shuttle bus driving and snow boarding

First month in the job completed without accident or serious incident , but to say it's been at times exhilarating would be an understatement. Snowmass has had just under 10 feet (119 inches according to the official statistics ) of snow falling in December being an all time record since records began in 1935. Over 8 feet have fallen at village level - we're at just over 8,000 feet with top lift at 12,510 - and consequently road conditions have been `exciting` to put it mildly. I still get nervous at start of most shifts. Pulling out of the depot and facing your first 30 pasengers and then immediately heading down the steep Snowmelt drive from the Mall is rather like the first drive from the first tee of a particularly demanding golf course. It's easier once you're warmed up.

I work 5 days a week with 2 day and 3 evening shifts. Each shift is approx 7.5 hours with an hour break in the middle. I'm on different a route each shift and in a different type of bus ( with different controls, types of rotor chains, disabled access lifts , airbrakes , heating systems etc ,etc ) on almost every shift. There are probably over 40 buses in the fleet with about 15 full time drivers. It's all run exceptionally efficiently , buses in tip top condition all the time , first rate supervisors and generally a first class operation. The service provides free transport around the village ( around a 6 mile radius of the centre of the village ) for everyone - skiing guests and locals alike. There are 8 different routes most running every 10, 15 , 20 or 30 minutes depending on the route. Buses hold, when full and people standing whole length of bus, between 25 and 50 people. Ski racks on side of bus , but boarders have to take their boards on board. A lot of stops , a lot of people not knowing what bus they should be on , a lot of questions, tightish time schedules to make, instructions coming from supervisors on 2 way radio, a 2nd phone in radio system giving the public an on demand service after a certain hour in the evening , and a lot of traffic at most hours of day and evening but partic at peak times in early morning and late afternoon . In a typical shift you could be transporting up to 500 people . The fact that it's free helps generally the disposition of most passengers ! 95% express gratitude on getting off. That's an awful lot of `you're welcome`s ` in response but far better that way. I'm enjoying it .

Of course there are tedious aspects, but amply compensated by the views of the snow and the magnificent mountains that I have as constant companions. And at night it's views of the lights of the armies of snow cats snaking their way up the mountain grooming ski runs for the beginning of the next skiing day. More mundanely , it gives Mary and me access to a brilliant health care scheme - year round even though my job is seasonal. The benefit of working for the government ! On the debit side I'm aware continually throughout every day of the colossal responsibility. Big buses , a lot of people, a lot of children and a lot of potential hazards. More of those perhaps in a future instalment.

Mary I hope will write about her work experiences shortly. Also challenging , but in a very different way. How she stays warm enough I don't know. We have fun recounting to each other the day's events and of tales of all the interesting people we've come across respectively each day .

Aspen on New Year's Eve was pretty spectacular. A stunning firework display against the backdrop of Aspen Mountain. Snow piled up feet high on the sides of downtown streets and hard packed snow everywhere on all streets and sidewalks. Temperatures remain permanently well below freezing and down to somewhere towards -10 F at night. Mostly fine days with lots of clear blue skies between storms.

Snowboarding for us both has been fun and we now have much less difficulty with the blue runs we've graduated to. Boarding in powder the other day at Buttermilk was a highlight. Champagne powder - it's quite something. We're at the same level broadly and although returning a little battered and bruised , we keep at it . New challenges and all that ! It's tele- skiing next year we hope.

Photos above are a selection of last 2 weeks activities. The last photo was taken just above Meadow Ranch and shows Mount Daly in background - as well as the construction cranes at the 60 acre development site which is, and will be, the new base village at bottom of Fanny Hill. Quite impressive really.