February 8
It snowed last night, and the six inches on the Burn waited for us at 9:00 AM as we pointed out skis downhill and moved through the new powder. Mike looked like he was walking in the park, and the rest of the group also skied well in the untracked powder. Later, we skied to Alpine Springs and danced over and around the undulations that make up Lodge Pole and Naked Lady Trails. Around noon, Vicki and I headed down the mountain to lunch at our hotel and needed rest while the rest of the group skied to Two Creeks Lodge for lunch and afternoon skiing.
Last night, Ben and I drove our cars from the underground garage along the winding Brush Creek Road to Highway 82. Ben saw the sign for Smith Road, but I didn’t. After backtracking, I arrived on time for our reservation at the iconic Woody Creek Tavern.! Made famous by Hunter Thomson and other known locals, the place hadn’t changed much since I had been there thirty years ago. The menu and prices had been upgraded, but that was to be expected. Vicki and I split a Prime Rib dinner, which was delicious. It was a fun place, and I am glad we went.
Driving back to Snowmass, we passed over the Roaring Fork River, where my late friend Kevin O’Grady and I used to launch our kayaks for the Woody Creek Run, a ten-mile bouncy class III trip to Basalt. The River was low now, but it still called to me.
There is some new snow on the mountain, so we should have a good day. The rest of the group leaves tomorrow, and Vicki and I will take a rest day.