BodesWell

The Cardboard Classic

Posted on April 23, 2014 by jasonNo Comments

One of the reasons to head up to Steamboat was that it was the last weekend of operation for the season – and we had free passes.  In general, the last weekend also means a big party.

In Steamboat, they had some free bands -  G. Love headlined – and some wacky activities like a pond skim and the 32nd Annual Cardboard Classic. All good fun in the snow.

Strawberry Park

Posted on April 22, 2014 by jasonNo Comments

We had heard about these hot springs from Jake – a guy we met on the beach in Mexico almost 4 years ago. Right on cue, we were walking down the street in Steamboat Springs when Jake popped out of a restaurant – “Hey, I saw the bus – you made it!”  Sure, he knew we were coming, but this is not a small town – pretty cool to have the bus open doors for us again. It’s been a while.

Jake told us only 4×4′s were allowed on the road up to the hot springs, but we decided to take our chances – the roads were dry. Red Beard did struggle more than it should have to get up the hills out of town to the pools, but we made it.

It’s a very cool place – one of the better ones we’ve been to in the U.S.  The drive out slightly reminded us of the road out to Chillan and the springs themselves reminded us a bit of Fiambala. Not too shabby.

We soaked a while and had to bail out before dark. Apparently, kids are not allowed after dusk because everybody gets nekkid.

Steamboat Camping

Posted on April 18, 2014 by jason4 Comments

Now that things are starting to thaw out, it’s about time to get back in the bus.

We took a trip to Steamboat Springs – about 2 hours from Winter Park. Up over Rabbit Ears Pass and down to 6700 ft. There’s still lots of snow on the ground in WP, but in Steamboat, it looks like spring is in full swing. It may have been 60 degrees. Everyone was outside, barefoot, and giddy.

We found a campsite in the usual place – down by the river.  There is actually a very nice site just outside of town on the Yampa River, with a clear view of the ski resort. And, the best part of early season camping – tons of firewood everywhere. It was seriously cold at night, but still nice to be back in the bus.

Check

Posted on April 7, 2014 by jason6 Comments

Bode hit The Cirque. This has been on his list since we got here and the day finally arrived. From the top of Parsenn Bowl, he rode a snowcat out over to the south headwall and dropped straight down.

He was with the ski team, so Angela and I didn’t make it. No photos this time.

He’s giving us tips for when we eventually go up with him: no turning, just point straight down, ignore the butterflies. Sounds easy enough. We’ve still got a few weeks to make it happen.

Mini Snowmobiles

Posted on April 4, 2014 by jason1 Comment

So these things actually exist. Miniature snow machines for kids.

Bode and Elden got to pick their own sled and hit the track.

Apparently, the stock machines can go up to 35 mph, but these were governed at about 20 mph. Of course, it didn’t take long before we heard stories about the one guy in town who souped-up his kid’s machine and it can now break the sound barrier. All good fun.

20 years later…

Posted on April 2, 2014 by jasonNo Comments

That was the last time Scott, Travis and I were in the same room.

Travis came up from Dallas to do some boarding and Scott made the long haul all the way from Boulder (okay, actually Telluride this time) for a little reunion.  Funny – after 20 years, it really didn’t seem like any time had passed or much had changed. We’re still just as immature as before. Just a few gray hairs (mostly mine).

Tricks

Posted on March 18, 2014 by jason1 Comment

Most Friday afternoons in the winter involve a ‘rail jam’. All the kid’s who aren’t worn out after a full day of skiing do tricks for prizes at the base. Up until now, Bode was always worn out at the end of the day, so we never made it.

This was the last one of the year, so his ski team buddies insisted he finally stick around.

Since he didn’t really know any tricks, it was time to learn. It’s a supportive environment and all the kids are trying to mimic what they see the other kids doing. High-fives were going around. Meanwhile, a DJ was spinning tunes and providing play-by-play commentary.

His first attempt was a single grab. A good place to start. He doubled down on the grabs the next time and we learned it’s called a ‘truck driver.’

The, he decided it was time to up his game. We were only 20 minutes into this thing. After a few attempts, he landed his first 180.

In less than an hour, he built a little repertoire and even won a T-shirt. If you happen to be up here with a kid on a Friday afternoon in the winter, stick around for the mini rail jam. It’s cool.