Hitting the slopes

The guys in the family had a fun opportunity to go snowboarding last weekend.  Garry was selected (among many applicants) to volunteer at the Wells Fargo Ski Cup, and as a result got a free day of paid time off and two, two-day lift tickets for free!  Combined with Zach's fifth grade ski pass (which was also free), the three of them set out for a fun weekend for a LOT less than such a thing would usually cost.

They set out bright dark and early on Friday morning. Zach and Tyler were thrilled to miss school.  Despite recent snows, the weather was great until they approached ski country on I-70.  Then the roads were terrible and driving was very slow-going.  But they made it without needing chains.

Around 9:00 a.m., they pulled into the resort and began to get into their gear.  That's when they noticed that Zach's [brand new] ski pass was missing.  It had been on the dashboard when they arrived!  To make a long and sad story short, they shed many tears and sent up many prayers, but ultimately gave up on looking for the pass after 90 minutes.  Garry got a screamin' deal through Wells Fargo on a two-day kid's pass for $40. Zach is frustrated about repaying us for the expense, but at least he got to snowboard.

Anyway.

Garry taught Zach and Tyler a little about snowboarding before they all got started.  The boys had skied once before but never snowboarded, and Garry hadn't boarded since high school.  Zach struggled.  Tyler caught on quickly and was definitely the more confident and capable of the two on both days.  Garry and the boys were able to complete one run down the mountain before Garry had to get to his post for two hours of volunteering near the hospitality tent.  He gave directions and answered questions and guarded the Wells Fargo carriage while the boys had fun on their own, despite the cold (25º) and snowfall.

Once relieved of his duties at 2:00 p.m., Garry joined the boys on the slopes.  They had a fantastic time for the rest of the day.  The only hitch after that was that the hotel Garry had booked for the evening was a whopping 40 miles away, instead of the five miles advertised on the website.  Huge bummer.

Day Two was lots of fun for everyone.  Garry didn't have to volunteer.  They tried new lifts and made it to the top of the mountain.  The skies were clear and sunny, so the panoramic views were breathtaking.

On one run toward the end of the day, Tyler got separated from Garry and Zach, who were going slower and missed a turn.  By the time Garry and Zach made it to the appointed meeting point at the base, Tyler was crying hysterically.  He had been alone for about 45 minutes.  Garry sat with him (as he was nursing a very sore foot) while Tyler calmed down and Zach took another run.





Then they finished the day together.  The boys zonked out in the car on the way home, only waking up for a hearty dinner at Five Guys in Denver.

I'm glad Garry and the boys enjoyed their snowboarding getaway.  Those three have made some great memories together, and I'm sure there will be many more to come.