Fewer than two dozen people were in the lift line, so we have the resort practically to ourselves. I bet on a couple hundred people are on the slopes today (maybe because most are preparing for the Super Bowl). With the slopes practically empty and the snow fast, skiers are shooting down the mountain, even on the relatively flat sections.

I think that there are few things in life as enjoyable as family vacations. With everyone excited to be together and no household chores or schoolwork hanging over our heads, we can feel free to just enjoy one another’s company.

I hope that every family has the opportunity to get away from their daily responsibilities and enjoy being a family.

 

Some Moments are Precious!

The chapel park is located a few miles off the highway, down a two-lane country road. However, we knew that we had arrived when we saw the oversized signage and acres of free parking.

Cooling My Feet with a few Precious Friends

However, when I stepped out of the pool onto the brick pathway, I burned the soles of both of my feet! (Maybe it was my penance for being sacrilegious in a chapel park.)

Sometimes We Have to Laugh at Ourselves

We are glad that we stopped. An afternoon spent laughing enriched our relationship.

To get a full flavor of the park’s amenities, visit the Precious Moment’s Park website.

 

My brother-in-law and another guest, both of whom drove four-wheel-drive trucks this weekend, had us happily on our way to the an entrance path to the top of one of the ski slopes. The driving was still a bit slippery and it was a good thing that our driver’s are patient men, as only one lane was open on the ski slope’s access road and we had to traverse through good sized snow piles that were on each side of the road.

We snapped on our skis and we were off! The three feet of fresh powder was just settling; the wind had died and the blowing snow of last night was not a problem, today. The air was crystal clear, the sun was shining, and the temperature was a perfect 26 degrees Fahrenheit.

We split up, taking the trails and runs that best suited our individual skills, and we met up at the bottom of the mountain to share the lift back to the top. Up and down we went (the mountain, that is). None of us fell, the entire day (although, I twice demonstrated klutzy “tricks” a few times).

We returned to the vacation house in time for a feast prepared by those who stayed in the house with the youngest children. Now, satiated and with a coffee by my side, I report that there’s never too much snow to go skiing.

There’s even better news. Our home town received three feet of snow, too. Many of the highways are passable, but the secondary roads are not yet plowed. I expect that my Monday classes will be canceled; we can all stay on the mountain an extra day! The only thing better than going on a ski vacation with family and friends is extending the vacation because of too much snow!

 

I am with family and friends at a mountain house in McHenry, Maryland. I wish I could leave this blog entry unwritten and be skiing today, but so much snow fell yesterday and overnight that we are housebound. The driving snow has switched to snow showers, but with about three feet of wet snow on the ground, none of our vehicles, including the four wheel drive SUVs and pickup truck can get to a ski run, let alone the resort at the base of the ski area.

One of 13 lifts may be running today, but the only people who will be skiing are those who have a room in the resort.

My family and I skied yesterday in blowing snow. Yesterday’s fresh powder made for soft runs down the hill, but today’s snow is wet and will make it difficult to even fall down the hill (that is if I could even get to the ski area, which is all of a half mile away).

Fortunately, I brought my Kindle DX and I have plenty of academic papers to grade, so I can keep busy inside the house.

With a dozen kids keeping us company, I hope that no one goes johnny.