shave ice & gelato

Brrrrr ~ it's FREEZING!! This time for real. -10 on the mountain right now. Hopefully it will warm up soon. I am in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Arrived yesterday and it was snowing!! First time I have been in snow in 16 years.

My flight was short compared to the long 24+ hour treks to Italy but with a screaming kid a few rows in front of me, it sured seemed like that flight would never end. Even though I hit the jackpot, ending up with an empty seat next to me, I probably only ended up sleeping for about 2 hours.

Our plane arrived at 8:40 am. My aunt & uncle were there to pick me up. We headed to breakfast, did some shopping, and then did the long drive up to Steamboat. It was so much fun being out in the snow. Here's a little photo journey of my day.

It was dark when we arrived, so no photos of Steamboat yet.

Skiing today!! Have a great one and stay warm!

I have gone skiing twice now, last Friday and yesterday. I would be on the slopes again today but the snow situation up on the mountain is pretty dismal. Snow gods, please make it snow before I leave.

The good thing about the lack of snow is that the mountain was empty both days that we skied. At times, my uncle and I had an entire run to ourselves. Yesterday, we decided to ski all the way down to the bottom and take the gondola up again a second time. The guy checking tickets remembered us!

The ski area really has done a wonderful job grooming the runs and making snow but there just have been too many days gone by now with no new snow. Although we did manage to find a few great spots to ski, many of the runs are icy and there are spots where grass, dirt, rocks, and even a tiny bit of a creek are showing through. One of the easy runs we did was like an obstacle course, negotiating between rocks and ice patches as we skied down.

I still had a fantastic time both days. I was a little worried that I would not remember how to ski when I first got on my skis last Friday, but if I ran into any problems, at least I knew the rescue St.Bernards were out in force...

It really was just like riding a bike though. After about 15 minutes, it all cam back to me. I am not a great skier but I can hold my own on blue runs and could probably do a few black diamonds if I was brave enough and the snow was better. The workouts I did prior to coming to Steamboat to get in shape for skiing made a huge difference, especially when skiing on icy patches. The only body part I neglected, which I realized was an important part of skiing was my thumbs!

My uncle and I took a lot of photos last Friday. It was colder on Monday, so I only took a few photos that day. Hopefully I will be back on the slopes again before returning to Hawaii if the 20% 30% 20% chance of snow this week happens.

Taking the gondola up...

Thunderhead (where the gondola lets everyone off)...

Taking the lift up to the top of the mountain...

Me at the top...

Skiing (sometimes the wrong way!)...

On Christmas morning, the temperature was...

It's cloudy out today. Hoping that means SNOW!

Late Tuesday afternoon, we went out to Carpenter Ranch for a wagon ride and dinner. The original plan was to go on a sleigh ride but there was not enough snow on the ground for a sleigh ride. It was pretty chilly outside when we arrived. Everyone bundled up, putting on extra layers, ski pants, jackets, hats, gloves/mittens, scarves, etc. There were about 40 people invited so we ended up going in two shifts. I was nice and warm sitting in a hay bale under a warm blanket. Beautiful horses, fun ride, nice scenery, and great company.

The other night after our wagon ride and dinner, we went outside to fly two sky lanterns.

They are like miniature hot air balloons. It was pretty dark outside, so my photos are not the greatest.

Tonight is my last night in Steamboat. We will drive down to Denver tomorrow, stay overnight, and then my aunt and uncle are dumping me at the airport for my flight home. I have had a great time this week. I have done a lot of things I have not done for a very long time. This will be a vacation I will not forget.

Buon Anno! ~ Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! ~ Happy New Year everyone!

Wishing you all the best in 2012!!

Continuing with my Steamboat trip....

Since there was little snow to be found in town on Friday, we went in search of winter to go snowshoeing, something else I have not done in a really long time.

My uncle got a head start, riding his bike.

We met him in Clark at the Clark Store. While we were waiting, I took a bunch of photos that I will share in another post. After my uncle arrived and loaded his bike in the car, we headed on, climbing altitude a bit towards Hahns Peak to find more snow and a place to go snowshoeing.

First, we went to Steamboat Lake, but all the places to park charged a daily $7 fee park pass. We decided to try another area nearby instead. Our fun began though before leaving the Steamboat Lake area when we got stuck in a ditch. Fortunately, I was with experienced snow people and we eventually were able to get the car out of the ditch (of course with no help by me, who sat in the car wondering if we would be there all night freezing in the cold car). Here's the evidence of the ditch we were stuck in.

After a short drive, we arrived at the Pearl Lake parking area. There we found the same sign, charging a $7 daily park pass fee. We parked outside the little parking lot, hoping that way, we would not have to pay that fee since we were only going to be there for a few hours at most.

I have only snowshoed a couple of times before. It is a lot like hiking. This time I was in much better shape and was excited for the outdoor adventure. My uncle & I snowshoed while my aunt went on cross country skis.

It was a little chilly when we first got our gear on, but with the activity level, it warmed right up as long as we were in the sun. I took my DSLR camera with me, which meant I could not fall. That along with trying to figure out how to pee without getting any on my snowshoes in the snow were my two big challenges. I took lots of photos along the way (none of me peeing of course!).

My aunt...

My uncle...

My snowshoes...

My tracks...

Almost every day while I was in Steamboat, the weather was sunny with beautiful blue skies. There even were a few warm days (or at least warm for wintertime in the mountains - 40's rather than in the teens and below). Of course, the one day my aunt & I decided to walk around downtown, the skies were gray. Even so, I think these photos capture winter and the Christmas spirit in downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Looking towards the ski area...

I took this one quickly while in the middle of the road, crossing the street...

Howelsen Hill behind a group of shops...

Close up of Howelsen Hill, a famous spot for ski jumping...

Looking towards Sleeping Giant (west end of town)...

I mentioned in my snowshoeing post that I took a bunch of photos outside while waiting for my uncle to arrive.

I took these around the corner and towards the back of the store...

This sign hangs out on the deck of the store. I don't think ice cream is served this time of year.

While my uncle was loading his bike into the car, I took a bunch of photos trying to capture the ice melting. Here are a few of my favorites.

...and here is a close up of that last drip

While in Steamboat this summer, I was fortunate to be able to take a bunch of photos of some beautiful horses. Here are four of my favorite close-ups. What magnificent creatures they are!

Santa and his reindeer...

...and me skiing up on the mountain!

My aunt and I spent a fun afternoon at a friend of a friend's house getting to see their brand new baby alpaca (2 or 3 days old) while I was in Steamboat during my winter vacation.

mom & baby

...the baby

...the mom

We also spent a little time visiting some of the young alpacas...

This little guy (or gal) was my favorite! He was so curious, coming right up to me trying to check out my camera!

Aren't they precious?

I just realized today's date! This post has nothing to do with anything Irish... but still, I would like to wish everyone a Happy St. Paddy's Day!!