Colorado Blog 2020

The morning started under blue skies and mild temps. It will be another snow melt day. To start off, we went to breakfast at the Sunshine Restaurant. They have great pancakes. After breakfast we walked by the lake and then went to the Silverthorne Recreational center and walked/ran on the track. After returning home we had a big lunch and then went to Keystone to see the crowds. All of the parking lots including the North lot were filled and they were sending the overflow to something called the Blue Power Line lot. I have no idea where this was. At the Mountain house, the crowds were unbelievable. I have   never seen so many kids and families. Glad we didn’t try and go skiing today. Around 4pm, we went to the Dam Brewery for cocktails before going to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner. It was a long and tiring day. Tomorrow is suppose to be more of the same weather conditions.

Today is the start of a long weekend. With the great snow and now mild temps, the slopes will be CROWDED. Early this morning you could see long lines of cars coming off I70 and heading to Keystone. The parking lots filled up by 9:30am and they were being told to use mass transit namely the Summit Stage. The Summit Stage hasn’t been able to fill all of the driver positions and they had to cut service. So I am not sure that will be an alternative this weekend. The temp reached into the mid 40s this afternoon which caused a lot of melting. I think this is the start of the Spring Thaw. We tries to go to the Dam for cocktails. But after spending about 15 minutes looking for a parking space, we decided to go home. We had beer and wine with chips for our cocktails. on our patio   I think it will be a long weekend.

It appears a snow squall came thru at the Keystone Resort because when we got there at 8:30am, a fresh coat of snow covered the groomed trails. Because of the light, the skiing conditions were terrible. We only skied about 4 or 5 runs before we called it a day. At the Summit House it appeared that they were getting ready for a outdoor lunch party for the Go Big Burger.   In the afternoon, I went to the Dam Brewery to make arrangements for my Leap Year birthday party. Drinks and appetizers on me from 4pm to 6pm (Happy Hours). I had about 30 of my friends at the bar and we had a good time singing Happy Birthday. While my birthday is really on Saturday, we had it today because that is when everyone was available. Maybe I will celebrate again on Saturday

No new snow overnight, but the temps started the day around minus 4 at 7am. We went to Keystone and found NO ONE at the Summit House. I guess this is what it looks like when the temp on the mountain is minus 11. We started to ski but we had to warm up at the Mountain House after every run. There was a little wind to deal with, so I guess the wind chill was even lower. We were only able to ski for about 1 ½ hours and called it a day and enjoyed a hot chocolate at the base. The afternoon temp did however geto the high teens. We may have a little overnight snow but the temps are scheduled to start in the low 20s tomorrow morning.

It was another NO ski day. The wind was whipping around at 40 MPH and brought white out conditions again. It was hard to determine the amount of new snow because of the wind. In addition, the temp never got about 12 degrees and the wind chill factor was below zero all day. I was able to get out and drive by the lake and you can see where the town piles the snow into big mountains sometimes eliminating one of the driving lanes. Also, many of the bus stations were empty because of a shutdown of bus service yesterday and parts of today all because of the wind and whiteout conditions. Breckenridge became the first ski resort to measure over 300 inches of snow so far this year with Copper Mtn closing in quickly on that mark. By the end of the day, the clouds started to break up and maybe, just maybe signs of a good day of skiing tomorrow.

Today was definitely not a ski day. We woke up to 6 new inches of snow, blowing snow, white out conditions and winds near 50 MPH. And around 8:30am, we started to receive emergency alerts on our phones for intense snow squalls lasting until 10:30am. It wasn’t until 12 noon that the snow stopped, but the winds continued. The only thing the day was good for was doing laundry and watching TV.   In the afternoon, we did get ready to go to the Dam. The bar was packed. I guess everyone had cabin fever and just wanted to get out.

The snow is back. Overnight we received 8 inches of snow. So in the morning I was out cleaning off the car. It snowed lightly during the day but increased in intensity in the late afternoon. Yesterday they had several events in Frisco. The first one was the annual Mardi Gras Dog parade. The local people dress up there dogs and parade them down Main St with winners in different categories. The other event was the tubing race at the Nordic center. Good thing the events weren’t today. In the late afternoon, we went to the Dam Brewery to meet some friends and talk about where we will ski tomorrow.

While it wasn’t a Blue Bird morning, it was 25 degrees warmer this morning. During the day, there was a lot of melting going on. After breakfast, we walked around the neighborhood and the lake. At the Post Office there were many icicles hanging over the windows and walkways. You would think they would try and remove them. As we walked pass the lake, we saw several fishing huts being setup. This is the first time that I saw ice fishing on the lake this year. Maybe tomorrow, I will try and go fishing myself. Clouds started moving in around 3pm. Snow is forecasted to start late tonight and continue all day on Sunday. This could make for a power day on Monday.

It was a Blue Bird morning and no snow overnight. However, it was a cold morning (-4 degrees). We went to Keystone and got first chair and that allowed us again to ski on groomed corduroy trails. We are definitely getting use to this. We skied to around 10:30am and at that time the trails were becoming busy with many more skiers. After lunch we went to Merdocks, which is a all in one department store. Inside, they have departments dedicated to guns, clothing, boots and even little chicks. We spent about an hour walking around the store without buying anything. I think the next time, we will buy out the store. It was another fun day. Tomorrow the snow is suppose to return.

After cleaning the car of about 2 inches of new snow overnight, we got ready to go to Keystone. Under clear blue skies and very cold temps ( -4 at 7am,)   we still decided to go. The trails were groomed and because of the cold, very few people on the slopes. It was wonderful. We skied about 2 hours and then went to the Mountain House for a HOT chocolate. By 11am, the temp had already risen to 15 degrees and we were able to remove some of our clothes. Later in the day, we went down to Georgetown for the swearing in of the honorary mayor   - Parker the Snow Dog. We also heard that the President was holding a rally in Colorado Springs this evening, but the event was already sold out. It was an exciting day. Lets hope we can have another similar day tomorrow.

It was a great morning because I didn’t have to clean my car. But tomorrow will be a different story. It was sunny all morning until 3pm when it started to snow again. We again went to Keystone and enjoyed the corduroy. The slopes had fewer people than yesterday. We skied about 2 hours and then came back to the condo. The headline in the newspaper was about the record marijuana sales in 2019 which totaled 1.75 billion dollars. In the afternoon, we went to Copper Mtn to visit the Woodward gym where people use this gym to train to become snowboarders. Overall, it was a great day.

Well I was right, another 2 inches of snow overnight. But the day was sunny and cold. It started out around 8 degrees and finished the day around 22 degrees. The sunshine allowed us to ski first tracks at Keystone. When we arrived around 8:15am, the snow cats were still out grooming some of the trails. When we got to the top, there was beautiful corduroy for us to ski on. We skied until 10:30am and then called it a day. In the afternoon, we went to the gym and stretched our tried body. We finished the day doing some food shopping and more laundry. Hopefully tomorrow will be more of the same.

We are all starting to say, SNOW SNOW GO AWAY. Overnight we had another 4 inches and light snow fell all day. Like yesterday, the only thing to do was read the newspaper and get ready for Happy Hour at the Dam. One very sad article was about 2 snowboarders killed in an avalanche near Vail. These avalanches are becoming common because of the record snows in February. At the ski resort of Breckenridge, they have received over 7 feet of snow since the beginning of the month with more on the way. So as we went to the Dam, the topic was all about SNOW. When we left,   the snow picked up in intensity. And with the forecast for more overnight snow, I will be out in the morning cleaning my car.

We had 3 inches of snow overnight and it continued all day. By 4pm, we had another 5 inches. The only thing to do this morning was stay in and watch the snow and in the afternoon go to the Dam Brewery for cocktails. Reading the newspaper, one of the events coming up is the Gumbo Cook Off at Keystone on Fat Tuesday Feb.25. The other pictures in the paper was from Breckridge and Keystone of the LONG lift lines this weekend. And that is why we don’t ski on the weekends. Hopefully because of the snow, many of the tourists will go home early. The forecast calls for the snow to continue into tomorrow.

The morning started under partly sunny skies and cold temps. And from the number of cars in the parking lot, you knew that everyway you go this weekend, it will be crowded. After breakfast, we walked pass the Arapahoe Café where there were many people waiting outside for breakfast. We then walked to the Dillon Ice Castle exhibit and again, long lines of people waiting for the opening. After lunch, we watched the many wind-surfers on the lake. There had to be at least 20 surfers speeding across the lake. We then went to Keystone to see the crowds at the resort. We arrived around 2:30pm and to our surprise it appeared everyone was leaving. I asked some of the skiers how the skiing was and they responded that the snow was good, but it became very windy, cold with light snow at the top.   By 3:30pm, it started to snow at the base. The forecast is calling for 8-10 inches of snow thru Monday morning.

Well we did get a blue bird morning, clear skies and 25 degrees. But with this came all of the Valentine and tourists to the mountains. First over 100 couples came to the Loveland Ski resort to get married. It is a ceremony performed at the top of the resort at 12,000 feet. At the Keystone Resort, they changed the times for bus service from starting at 8am to 6am. This was done because of the expected crowds this Valentine/President’s weekend. We went skiing but ended our day around 10am because of the craziest of the skiers and snow boarders. As we were leaving the resort, they had already closed the on-site parking lot and were directing the cars to a lot about 3 miles away. It will be a crazy weekend. All of the local restaurants were crowded for Happy Hour so we had our Happy Hour on our patio.

A snow cloud must develop in the early morning because again the ground and my car was snow covered. It was cloudy with about 2 inches of new snow. I have attached my car cleaning video that I have done each morning for the last 8 days. It takes a lot out of me. After cleaning my car, we went to Keystone. It was cold, windy, and cloudy morning with a light snow. While the trails were groomed, the light condition left much to be desired.   After about 3 runs, we called it a day. In the afternoon, we walked by the lake and watched the wind-skiers. They can get up to speeds of 20 mph across the lake. We were tried so we decided to stay in for the night. We are hoping for a blue bird morning.

Well it was another morning of cleaning off the car. It was supposed to be a sunny morning, but the forecast changed overnight. We received about 2 inches and the morning was snowy. So, we decided not to go skiing but we went to the Silverthorne Recreational Center and enjoyed the pool and track. This was our first visit this year and I think we will make this a weekly visit. After the center, we did a little food shopping and laundry. It cleared up in the afternoon, but continued to snow down in Denver . Maybe we will have a snow less night and MAYBE a sunny morning.

The day started under sunny skies but very cold temps. At 7am, it was -1. And yes we had a bit of snow overnight. Today’s headline was about a controlled blast that caused an avalanche near A-Basin that closed the highway for several hours. With that news we went to Keystone. We arrived around 8:30am at the Mountain House and were able to get first chair (well almost). Once at the top, we enjoyed corduroy on all of the trails and beautiful scenery. We took pictures from the Summit House with Lake Dillon and the mountains in the back round. While it was cold, we enjoyed the day. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for warmer temps and sunny skies.

We only received an additional 3 inches of snow during the day yesterday bringing the 24 hour total to 8 inches. We went to Keystone and along the way many of the streets have piles of snow piled up making travel difficult. When we got to the resort, the trees were covered with snow and tables hadn’t been cleared yet. The good thing about arriving early and skiing are the first tracks and power. Also, many of the trails are empty. During the day, very light snow fell with little accumulation. In the evening, we went to the Dam to discuss snow conditions. One story that we listened to was about the long lift lines at Vail. It seemed that at the top of the lift, there was over 8 feet of wind blown snow and the people had to be helped off one by one as they reached the top. The forecast for tomorrow calls for sunny skies. Maybe it will be great ski day.

While yesterday was a sunny day, in the evening it quickly became cloudy and began to snow. We woke up and we had 5 inches of new snow and it continued to snow all day. The idea of all this fresh power this weekend brought RECORD number of skiers to the mountains. They didn’t care that it took 4-5 hours for a normal 1 ½ trip. There was massive lift lines at Vail because of a shortage of operators and closures of many of the normal lifts because of wind and snow. It was taking over 2 hours to get on the lift. For us, we went to mass and then settled in and watched the snow and snow plows. The snow should end early tomorrow and maybe we will be able to get out.

When the sun rose this morning you could see the type of day we had yesterday. We had another 15 inches of snow. The snow was glistering and the snow plows were moving it into very large piles. In the afternoon, the plows were loading the snow onto trucks to make travel thru the streets easier. I70 was closing on and off for emergency trucks to remove all of the stranded cars from the highway, and there were a lot of them. The 2 day totals for Copper Mtn was 33.5 inches and Breckenridge was 40.5 inches of snow. Loveland Pass continues to be closed due to avalanches while the Loveland Ski Resort reopened at 10am this morning. Today turned out to be a sunny and mild day. However, another snow storm is forecasted for early Sunday morning. The snow plowers will be kept busy.

Overnight we received 17 inches of snow and more on the way. In the morning the snow continued and the wind really picked up. Gusts of 40 mph and above were felt.   All of the schools were closed and people stranded in their cars on I70 and other highways were being put up at the Recreational Center in Silverthorne. I70 has been closed off and on all day. The Department of Transportation are telling people to NOT attempt to come up into the mountains. At Copper Mtn, the Dew events scheduled for last night and today were cancelled. They will try and make everything up on Saturday. This event brings together all of the top snow boarders in the country. By mid afternoon, an additional 8 inches had fallen with another 5 tonight. For us, it was a long day in the condo. While the snow and wind is suppose to continue into Saturday morning, lets hope we will be able to get out before the next storm comes in Saturday night and Sunday.