Scotland visit - April 2019

While Mary was at the coal ( cot ) face in Inverness, I had 2 days on the golf course at Muirfield with old buddies, Andrew L , John H and Pierre B. Courtesy of superb hospitality from Christian and Johnny in Direlton.  They held a lovely dinner party for me inviting old chums Alan H , KCW and the Scotts.

Night with Spencer and Gail in Edinburgh, the Evans' at Raemore for coffeee the next day , sister Ros for lunch in Perth and up to Overton Avenue , Inverness for supper . Thereafter , a great 10 days making acquaintance with Elin and renewing it ( slowish process at the start ! ) with Anna. Gorgeous - both of them.

 A day in the middle with Johannes on the two remotest ( about the most remote of all of them ) of the 6 Munros outstanding for me.  Major milestone !

M went off to Asheville 5 days ahead of me leaving me to try to fill very large shoes in the Petersen household. Not for me to judge how successfully, but it was a lot of fun.

Harder trip than most , back to US .  Asheville , NC , via Chicago where I had a two hour line to the immigration desk before queuing again for baggage and again to go back through security. A 4 hour layover and I need almost all of it.

Snowmass colours superb on return , but still huge snow cover on the mountain. Busy, busy, busy clearing decks, storing ski gear and getting out the bikes, gardening , etc, etc. Very rewarding though.

Off to Oregon via Yosemite tomorrow - May 16.

Christian . Green fingers.  I remember her mother Evelyn having the same !

Christian and Johnny, my hosts in their beautiful Direlton home

Sheila taking time off lambing and her huge "hospital" unit 

postman Pat at Raemore , Auchtermuchty

the view over the lower fields of Raemore from the new house they've built , John having moved into the farmhouse enabling Richard and Sheila to come and ski with us EVERY year !!!

This little train is operational. believe it or not.  Waiting on departure ...

3 generations

Elin and Anna

Johannes at start of our epic day on "Cheesecake" and Lurg Mhor

the long ride in

Summit of Lurg Mhor

Looking up to Bidean a' Choire Sheasgaich

 Maenwhile , back at the "ranch "......

What a duo . Anna singing away to herself or just chattering happily until Grandad took a wrong turn

A walk right from the house above them.  Anna made it the whole way to the top and most of the way down

At the point where the Caledonian Canal meets the Beauly Firth

Anna and I made friends with the single sailor on this trans Atlantic sailing boat traveling towards Loch Ness and got invited aboard - very exciting - for me anyway. Anna unimpressed.

the dream baby - so far !

Johannes cooked this superb Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding for my " last supper/lunch"

End of 2018/19 season

It's been an extraordinarily good snow season. Over 38 feet of snow fell on the mountain ( not all lying for obvious reasons ) and the most snow falling in March since records began.

Last day for me today April 20 ( Easter Saturday ) , last day driving tomorrow and fly to Scotland to join Mary in Inverness on Monday via Edinburgh and Muirfield.

Our side deck

Just doesn't stop - snowiest March ever

Looking out our living room window

The synchronised skiing competition at Ajax - viewed by Mary and me from the deck of Bonnie's ( after an end of season skin and pancake breakfast there ). Our tenant of last year Carolina, a delightful Argentinian ski instructor, was in the winning team , the Aspen Divas. Spectacularly impressive.

Easter weekend and the Ryans in Killarney

A little earlier ( March 21 ) Elin was born in Inverness .....

at the precise moment of birth, I was skinning up to Ski Patrol Hut with fellow bus drivers Brady, Jaimie and Jonathan.  Got the news while drinking bubbly in the hut !

.... and this a few days later

While Mary is in Inverness, we arranged last night this sunset/moonrise skin to ski patrol hut at top of Sam's Knob. This is us starting at the mall corral

An hour and a half and 1500 feet later here we are at the hut which is left open 24/7. Fabulous facility for such an expedition.

Looking across to Big Burn area and top of Burnt Mtn ( Long Shot ) in very far distance on the far left

And visited by a wily fox

Here leaving his mark on a pair of skis - not mine thankfully

... while we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary, but without the bride whom we're toasting at this moment !

 (Felipe, Jonathan, Nicky, Mark and Jaimie, (Brady an apology!)).

.. and the happy couple earlier in the season - from Cliffhouse , Buttermilk looking across to Highlands and top of the Bowl

The Russell/Townsend visit

Another special week with D & K, Oli and Maggie. Conditions superb for them.  Highlight for me was the day I had with Duncan on the Friday.  We met on the 6.45 bus to Buttermilk, skinned up for the $6.00 breakfast, 5 runs in fresh deep powder on Tiehack, bus to Highlands and 5 or 6 great runs there incl Hyde Park, Mushroom and the Olympic Bowl .  Ever since these early days in Meribel, Flaine, and of course Glenshee, we've had a lot of good ski days together. This one was among the very best. And I can still ( just ) keep up !

Since they left on March 2, it's been snowing almost continually. Hugely relieved to get our flat roof shoveled ( 4 feet taken from it ), and we've had at least another foot of wet snow since.

Martha Stobbs arrived to day ( March 8 ), but with foot in cast ! Lovey though to meet for lunch at Buttermilk and discussing plans for France and Scotland in September where she will join us. A Munro to ensure invitation to the party for the last in 2021 !

The view up to Mt Daly form Powderhorn

Meadow Ranch with - thankfully _ roof cleared

Our side deck - where we sat in lovely shade for all meals with the Ryans last summer

A very special day with " my boy "

Reid and Mary who I happened to meet on chance for a run togetherr on Powderhorn

Reid showing how to tele

Maggie en route to Aspen

D & K

Maggie coming out of ski scool

Where the family stayed in Woodbridge - taken form the driver's seat of my bus - big thrill to drive with Grandad. Certainly was for Grandad anyway !