Crested Butte, Colorado
March 3 - 10, 2007
TRIP REPORT
With plenty of snow, warm sunny skies and three family
“reunions”, the 2007 Space Coast Ski Club trip to Crested Butte turned out to be
a perfect spring break trip. Our group of 33 of 35 arrived to a warm, sunny
Colorado resort after it got 26 inches of fresh snow. Unfortunately last minute
medical issues kept Joe Walker and Lori Weller from joining us in
Crested Butte. Our reunions included Steven Schwartz and his family
Debbie and Danielle from Daytona joining with his sister Susan
Schwartz and her son Brett from San Francisco; Jon and
Patty Windhorst from Merritt Island joining together with his daughter
Sara Windhorst from Orlando and her daughter Shannon Mulligan
who is attending college in North Carolina; and the Fox family clan
joining together from Melbourne Beach (Brian and Alice Fox), Orlando (Rutie
Rieder and daughter Kendra Fox) and Carbondale, IL (Jim, Mary Anne
and Steven Fox).
After our bus made a quick stop at the local City Market
for some food and drink supplies, we drove through the picturesque snow covered
historic town of Crested Butte and up to our resort condos at the Plaza. Without
wasting any time, we picked up our ski rentals and stored them in the free slope
side storage. Then it was back to the Plaza lower lobby by 4pm for some
après-ski (rental) drinks and appetizers at our private fire side welcome party.
Laird and Clair Quenzler arrived in time with their drive from Salt Lake
to join the party. Ryan Jordi, a 10-year resident of Crested Butte
and local mountain rep, gave us the ins and outs of things to do and places to
eat. Plans were set for a great week of fun!
We started skiing Sunday with a blue bird day skier’s
special. Even with all the locals out on the ‘best day of the season’, it was
hard to find a lift line. However some went “over board” at the start of the
week; Jeanne Hawkins broke her thumb and Harry Fuller got a taste
of the snow (read face plant) with a lift chair hitting him square in the back.
And while some (Barry Richardson, Laird Quenzler and Eli White)
got out skiing on the first day, others (wives Linda Richardson,
Clair Quenzler, Linda White and friend Jean Turner) eased
into skiing with a day of shopping first. After all with a base altitude of
9,375 feet, it is wise to give your body a chance to adjust before
heading to the top of the mountain. The only other interruption to this perfect
ski week was 5 inches of fresh snow Thursday followed by another warm sunny day
of skiing Friday. On the afternoon of the last day, trip leader Brice
Crossley joined injured list with a broken wrist while trying to snow board
with Brian and Steven Fox. On the short ride back to the airport, the
only complaint about the skiing was it might have been a little to warm.
We did have a group of non-skiers who enjoyed their week
just as much. Between the snow shoe walks (Jim, Mary Anne and Alice Fox and
Julia Crossley) and horse back rides (David Kiewit, Gail Berger,
Alice and Kendra Fox, and Julia Crossley) up the valley trails and the snow
mobile (Debbie Schwartz, Danielle Robbins and Alice Fox) and dog shed
rides (Barry and Linda Richardson) through the trees and open fields,
everyone was really having a good time.
On Tuesday, just to make sure everyone got a taste of the
town, the group headed to the Cowboy Saloon and BBQ for drinks and dinner. Most
of the group arrived early to sample the bar drink specials and sit in the horse
saddle bar stools. The old fashion full length mirrored bar offered a large
variety of tequila you don’t often see. The dinner that followed made sure no
one went home hungry with salmon and Colorado prime beef steaks and tender BBQ
of every type. It was hard to consider dessert although a few did!
We finished the week at our own Plaza’s Firehouse Bar and
Grill. To balance the bad news that everyone had to check out by 10 am the
following morning, we celebrated a great week with an open bar and home made
pizzas. Even our injured left with smile!
It was an honor to lead this great fun-loving group. Thank
you for joining me and I look forward to seeing you on a future ski trip.
Trip Leader: Brice Crossley
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