Riding Log: Day 6 (Vail)

So … finally… we were at Vail. My favorite resort due to it’s vast bowls and variety of terrain… but… my legs were shot from the day before, my ego was shot because of my Rome Blue, and my emotions were shot when I was taken into terrain I wasn’t handling as well as I know I could… and then my knee was shot when I fell… and my foot was facing – BEHIND ME.

A quick cry later… I felt a bit better and we began our decent into the back bowl… through some unmarked gated area. It wasn’t bad… it was steep, it was soft, it had trees, it had traverse… then it had a gully… and I chose the lesser of the two inclines which had me fallowing Andy. Before I knew it we were needing to pass this awkward ravine… which Andy did barely… and I did … not at all.

I found myself more than 1/2 where there but on my butt. I knew there was no traversing out at that angle… so I unstrapped ready to hike it to my brother-in-law. And that’s when hell started. The snow gave underfoot and I was sliding down. It was only about 10-12 feet but … the hike up felt impossible. A Combination of the dry snow and thin air had me struggling. I managed to use my board as an ice pick and make foot holes. I was within about a hands length from Andy… when I slid down again. I was running out of terrain to climb. An ice face sat under all this dry snow. Finally Andy began to climb down… making foot holes for me… and I started my way up… (a third time) make foot holes as well. I finally managed to get high enough to hand him my board and climb the rest of the way up. My emotions were so nuts at that moment… I almost began to full on cry. Just with relief. Andy understood and did an amazing job keeping me calm… taking deep breaths, helping me collect myself and finding our way down… which we finally did. Paul had already headed down… God forbid he wait and see if I’m okay… but Jerry stayed and was laughing… but in a way that suggested he was kinda worried for a sec. All was well in the world… except me… who felt like a 80 year old smoker unable to catch her breath.

After a few runs we broke for lunch where I stuffed my face with a burger and fries… Paul got antsy and disappeared a la snowboard nazi and the rest of us lapped Avanti chair. It’s a mellow blue run but people still seemed to have issue. No matter, we made the best of it… and then headed down our ice faced mogulful blacks down to the base where Paul was waiting beer in hand.

After scouting out the troops… we took some photos, piled into the good ole cars and headed back to Breck for a shower and some Moose playing antics! Good times were had by all… and left over bake ziti was consumed.


"See, the thing about snowboarding is it's not only the speed, and exhilaration; its finding who you are with the people you are with."