Day 2 at Steamboat (Sun 17 Feb)

This AM Steamboat was advertising 4 inches of new snow and a chance of snow all day. On our first run we (Dan and I) found that there was more like 12 inches already in the high country. Everybody on the mountain was going crazy blasting thru the virgin powder all over the mountain. Throughout the day, snow clouds covered the top of the mountain while it was often sunny near the base. Sometines the snow clouds were low and we could see the sun above while it snowed. Othertimes the the snow clouds were thick and all we could see was dark white and snow. But all times it was another great powder day.

Yesterday and today Dan and I explored our limits. Yesterday we were skiing the high XX trails from the highest peak at Steamboat. Dan (skiing with one bad ski) got spooked in an area called Christmas Tree Bowl. It's real steep and had a lot of hazzards, like cliffs, trees, and boulders that one should not ski over and other cliffs, trees, and boulders that one must ski thru. After one run down it, he didn't want to do it again. (I guess I found an easier line down than he did.) Today, on new skis, we did the same trail twice and both had fun doing it. On the other hand, Dan was trying for two days to get be to follow him down a nearby area called The Chutes. For me, I don't like chutes - narrow steep drops framed by rocks or other hard sharp stuff - no mistakes tolerated. Back at Vail, Dan was the only one of us to ski off the 200 ft drop called Lover's Leap. He just did a sequence of turns and eventually slowed and stopped down below. I never even considered it. When I stood on the lip and looked down, my knees got weak and I couldn't breath. At the end of the day today, we got to the highest point of Steamboat just as they closed off the trails we intended to take, and one of the few remaining ways to get down was thru - The Chutes. Well, I did it. I liked the parts before the actual chute and after the actual chute a lot. As for the actual chute part, I did it OK. And I could do it again (if I have to).

After skiing today, Dan and I went to the Hot Springs (see post below) again. This time, after dark (clothing optional). Sorry, no pictures. But we did have an interesting discussion of the Theory of Objectivism vs. a System of Well-Regulated Capitalism with some other hot spring soakers.

Tomorrow we head to Utah - Park City - in the mountains outside Salt Lake City. My son Ray and his girlfriend, Anita, will join us for the Utah segment of the Adventure.