming up in the lodge after every couple of runs.



Monarch has received a ton of snow this winter, boasting a 90" base. This was seen in the pine trees that were caked with snow. And because it's not a high-volume mountain relative to those closer to the Front Range, it's possible to powder ski several days after a dumping.


























Spanning the Continental Divide at close to 12,000', the views from the top of the mountain were breathtaking.







Despite the cold weather, I had a positive first impression of Monarch, and would be eager to return. It is a good size, not crowded, and well-suited to my skill level.

On our way down, Dana and I earned our victory beers at Elevation Beer Co., before sharing a home-cooked dinner with Alison.

Saturday was slightly warmer, so Dana and I went for a morning jog. We met his step-father for lunch and spent the afternoon in historic downtown. At 7,000', the small mountain town sits at the base of Tenderfoot Hill ("S-Mountain"). Salid is structured in such a way that its street names make up the letters of the alphabet.

The Arkansas River attracts many tourists during the summer months for rafting and kayaking.

Dana and I stopped at Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub (#28 on my list) before sharing tapas and drinks with Alison at the Fritz.

On Sunday, we watched Roger Federer claim the Australian Open title before meeting Dana's friend, Anna, for breakfast at Shallots. Then it was back to Denver, where we were greeted by temperatures reaching 60 F!
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