Our 2nd Annual Ski Trip: Adventures in Breckenridge

We love to travel. 

In the 2 1/2 years Doug & I have been together, we've taken some really memorable trips together.  Some have been good, old fashioned road trips where we get in the car & drive to our destination, and others where we board a plane & fly thousands of miles.  Doug isn't as big of fan of the "traditional" road trip, which may have something to do with my... quick.... reaction when we brush the rumble strips on the side of the highway.  I'll admit- there are times where I could possibly classify as an aggressive backseat driver.  But, I pack great snacks, have a solid & ecclectic musical library on my iPod, and can be pretty entertaining, all of which make me (in my mind) a dreamy travel companion.  But that's beside the point.  Thanks to frequent flier miles, colleagues in the hospitality industry and generous friends & family across the country, we've been blessed to see fabulous sites & share some really fun experiences together.  We both realize that there will come a time where our priorities will change & regular leisure travel will take a well deserved back seat to.... other things.  All that to say- we're doing this now because we can and we LOVE it.   

Last year, after skiing in Park City, Utah with some friends, we decided an annual ski trip was a tradition we wanted to pursue.  That, my friends, is my smooth transition to our 2011 Breckenridge Adventure.  And what an adventure it was.  We packed our bags, picked up the Clarks (newlyweds Chris & Mandi), and headed for the mountains of Colorado.

Thursday: Day 1 on the slopes!
One of the many things I love about Doug is that he is quite chivalrous on ski trips.  The man knows that I despise getting in and out of those STUPID ski boots, and always helps me, even offering to carry them to/from the gondola.  He also packed handwarmers to put in my ski gloves.  Keeper?  I vote yes.  (And no, I am NOT a high maintenance ski bunny.) 

Group Date!  We were joined in Breckenridge by the coolest locals EVER... my longtime, childhood friend Erin Tracy and her awesome fiance, Kevin.  Spending time with them virtually every day of our trip was a definite added
bonus.  

Dessert, Anyone? Speaking of chivalrous, Doug treated the group to dessert after dinner, in the form of 2 (two) FRIED TWINKIES.  I'm usually not one to hesitate when it comes to dessert, but this was an exception.  I'm happy to report I tried them, and found them to be quite enjoyable.  Think.... funnel cake... with a delightful cream filling.  The said twinkies were destroyed in a matter of minutes.

What happened next was THE most bizarre (and for the Clark's, unfortunate) chain of events I've ever witnessed.  Chris, a first time skier, was off enjoying a day of lessons on the bunny slopes.  I, the recreational, "no need for extreme speed green skier", had started the day with Mandi.  After a few hours of runs, I could tell that as a more advanced skier, she was merely humoring me by hanging out on my green slopes.  So, I encouraged her to head off with Doug for some more challenging runs.  The rest, as they say, is history. 
 

As they say, "It all happened so fast."  While swishing steadily along on a blue run, Mandi unknowingly veered off onto a black run, lost control & took a nasty spill.  Instead of meeting for lunch at the base of the mountain, we met her in the ski patrol clinic.  While waiting for his bride to be transported in town for xrays, Chris discovered that the "little spill" he had taken a few hours earlier on the bunny slope had actually resulted in a signifcant gash to HIS knee.   Before we knew it, they were being transported TOGETHER to the hospital in Breckenridge, where Chris received 5 stiches for his knee, and Mandi was diagnosed with a torn ACL and MCL in her left leg & a torn calf muscle in her right leg.

This concluded the ski portion of their ski vacation. 

Pain Meds 101: Just before they were discharged from the hospital early that evening, the nurse took a few minutes to explain the ins & outs of successful pain medication. 

Special thanks to Mandi & Chris for being such good sports & allowing photo documentation of their mountain side disaster(s).  They agreed that snapping a photo before their "final ride" down the mountain would allow us to preserve the memory of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.  And by "final ride" I mean being loaded into the Ski Patrol suburban & driven to the Breckinridge hospital.  They did not realize I was taking the photo with the nurse, but would agree it adds to this whole story line.

Picture Perfect! (literally) The Clarks graciously insisted that despite their accidents, Doug & I make the most of what was left of our vacation, and so.... we did. This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip.  The views were absolutely amazing!  This was taken right before my favorite run of the whole trip, which we skied together.

Après-ski! on our last day of the trip- another definite highlight. The bar Kevin works at makes The.BEST.BLOODY.MARY I've ever had.  It was fabulous to relax with Erin, Doug & Doug's college buddy Jeremiah after a few days on the slopes.  Later that evening, we retreated to the condo for dinner, where Erin & I dominated the guys in a game of Taboo.  It was awesome.

Post-Trip Update: Mandi sent Doug & me this picture after her appointment Tuesday with her orthopedic surgeon, with the following caption: "I went to the doctor this afternoon and got fitted with a new knee brace and a boot to take the pressure of my hurt calf.  Bad news is that I look awesome.  Good news is that it feels 10X better—limits my movement and therefore my pain."   

Personally, I think she looks fabulous. 

It would suffice to say that our 2011 Ski Trip is indeed one for the books- full of memories we won't forget anytime soon.  Doug & I will definitely be doing another trip next winter, though we'll probably leave the Clarks at home for that one.  I think we're better of going to a beach with them.