The snow has held up well. The stats tell you it's been an above average snow year, but it hasn't always felt like that. Perhaps 'cos we've just missed the powder days in that they have rarely coincided with our days off.
A bit of a set back has been meniscus problems on one of Mary's knees. She's been able to skin up all season without difficulty , but the skiing down has caused her an increasing amount of pain. So , armed with medicare and AARP top up cover, she consulted with one of the ever busy orthopod surgeons and had the standard arthroscopic surgery 10 days ago (a quiet $30,000 job !). All well and she's healing fast - and no more pain - hallelujah. She left on April 6 to visit her 94 year old mother in Asheville, NC and then goes on to see Jane , Johannes and baby Anna for a week, on Tuesday 11th.
We've hugely enjoyed all our visitors this year. Rod , then Duncan and family, Martha and more recently Harry. Harry and I did the Aspen powder tour for a day's cat skiing. Some tricky conditions . Fluffy 4 inch powder one minute and something more akin to porridge the next with no clear delineation between the two. Nearly disastrous for yours truly.
Bicycles out now and starting thinking about trans am east west phase 3. We're due to start pedalling from Granby CO (3 hours drive away from here) on May 1. 1st training ride today - 17 miles up the Frying Pan river to Ruedi reservoir and beyond and back ( into the wind ) the same way . Exhilarating and no pain from left knee that has been bothering me since the powder day. Big relief.
Start last week's work tomorrow and off to Asheville to join Mary in 10 days time . Back then to Snowmass for 5 days before setting off on bikes for the Oregon coast. We will be keeping crazyguy website updated as we go - see link at top of this blog page. i.e.
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/15816
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Waiting for RFTA on way to Aspen Powder tour |
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Boarding the very comfortable leather seated and heated cat at top of the gondola headed for Richmond Ridge |
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Passed these guys on the way. These two were among the leaders in the overnight race from Crested Butte to Aspen leaving CB at midnight ! |
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Harry shredding some of the fluffy stuff |
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One of our two guides for the day - Debbie. Piglet, wife of Chip, the other. |