Vasquez Ridge

Vasquez Ridge has some of the deepest powder stashes in Winter Park. When the rest of the mountain is shredded up, there’s still deep fluffy stuff here. You just have to head out into the trees to go find it.

We’re getting to the point where we can’t keep up with B-man under the pine trees. Yesterday, I caught up with him by stopping and listening. All I could hear was a kid belting out ‘Wrecking Ball’ while silently weaving through the pow pow. That was him.

My only complaint on this area so far is the insistence of Coloradoans* ignoring the Spanish language and Spanish history here. Hundreds of Spanish named places or words are all intentionally (?) mispronounced . The locals call this Vas-KWez ridge and emphasize the error. We’re not falling for it.

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Colorado might be tied for the “Whitest Place I’ve Ever Been.’ And, I don’t mean the snow.

Sure, Winter Park attracts an international crowd and we even had an opportunity to speak Portuguese to some surprised Brazilians a few weeks back.

But, seriously… a valley –  Salida – named by Spanish explorers after an exit point below a mountain pass is NOT pronounced Sa-LI-dah.

7 thoughts on “Vasquez Ridge

  • January 17, 2014 at 4:25 AM
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    Don’t be too hard on the Coloradoans*. Surely, as native Texans who lived for some time in California, hearing Americanized pronunciations of Spanish words (especially when used as place names) shouldn’t be particularly jarring. Or did you only ever visit Lahs Anhellees, and not Loss Anjulliss? (And we won’t mention Amarillo).

    Alright,
    Mitch.
    *Why the asterisk?

  • January 17, 2014 at 6:56 AM
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    I just felt like a mini-rant*. Maybe because the name Vasquez is so common and so commonly pronounced correctly.

    It’s certainly not limited to Colorado and your examples are better than mine. So, why do we do that? Ignorance? Laziness? Disrespect? Do we have to insist everything is based on 3rd grade English grammar rules to make it sound more ‘Merican? We’re not that far from a frontera.

    …and I thought I was going to get grief for exposing Bode to Miley Cyrus (it wasn’t me.)

    *I’m sure there was a good reason, but I’ve forgotten.

  • January 17, 2014 at 12:08 PM
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    Put me down as ignorant, but I’m Canadian and learned most of my miserable Spanish in Argentina anyway.

    Is it Vaz-kez than? And uh, sorry I would say Sa-LI-dah too.

    What’s that guy got on his head in the ski sign? Looks like either a bobcat carcass or the sorting hat from Harry Potter?

  • January 17, 2014 at 12:18 PM
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    I mean Sa-LEE-dah, not Sa-LIE-dah. Good Lord, I’m overanalyzing this aren’t I?

  • January 18, 2014 at 10:04 AM
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    Headin’ over to Gwadda-Loop to get some tacos. Actually I had better brush up on my spanish – I might be going to El Salvador next week for the Ilopongo air show. From what I’ve seen, spectators are allowed to get as close as you want to the show. COOL!

  • January 21, 2014 at 4:33 PM
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    Gotta love Colorado…
    My favorite is Byoo-na vis-tah, otherwise known as Buena vista

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