It was a bluebird day with good snow as Vicki, Al, Todd, Dean, and I ran down the lower slot. We had met Dean, the husband of the former head of the dining room at our hotel, by chance, and he wanted to make a few runs with us. A former ski racer on the mountain more than 100 days a season, Dean makes skiing steep runs like walking down the street.
Did we find Valhalla, the mysterious ski run Al had been looking for all week? No, but it was a fun treasure hunt! We all had some terrific runs despite the snowboarders running slopes on Big Burn non-stop. Soon, the morning was over, and we said goodbye to the guys who would fly to Pittsburg the next day. We all hoped to reunite at Snowmass next year.
After a nap, I got ready, and Vicki and I went for an early dinner at Venga Venga. Beads and beads were in fashion as it was Fat Tuesday. It was an interesting place with a lot of locals and their families. Ski kids seem well-behaved in restaurants and stores. Is this true? I am still determining.
Vicki had happy hour tacos, and I ordered some enchiladas, which we split. I had a happy hour Coors in a can, and we shared some guacamole dip. As my friend Dennis Humphrey would say, the meal was marginal, but it was fun hanging out at Venga Venga.
The morning had featured some challenging runs, so I was tired and fell asleep early. That was fine, except I was wide awake around midnight. Eventually, I went back to sleep. Vicki has picked up my cold; fortunately, two ski days remain.
I had told Al his skiing was elegant, but he laughed and denied it. When he told me he formerly sang and played the guitar, the pieces began to fall into place. The man had rhythm, and it showed on the slopes!
for John Angier