If the sight of the mighty Colorado Rockies sparkling in the first light of a crisp winter day doesn't get you in the mood for falling on your butt, nothing will. Rise and shine folks, miles and miles of America's best runs await on the slopes of Breckenridge, CO.
The seasoned veterans of many a black diamond run try to rev up the newbies with some reassuring words, like how it's so cold you won't be able to feel it when your bones shatter against an immovable pine tree.
Mei can't understand why she's stuck in the kiddie training zone. With hip flexibility like that the Giant Slalom beckons. Meanwhile Rock would settle for a Giant Burger from the grill that seems to be firing up in the pub at the bottom of the slope.
Conditions are magnificent. The perfect kind of weather for doing just enough runs to feel like you've earned the hot tub and beer that awaits after a day on the slopes.
Forget the finer points of the snowplow technique, just tell them there's a sausage sizzle at the bottom and they'll master this skiing thing in no time.
They don't call these the Rocky Mountains for nothing.
Beer o'clock already? The early winter sunset does have an upside.
After a hard day on the slopes, it's time to put the X back in the 2013 Winter X Games.
Day two means it's time to venture beyond the training slopes. Look on the bright side, when you wet yourself staring down a near vertical slope, at least it will freeze quickly.
Since you've been to Everest Base Camp you've already used up the Roof of the World moniker, and Roof of the Continent doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Still, the views from the top of Peak 9 are spectacular. Until you realize it comes with a price; the only way down looks a bit steeper than what Rock had in mind for a Blue designation.
Looks like they survived the harrowing descent. Whether Rock's dignity also survived whilst setting the world land speed record for butt sliding is another question.
Breck's little sister resort of Keystone has everything a self respecting ski town needs: cafes dishing up hearty bacon and eggs to fuel a day on the slopes, après bars splashing out gin and tonics to fuel a night on the town....
Forget mere bronze, with a couple more tumbles Rock will be immortalized in titanium, or at least his patella and femur will be.
After two days of shredding the slopes, or shredding one's tendons as the case may be, today is a recovery day of sorts. If you can call hurtling down an icy chute on an inflated tube a recovery.
A heated gondola cabin sure beats those chilly chairlifts. Mei could get used to this whole roughing it thing.
R. Cahan x 2.
They're even handing out hot cider at the top of the mountain. Is this a great country or what?
Will someone get these guys out of the way so I can enjoy the vista?
What happened in the hot tub stays in the hot tub boys. Especially if it has clogged up the drain.
Monday Morning Fever.
This somewhat disappointing effort isn't going to get anyone a call up for the X Games Big Air event. Come on guys, there's supposed to be less air resistance up here.
Now Rock can pay 30 bucks for the privilege of sliding down icy slopes on his ass.
Sure beats lugging your tube all the way back to the top on foot. If this ride was any easier Disney would sue them for plagiarism.
Celebrating another epic run. Hey if losing with style was good enough for the Jamaican Bobsled Team, it's good enough for Team Phat J00ster.
Sure it doesn't have the elegant lines of the four man bobsled, but with a few racing stripes and a shiny Swiss cross she'll be good to go.
They picked a good day to film the next Uniqlo Heat Tech ad.
It's a long way down. Thank goodness the gondola is two-way, unlike those pesky chairlifts.
Glamor on the piste. Celebrity sightings abound on the well worn path between the après bars and the private jet runway.
Cue the A-Team theme! After three epic days on the slopes, it's a miracle they have enough energy to make it back to the car. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time to nap while idling in the inevitable post-long weekend traffic crawling back towards Denver.
1 comment:
I do love that there is always a picture of a giant tray of food in front of Mei :)
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