Day One
Breckenridge, Colorado
We woke up after the red eye flight into Denver to the beautiful scene of the Rocky Mountains through our hotel window. Anxious to get on the road towards the ski hill, we ate a quick, lousy hotel breakfast and were on our way. The road to Breckenridge from Denver goes through Loveland Pass which at over 11,000 feet, was incredible. There aren’t enough fantastical words to describe the way the mountains make me feel. Just being near them caused breathlessness. From awe, not from the altitude (or so I thought!). Powerful. Inspirational. Calming. A sense of something bigger than myself. Just amazing.
Our heads swung from left to right taking in all the sights, while we yelled out the cool things we were seeing, abandoned old mining buildings, more high peaks and even a big horn sheep (Ella saw the first one, each time we saw one our cameras were not poised- they are very hard to see being the color of the rocks around them- they blend so well there is little chance you can snap a picture from a moving vehicle once your brain recognizes what it is!).
Speaking of snapping pictures from inside the van… give me some grace about the below picture. It doesn’t do the view justice, but believe me when I tell you, it was absolutely amazing.
The mountains are absolutely stunning and we could not get enough! The big scenery was not only beautiful but also very calming. Climbing higher and higher, weaving around the mountains all the while looking at even higher peaks covered in snow was breath taking and serene. As we climbed higher, I couldn’t really tell that we were experiencing any altitude issues until we parked at the bottom of Breckenridge and Ella and Jason started to get ready to ski.
My first inkling that we were all struggling with the change in altitude from Denver to Breckenridge (5,200 feet to 9,600 feet) occurred when Jason kept losing his wallet and other important pieces of life. We had to break changing into ski clothes to look for his lost items. Then, Ella’s boots felt tight as she tried to strap her feet in and she was becoming more frustrated with each passing minute. Getting ready for skiing took an exceptionally long time. I watched as multiple other families jumped out of their cars, threw on their boots and started walking towards the gondola.
Finally all settled, we were on our way. I took the gondola up with them to the base of where the ski lifts starts. Of course, I screamed the entire way up, but am so glad I went! The views were even more amazing from the base and I got to see them off on Ella’s first ski run down a real mountain. They had a fabulous time! I enjoyed a cup of coffee while watching them ski down after their first run, caught a not great picture, but at least I know it is them and then watched as they boarded the chair lift again and went on their way for more runs.
My second inkling that we were all struggling with the change in altitude came when I tried to have a conversation with a stranger.
The scenario: A woman approached a few of us seated in Adirondack chairs facing towards the mountain and asked if any of us had seen a red cell phone. I had just sat down, so I nodded no, but the couple to my left had seen the phone and pointed at the man who had taken the phone towards lost and found and successfully connected the woman with her cell phone.
The dreaded conversation when I realized my head was in a fog: I turned to the couple and said “I found a cell phone once in the road, and placed it on top of the thing, at the side of the road, you know… it is made of metal. (Picture me using my arm to demonstrate what a metal guardrail was, all the while, not being able to come up with the WORD for it!) Anyway… I put it there and then saw a man in a vehicle driving around and thought he was probably looking for it. So, I told him where I put it. What are the chances? What are the chances that you connected her with her cell phone? What are the chances?”.
OMG. I was so embarrassed. That was not what I had intended to say. What I said made no sense AT ALL and wasn’t even a good story. The couple looked at me funny, nodded and then looked away. Later on when talking with Ella and Jason about the day, I relayed the funny, Momma has lost her mind story and we all had a good laugh. They remember the day when I reunited someone with their cell phone, and the story was WAY better than that!
So noted. We were all suffering a little from the altitude and perhaps a little jet lag with lack of sleep thrown in. Time to take good care of ourselves. Resting, feet up, lots of water and a good night sleep are in order.
More Spring Break adventures will find their way into my blog.
Till the next adventure…
Be well,
Teresa
