Vacation Journal // Ski Santa Fe: Day 1

It’s about right that I take almost two weeks to get my vacation thoughts in order.  At least that is how it went with the last vacation posts.  Be warned, this is going to be more like a photo post because, well, I always come home with way too many pictures.

Our trip back to New Mexico was a very welcomed adventure.  It still is a little strange to say going back ‘home’ is a vacation, but we’ve been away from there long enough now (almost 12 years) that it does in fact seem more like a vacation, and less like the home it once was.

We left early on a Sunday morning to be in Nashville for our 7 something flight.  There were no delays and no mishaps, just a cold winter’s morning in Tennessee.  We got into Albuquerque with plenty of time to relax and get rested up before the three days of mountain fun began.  It is always so nice to see those mountain views, and of course to see my family that is out that way.  I must not forget about that good ole local food.  Dion’s – that delicious pizza place at which we always have to make a stop when we make our way back to New Mexico – was first on our list.  We got it to-go and it was as delicious as ever.

Monday morning started bright and early.  After breakfast we made our way to Santa Fe and up the mountain.  With just over an hour drive, we were finally where we had flown over 1000 miles to be – the nearest familiar ski slope.

As always, we seem to pick the ideal times to travel.  There weren’t a lot of people at the ski area, so we rented equipment and got our tickets in no time.  The nice lady at the ticket counter informed us that we would probably want to leave the passes off of our jackets, as it was gonna be a beautiful day and lots of people were comfortable without that outer layer of bulk.  She was right.  I don’t think I have ever skied without a jacket.

Equipment now rented, and tickets now in hand, it was time to get buckled in.  I instantly remembered the pain that I get on my left shin the second I took off my street shoes to get squeezed into the ski boots.  Oh, yeah, three days in a row with these things on isn’t the most comfortable; I knew I would manage.

Stephen skied on day one for the first time ever.  I was happy that he wanted to try it out, and I was happy that he had a great day of it.  He even got off of the lift every time with no problems at all.  I think this time skiing for him was the beginning of other skiing days to come.

Ethan, on the other hand, refused to even consider skiing.  He was there to snowboard.  This particular day was his sixth day ever snowboarding, and considering how low that number was, he did quite well.  I’m sure he’d do fine skiing also.  I guess that will just be something for him to try another time.

We made a few easy runs down the bunny slope to get the hang of our mountain legs.  These were also mostly for Stephen since he was new to the whole sport of skiing.  After this we headed half way up the mountain, and now our day had really begun.

Stephen found out right away that he may have gone up the mountain too soon, so after this he stuck mostly to the easy runs, while the boy and I alternated between the top and the bottom slopes – meeting up with Stephen here and there throughout the day.  It was so much fun, and I love that this is just another thing I get to do with two of my most favorite people on earth.

Did I mention the weather?  It was beautiful!  We couldn’t have picked a better time to go.

Stay tuned, there is more to come…