trio of families

I gave an overview of the party in the last post. All in all, it was just a fun trip. 

We flew into Denver on Saturday and then drove the four hours to Snowmass, Colorado.  We got our ski equipment and had dinner at the Stewpot. 

On Sunday we skied and then we watched the Super Bowl and ate chicken wings and nachos and quesadillas. On Monday we skied again and then had dinner in the condo. 

Each night we reviewed the map and checked off the runs we completed. We skied a good chunk of the mountain. Almost all of the greens and blues, some of the blacks, and two double black diamonds. 

On Tuesday, surprise!, we skied again and then had a fancy dinner out at il Poggio. 

On Wednesday, the boys competed in Nastar. They skied well and I took pictures with my sweet camera.

 

Warren and his 13 year-old son had some friendly competition and showed excellent tuck positions coming through the final gate. They are both incredible skiers. 

On Wednesday evening, we celebrated David's 40th birthday (on the right). 

So, I should pause and explain a few things. I grew up with not only the Downs family, but also the Smith and Boskind families. My father and Bill Smith were partners and best friends, Andy Boskind was a surgeon, and all of us went to the Adventist church. We celebrated holidays together, traveled together, shared meals and weekends together. Family was bigger than just mom, dad, brothers, and me. Bill Smith developed Holiday Seminars which are anesthesia meetings in fun vacation places such as Snowmass. Doctors take their families and vacation while getting CME's. I grew up going to Snowmass as Dad would go to meetings at 7am and then meet us on the hill at 9am for skiing. 

The families have grown tremendously over the years with spouses and children making for more fun and bigger tables. David is one of the spouses and much loved. To throw in another tidbit, he went to the CRNA school that my father and Bill Smith helped develop in middle Tennessee. The roots run deep around here.

Wednesday evening brought snow and fresh powder for Thursday morning. We took advantage of the inches and headed up to do our double black diamonds. Here's Warren on the lift to the steep stuff. I may or may not have fallen on this lift and then again while standing still getting ready for the run, but not actually on the steep stuff. That's just how I roll.  

Thursday evening we had friends over to the condo and stayed up too late laughing through old memories. 

Friday morning brought our last ski day and we partied hard. It's always sad to see the last day of vacation come around the corner and smack me in the face. I simply hate the last run of a ski trip. I always want one more trail, one more carved turn, one more patch of corduroy. 

We went out for Mexican with the whole crew (Downs, Boskinds, Smiths) on Friday evening and bought black diamond t-shirts for those who were no longer double D virgins. 

Saturday morning brought inches of fresh powder and many disappointed sighs that we had to drive to Denver instead of ski the fresh stuff. Alas, next year! 

We are now back in Nashville. Jared and I both have colds with sniffles and coughs. Better this Sunday than last!