We planned to ski at my 'home' resort - Bogus Basin - on the 23rd with all the family that could make it. Unfortunately it was warm and rainy during the days leading up to Christmas and Bogus closed for the week. We packed our ski gear anyway, with very hopeful thoughts that even if Bogus was closed, somewhere else might be open.On Christmas Eve, we did get to go skiing! James & I drove up to Brundage Mountain Resort with my dad. It is a two hour drive from Eagle, so we drove Turbo (my ski patrol vehicle) and really enjoyed the space you save by having a ski rack on the car - room enough for a nap in the back seat! In fact, both Dad & James napped while I drove. Dad wore the Santa hat while skiing, but loaned it to me for a photo op with James.
February 11, 2006 - Alta Ski Resort / Salt Lake City, UT -
My parents were in Utah for my dad's dental meetings, so we took the opportunity to ski at Alta Ski Area in Little Cottonwood Canyon-just one canyon drainage away from Brighton.We asked another skier to take a group photo for us at the top of one of the lifts. He took a couple pictures for us and then my dad asked him to take one, "Up close and personal." Dad then proceeded to grab and kiss Mom! So James & I followed suit. The photographer was so surprized, that he missed the smooches completely!
February 20, 2006 - Brighton Ski Resort / Salt Lake City, UT -
James' job this winter is ski patrolling at Brighton, I also volunteer at Brighton on Saturdays. Sometimes we do ski together, but we patrolled together only once this season. I had Presidents' Day off, so I spent the day with James. We didn't work any wrecks or pull any toboggans. We did do the basic opening work run and closing sweeps (clearing the mountain of people at the end of the day). We skied!
James jumped this rock in Aspen Chutes off of the Great Western Chairlift a couple of times so that I could take his picture. On the second round, we had to wait for a couple of 7 or 8-year-olds to jump. More kids and a couple of adults were watching from down the slope a bit. They had to hollar encouragement up the slopes, but eventually both boys jumped off the conservative edge. Then they all waited to watch James. "Okay, watch how Ski Patrol does it!" James waited for me to signal a 'ready' with the camera and then launched. He threw a little mid-air ski jib, completed the trick with a perfect landing, got wild applause from his audience and a "That's my boyfriend!" from me.March 4, 2006 - Bogus Basin / Boise, ID -
I finally got to take James skiing at my home resort! Bogus Basin was closed during Christmas week due to warm weather and rain, but it was perfect for skiing during this trip! We spent half the day skiing all the terrain - it was fun to share my home resort with James - to tell him stories about skiing with my friends, siblings, and cousins, and about patrolling with my dad & Uncle Gord on Friday nights. It was also great to watch him ski with my brothers & brothers-in-law. They have so much energy! James has a pair of skis that throw up 'rooster tails' of snow as he turns. So if you ski directly behind James, you need a good pair of goggles because of all the snow they throw up into the air!
We spent the other half of the day with the munchkins on the beginner lift. Even Carter (1) got a ski run in - when James carried him.At the very end of the day, James & I took McKayla (3) and Emma (3) out for a few last runs on Coach (the beginner chairlift). Emma had been asking me to ski with her all winter, so I wanted to be sure to take Emma out to ski a few runs. Coach is a two-seater, so I had Emma with me in line and James had McKayla with him.
McKayla said, "I want to ride with Aunt Jessi!" So we had a little talk about taking turns and then McKayla was content to ride with James.
On the next lift ride, I was standing with McKayla when Emma said, "I want to ride with Aunt Jessi!" We repeated the talk about taking turns.
On the third lift ride, I heard James say, "It's my turn to ride with Aunt Jessi!" Poor James, three-year-olds can't ride the lift together, so he had to give up his turn!