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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Monarch

I didn't work on Sunday and I REALLY wanted to try out my new skis asap! Collin and I decided to go to Monarch ski resort which is about two hours from us. It's a small mountain with nothing much around but we've passed it countless times on our way to Wolfcreek and have been curious to try it out. I worked Saturday night until about 10 but couldn't get to sleep until about midnight (as usual). We planned to get up early Sunday morning and head out...I was surely dragging but indeed got up and ready to go. We got on the road around 7a and stopped at our favorite breakfast spot in Woodland Park called Joanie's Deli. We made it to Monarch by 10 and got our $57 lift tickets...score!

I just liked the sign

View from one of the runs
I don't know if it was due to President's Day weekend but there were loads of first-timer city kids there (literally, buses and buses of them) so the lifts were jammed and the slopes were crowded with pizza-pie skiers and those who fly straight down the hill and 'yard sale' it at the bottom. We finally found a few nice tree runs and then Collin talked me into hiking up to the back bowl and whatever else was back there. It didn't look like it was too far to hike....wrong. I was dying!! Actually huffing and puffing my way up the mountain. My skis were getting heavy so Collin took them and I drug his board the rest of the way. It was certainly worth the hike when we got to the top though.

Amazing 360 views!



Collin chatting with the 60+ year old man who smoked by me on the hike up the mountain.

We caught our breath for a few minutes, took some pictures, and then decided which way to go. It was a short run for the effort that we put into the hike but well worth it.
We were beat from the hike and decided we needed a beer and a little break so we skied to the packed lodge and kicked our feet up for a little. We took some more runs and then called it a day around 2 or so.

I LOVED my new skis! They're just awesome!


When I picked them up from REI, I could see them standing in the back next to my old skis and I realized just how much I needed this upgrade! What a difference!

On our way home we stopped in Salida for a late lunch/early dinner. It's a cute little town with lots of art galleries and other shops I wanted to pop in to but we were both tired and hungry so we went right to a restaurant. The food was actually terrible but it filled our bellies enough to get us home.

All in all, it was a fun day. We were a little disappointed with Monarch and thought that we would like it more than we did. I was just happy that I got to use my new skis! :)

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