Family Fun and Broken Bones

Since late January, excitement has been plentiful, arriving in many different forms. Five of the six events we’re more than unforgettable, while the odd one out was less than desirable.

January 22^nd – The Ryan Clan arrives (minus the all-important Will Ryan, who’s got a head full of books and hands full of helicopter grease).  We ski, we eat (really good food), we party, we hot tub, we sleep, we repeat. Their stay was highlighted by a deep day 1, and an even softer day 5 before heading back to the freezing-thawing abyss of what Vermont now calls winter. 

February 4^th – Hedda becomes co-founder of Team Franzia in the Annual Alley Loop.  In this deeply loved local event, nordic skiers of all ages race through the town’s network of narrow alleys, and break out into the surrounding meadows before crossing the finish line back in the heart of Crested Butte. Costumes encouraged, drinking accepted. Team Franzia dressed in tight Walmart jumpsuits, wielding multiple 5-liter boxes of Franzia’s Sunset Blush.  Whether it was lack of cardiovascular training or sipping their ruby red elixir from the spout, Team Franzia finished the 5k in 2.5 hours.

February 5^th, 11:45am – I break my left clavicle (a second time).  Thankfully, I was coaching on the clock. Therefore, while I sit here at home, I receive a modest biweekly sum of compensation benefits. 

February 5^th, 5:00pm – The Bungalow is graced with the presence of Frank Peterson (Sue Peterson to hold out for summertime in CB). While Frank was not lucky enough to ski waist deep fluff, Mother Nature was nice enough to deliver a few fresh layers throughout the week. That daily offering was just enough to enjoy some soft turns in recently opened Teocalli Bowl and the Headwall: about 20% of the lift-access extreme terrain that Crusty Butt is known for.  After another week of sampling the local cuisine and beverage, Frank left 16 hours early to outrun the oncoming storm in his Nissan Cube rental. Thanks for the games of cribbage and keeping the crippled boy company Mr. Peterson.  

February 13^th – Arrival of the Swiss Snow Machine, hailing from the (not so) grand metropolis of White Plains, NY.  Flavio Feurstein entered our lives in the winter of 2011, visiting Burlington, VT as the roommate of a good friend. Traveling the country as a mechanical/electrical engineer keeps him from skiing as much as he would like to.  However, wherever our Swiss friend skis, it snows. See you in Switzerland, Fla.

Next on the Agenda:

Final Five-week push to the end of the season ahead.  I’ll be serving modified duty at Ski School as lunch lady during the Texas spring break rush and Hedda will work her three jobs.

March 29^th - April 2^nd – Ski Vacation Mega Reunion in Salt Lake City, Utah with a collection of skiers from our former life at the University of Vermont.

And, if you’re ever in Crested Butte for Mardi Gras, you won’t be disappointed. 

 

The Holiday Buzz

The holiday rush has come and gone in Crested Butte. Lone Star State suburbans and oversized trucks occupied downtown. Bagels were sold by the dozens and carafes of coffee hit hard. Most resident’s days consisted of a double work shift. For me, that meant opening the bakery at 6:30 AM and closing the Italian eatery at 10:30 PM. For JT, that meant collecting tips from Ski School parents by day and Sushi Bar guests by night. There was money to be made in Crested Butte over those two weeks. For some, their livelihood depends on it.

Somehow, both of us had Christmas day off. We were able to catch up on rest, open our collection of USPS boxes from the motherland, and make a few x-mas turns. Christmas night was spent among excellent company at Toad Hall, the home of a friend, notorious for hosting large and delicious potlucks. Our contribution was an almond, cranberry, butternut squash bake. Yum.

Our next free night was the following Thursday, which meant, time to cook our ham. Five bites into our belated holiday meal the carbon monoxide alarm sounded. A quick call to dispatch (across the street to the Fire/EMS Station) was followed by an alley gathering with half of the CB fire department. Their readings of 45 parts per million pointed straight to our 4 hour roast of ham. This is not an uncommon winter occurrence in a tightly insulated, poorly ventilated, 500 square foot house. All was well after a through airing out of the bungalow. So then we had seconds. 

On New Years Eve, I wore an old school prom dress to work, along with the rest of the female wait staff. After serving many a margaritas I scooted out of work before midnight to catch JT for Champaign at his place of work. Our night concluded at the Talk of The Town, a bar that will some day leave everyone with a story. It was a great scene and a wonderful reminder of our yesteryears spent on Church Street.   

More recently, we picked up a new five inches of snow- the most we’ve seen since November. While the snow flew last Saturday we shared turns and lots of laughs with two Nepalese that we work with: Neema and Dawaa.  They moved here with their families two years ago in search of work and education. Their simple enjoyment for skiing was contagious and made for an unforgettable afternoon. 

Let it Snow

The snow is flying here in Colorado’s Last Great Ski Town – just not that fast, or all that often. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy each and every turn, while cruising down some of Colorado’s finest grooming.  Finally, this past Thursday, I felt the sensation of a familiar kind: my thighs were on fire in knee-deep (practically untouched) chowder. As I sliced through our season total of 22 inches, I did my best to uncover as many obstacles as possible. No, it has not snowed more than 1 inch in the past 7 days, but the Ski Patrol at Crested Butte Mountain Resort did feel inclined to lower the ropes, and let a few of us anonymous volunteer snow packers test the waters, and smear that old snow between the cracks left by small shrubs and rocks – the most exciting turns to date.

In other exciting news, the Bungalow has received its first visitor:  our Friend, and fellow Vermonter, Jed Yeiser. Jed found a couple days, in his busy schedule with K2, to see the sights and feel the vibe here on the edge of paradise.  We sampled the food, enjoyed the beer, and scrounged for some BC powder turns.

Also making an appearance in town over the past week was the infamous National Brotherhood of Skiers (NBS) as well as the Italian and Austrian Snowboard teams, laying down some training runs in preparation for the World Cup at Telluride. They carve ruts like the Brotherhood gets down.  

In this land of sunshine and plentiful freedom, our long days of passing time with crafts and random, sometimes insignificant, handyman work are coming to a close. We actually have to work.

I’m almost two paychecks into my season of waiting tables and bartending at Colorado’s #1 date night restaurant. Django’s (Named after the 1920’s gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt) Restaurant & Wine Bar carries a casual feel, in a metropolitan setting, complete with small plates, big taste, and a huge wall of wine (which I am required to memorize and become a master at navigating through the unique foil caps, towards the best bottle for the occasion and/or ingredient).

            Our flagship dish:  Crispy Brussels Sprouts. Not your grandma’s recipe.  Let’s just say these bitter green balls go well with an apple cider reduction and a little crème fraiche. 

Besides a few nights a week of waiting on mostly heavy walleted, but also very nice, clients, I’m scoring a ski pass through a few days a week of herding sheep in the Ski School corral. While teaching skiing was not my first choice of employment that offers a pass, I will soon be putting most of my instructing efforts towards coaching the CB Freeride team.  The young rippers here are short one coach, so I was lucky enough to fill that void. 

Since the on/off business that comes with a destination town/resort requires one to have more than one job, I’ll also be grabbing some hours of labor at the local Artisan Rug Gallery.  Hedda also picked up her second and thirds jobs busing tables at Donita’s, the Mexican restaurant in town, and Marchitelli’s Gourmet Noodle, the Italian spot in town. Here, there’s only one establishment per cuisine.

It’s easy to say that the summer’s here are for catching up, and the winters are meant for getting after it.

Since the mountain opens annually before Thanksgiving, by the 25^th of November, the game is on.  That meant working on the Day of Thanks for the first time ever (not to mention being away from family).  Luckily, we aren’t the only orphans in town, so Hedda was able to enjoy her turkey with neighbors and friends.  Conveniently, we postponed our Thanksgiving here in the Bungalow to the following Monday.

T-Day Menu at the Bungalow Bistro

Cocktail

Bacon Bloody Mary

Appetizer

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

Main Course

Brussels Sprouts drizzled with a cider reduction

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Butternut Squash

Cranberry Ginger Relish

Roast Bird stuffed with goodness

Dessert

Cranberry Apple Crumble Pie a la mode

Calling for 8-12 down at Wolf Creek tomorrow. Chance of Shred: Likely.