Thursday, Frisco and Breckenridge

Today we will be heading to Frisco and Breckenridge for more hiking, site seeing, shopping, and breweries. Today I will be:

• Wearing better shoes: feet are a little raw from walking so long in my clogs, and since I turned my ankle again need more support
• Taking more pictures: this blog is pretty boring as it is, so I'll try and jazz it up more with pictures
• Eating less:  last night's meal was amazing, and then I was so full I promptly went to bed when I got home
• Breathing better:  I can already tell I'm getting used to the altitude!  Although I haven't gone upstairs yet this morning...I could be wrong

Maybe today I'll see a mountain lion that no one will be surprised by.

Basketball!

The other thing we did yesterday was attend S's basketball game.  Seven twelve year old boys from Vail Mountain School took on a team of about 30 kids from one of the other middle schools.

Couple things to note:
1) It's easy to win when you can exchange your entire lineup five times throughout the game.
2) Those VMS boys played their little hearts out, and were SO TIRED by the time they were done.
3) Twelve year old boys are a wee bit aggressive.
4) The rules don't seem to matter all the time when you are learning fundamentals - things like travelling, double dribbling, and being three feet out of bounds don't really count as issues.
5) Volunteer coaches have the PATIENCE OF JOB.

Even though they lost, S had a couple of great plays.  Go Rangers!!

Fantastic Mr. Fox!!

We went out for dinner last night at this fantastic restaurant in Beaver Creek called Grouse Mountain Grill.  It was an amazing, and I do mean amazing meal.  After we were done, we were waiting by the front door to leave, and I was slumped in a chair trying to stay awake, all of a sudden J said, "Wolf!? Wait, it's a fox!!"

I lurched up out of my chair, and sure enough.  Fox.  Right outside the automatic doors, there he was.  It was HUGE!  Honest to God it was probably four feet long tip to tail.  And beautiful!!

So I went outside to take a picture, but my camera battery was low.  Bummer, because I was only about 20 feet away from him.  After an extensive Internet search, we decided it was a grey fox.  That looonnnggg tail with the black tip was the giveaway.

No one seemed to be that surprised by it, which leads me to believe that wildlife like this in Colorado is similar to squirrels at home.

Beaver Creek and Vail

Wednesday was a great walking day.  We first went to Beaver Creek and walked around - it's the off season for a few more weeks so not much was open, but it was so interesting to walk around and see what it is like to live in a ski community.  You can imagine how crazy busy it is once people start arriving to ski, and I can't imagine what the mountains look like covered in feet of snow with hundreds of people skiing and snow boarding on them.  For sure I would get lost with all the different ski trails.  Of course, only if I didn't break my leg first falling off the chair lift.

Later we went to Vail and took an hour+ walk all around.  Super charming, and while Vail was quiet too, I think the hustle and bustle of the busy season would be kind of fun.  Chris did use the public restroom there, which he said was the nicest bathroom he's ever been in.

The weather here is amazing, sunny and the brightest blue sky you've ever seen.  It was a great day.  And Thursday we'll bring our camera so we can actually take pictures!

Hi, do you have air for sale?

I know we are giant fat asses, but thank God we work out regularly and despite the poundage are pretty well in shape.  Because I cannot imagine the toll that walking up a flight of stairs would take on one that was very out of shape.  I think by the time I get home I will be able to run a 5K!!

Not really.

Crazy Mountain Brewing

Well, day one and we indoctrinated N & J into our standard vacation activity:  sampler of beer at an area brewery.  The brewery was cool, had a pumpkin beer that reminded me of taking a deep breath inside the Yankee Candle Factory and then gagging.  But they did have a great Amber, Pale Ale, and ESB.  A growler was purchased.  How I have missed drinking with my friend! 

Rocky Mountain...

...high?  oysters?  spotted fever?

Nope, just the Rockies.  Obviously I don't want spotted fever, or to eat bull testicles.

Heading there tomorrow for a fantastic couple of days with our great friends.

Wish us good weather, safe flying, and easy landings.  Going to pack.

Fun is just a day away!