Friday-Monday 03/30-04/02/12 GOING HOME

03/30 - No problems traveling today to Abilene. It was an easy 521 miles. The temp is 81. Tomorrow
it may hit 90 here. We saw many small fires on either side of rt70 in Kansas. Not sure whether they were controlled fires or regular fires. Lots of flames. Also several sections of rt 70 in Kansas is only one lane. Don't get behind a truck.

Next stop is Terre Haute, Indiana . Going to the Mexican Restaurant now

03/31 - Another good travel day. Sunny with temps in low 70s. We are staying at America Best Value.
It is at exit #7 off rt 70. It was a Best Western and it is one of the best around. And it was only $43 booked online. It was 557 miles from Abilene.

04/01 - After a late start because of heavy RAIN, we arrived in New Stanton, Pa. After traveling 449 miles. We are staying at the Days Inn. After riding in the rain for about 1 hour, total sunshine the rest of the way.

04/02 - After only 338 miles, we arrived home. Again an easy drive. Very windy and temps only In the
40s. Have a safe trip home.

Thursday 03/29/12

Yes we have made the decision to return home. With no snow in the immediate forecast, and conditions really bad, we will be leaving Friday and hopefully returning home by Monday. It has been a GREAT vacation and are looking forward to next year. This morning the lake has a narrow band of water around the edges. The ice is melting fast. We will be heading for Abilene Kansas tomorrow.

Wednesday 03/28/12

I think today was the last day of skiing for us. Over the past 4 days we have gone to Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and today Copper Mt. and conditions are bascially the same at all 4 - TERRIBLE. Spring skiing has never been like this. Many of the trails that are still open, should be closed. Tomorrow we will think about packing it in. The weather forecast calls for a 10% chance of snow/rain on Sunday and then another dry spell. The forest fire near Denver is still burning and that is where the rain is needed. Tomorrow is decision day.

Tuesday 03/27/12

The BIG news today are the Colorado Wildfires are burning thousands of acres. The fire started yesterday after a controlled burn last week got out of hand. Many homes have burned to the ground and 2 people have died. The area is south of Denver and with the lack of snow/rain is causing this fire to remain out of control. Summit county will probably have its driest March on record. On March 1-3, we had about 1/2 inch of snow, followed by 14 days of sun/mild temps. On March 18-19, we had 0.03 inches of snow. Since then we have had 8 days of sun and warm temps, with the remaining days of March - no SNOW/RAIN in the forecast.

This morning with went to A-Basin hoping that conditions would be a LITTLE better. The base of this resort is at 10,700 feet and rises to 13,000 feet. But while conditions were a LITTLE better, it wasn't worth the risk of injury. We skied down to the base and had lunch. The snow thru out the mountain ranges is melting very quickly and many of the resorts may be closing early.

Monday 03/26/12

I think this was our last day at Keystone. Between 10am - 11am, the conditions were OK. But they went downhill very quickly. We were one of the first people to ski down "The Frenchmen" once the ropes were taken down at 10:45am. This trail was completely groomed top to bottom. It was the ONLY good run today. Many of the trails have closed and the others have many bare spots. Last nights low temp was only 34. Didn't even drop below freezing. Tomorrow we may ski Copper Mt. No snow in forecast till Wednesday of next week.

Sunday 03/25/12

There are more joggers and bikers out than there are skiers. I talked to one skier this morning at Keystone and he told me it is like Water-Skiing. The snow changed over to slush about 11am. The parking lots remain empty the only ones skiing after 12 noon are the folks who came here for vacation or Spring Break. Not sure whether there will be Spring Breakers here next week. Glenna and I will try and ski at A-Basin tomorrow which is at the 12,000 ft level. Maybe the conditions will be better. However, the forecast is for high winds - 35-50 mph.

Saturday 03/24/12

Another beautiful day. temps climbed into the mid 50s on the slopes. We went to Breckenridge to walk around the town. Not much snow on the sidewalks anymore. The trails quickly turned to very soft snow. Even the snow boarders were quiting at noon. The skating ring was even turning to water. The only activity you could do was have lunch in the sunshine. The forecast still doesn't have any snow thru next weekend.

Friday 03/23/12

We went back to Keystone today. I think it was the warmest day so far on the slopes. It was 62 in the parking lot. No snow in the lot or in town. We stopped skiing today at 12N. Couldn't ski thru the slush. It becomes dangerous because the slush will stop you in your tracks. The only good thing is that you can walk around at the bottom of the slopes in a light jacket and eat your lunch outside. Same weather forecast for the next 5 days. It is REALLY Spring Skiing.

Thursday 03/22/12

We went to Breckenridge to see if the snow conditions were better. Unfortunately, they were the same. Another sunshine day and temps in the mid 40s. The only good thing was that there were NO crowds. I asked one of the Info volunteers did they expect more people. He told me that the only people here are the ones with a season pass and those who couldn't get out of their reservation. It was like mid-January lift lines - ZERO wait time. The snow pack here is also melting quickly. The trails are OK but the tops of the mountains are base. You have to stay on groomed trails and don't expect to ski to 4pm.

Wednesday 03/21/12

We are in another warming trend. The next 5 days should be in the mid 40s on the mountain. Today we went to Copper Mt. The parking lot was half empty. Again verifying that the crowds will not be here this week. Maybe NEXT week. The tops of the mountains have all lost their snow. Another sign that the warm temps and lack of snow is taking its toll is that many of the Nordic centers are closing for the season. These centers usually stay open pass the closing dates of the resorts to allow for x-country and snow-shoeing. Businesses are starting to take a hit. Many of my skiing friends are already thinking about calling it quits for the season.

Tuesday 03/20/12

Well the BIG snowstorm came and went. It dropped a total of 1 inch of snow. It was another story of the storm just went SOUTH of the resorts. Another story that is developing is "Where are the next batch of Spring Breakers"? The resorts were counting on another wave but so far I haven't seen them. The lift lines are no greater than in mid-January. The forecast doesn't call for any snow for the next 5 days.

Monday 03/19/12

Well the snow came. All of 1 inch. I guess that better than no snow. The temps also dropped to the low teens and that's where it stayed all day today. It was COLD on the slopes. With the cold temps, the snow will hold up better and create better skiing for the next 2 days. The slopes were not as crowded as expected. It was like a typical January Monday. Today was our 50th day skiing. More snow is expected tonight and tomorrow morning.

Sunday 03/18/12

We are all waiting to see if the snow will come tonight. The snow has been melting at an alarming rate. The lake has started to melt and now it is unsafe to walk on the lake in certain places. The first group of Spring Breakers are starting to leave and the next group is slated to arrive by Monday. Lets all do the SNOW DANCE.