Back from the Mountains and Hello 2011!

David R.

January 1, 2011 - 2:48 PM

It's nice to be back home, but part of me misses being up in the mountains and I had a blast like I always do. It's safe to say I got my fill of thrill while I was there, as our group that went out on the slopes skied/snowboarded more double black runs than anything else. The light was flat for the majority of the time, making it difficult to see the variations in the terrain on the open runs, so we decided to hit the back country and make our own trails on the terrain less traveled by. The last few days I was there it snowed like crazy, helping to cover up the few icy spots on the mountain. Coming home yesterday took a little longer than usual because the roads were in bad shape due to the storm. No one likes to spend more time in the car than they have to but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. This year I got my first experience of the village crepe shack. We went there for dinner one night and it was delicious. I crushed a dinner crepe stuffed with BBQ pork, followed by a desert crepe stuffed with bananas and nutella. I can't believe I've been missing out for the last eight years and I will certainly be a repeat customer next year.

After I got back home yesterday I took care of a few things around the house before I headed up to Fort Collins for the night to celebrate the coming of a new year. I particularly enjoyed being in Fort Collins this year because I am usually in the mountains celebrating New Years. This was the first time in nine years that I was able to celebrate a New Year's eve somewhere other than the Rocky Mountains. The new year festivities in Beaver Creek are fun, but I have seen them for nine years in a row and enjoying them requires one to stand outside in sub zero temperatures(not really my thing). Last night was a good night to not be outside in the mountains, as I was informed before departing that it was supposed to be -13 degrees in Beaver Creek.

I left Denver at around five and made it up about an hour and a half later. The second half of the drive was slightly more uncomfortable because I was crammed in the back seat between two people that we had to pick up on the side of the highway. Our friend's little brother and two of his friends were on their way up to Fort Collins when they got a flat tire on the highway. Apparently the road side assistant left as quickly as he arrived after breaking all of his tools. Regardless, we made it to our destination and had a great time. I enjoyed the satisfaction of some quality beer and being able to see some people from high school that I haven't seen in a while. The breaks always fly by so it's nice to see everyone while I can.

2011 is here and it's already almost time for me to head back to Oregon and get back in the grind of school again. My flight leaves tomorrow night and I'll get back to Eugene just in time for school to start on Monday. This term won't be as grueling, as I'm taking one class less, and with the BCS game right around the corner the buzz around campus should be awesome. The break has been great but I'm excited to get back to the Eug!