Monarch

Thankfully, Dan was feeling better today so we got to ski in true alpine country. After a morning swim and a dip in the outdoor hot tub (What is it with outdoor hot tubs? I just don't get it.) we headed back up to Monarch Pass to ski. Now, the Pass is at nearly 11,000ft and can be treacherous to drive through. The mountain goes up from the Pass to 12,000ft. Fortunately, the weather was good this morning and actually quite warm--perfect for skiing.



Typically Monarch sees 350" of snow annually. We were told by several locals that they've already seen twice as much as normal for this time of year. There are no snow making machines and packed powder everywhere. Dan was skiing through the trees and making his own trails. However, the coolest part about this mountain was that the top of it, reached by the Panorama Lift, was on the Continental Divide. The views were breathtaking. We skied for almost 5 hours before we decided to call it quits.

Then we were back on the road, headed for Boulder. The drive took over three hours through more beautiful terrain. We checked into the Boulder Mountain Lodge and were assigned to the same room we stayed in this summer! Quelle coincidence! For dinner we went into town and tried Cafe Gondolier for homemade spaghetti and thin crust pizza. Tomorrow is Dan's pick for grub...