My Rocky Mountain High: Dreaming of a White Christmas

Ok, this is belated, but I have had it drafted since Christmas, and even though I'm not up to date yet I thought I'd better throw it in before the year gets away on me!

I was anxious for a white Christmas being in the mountains and all this year, but unfortunately the weather had other ideas. And it's had other ideas starting about 2 weeks after we arrived here. Yep, Winter Park is still not producing the goods.

There is snow on the ground - so it technically could be considered a white Christmas - but we are still awaiting the season's deluge of white stuff. It's all anyone's talking about up here. I've heard about how we should be swimming in it by now, how you shouldn't be able to see anything but white, white, and more white. Last year they had an incredible season of snow. Of course, the season I arrive here it goes all out of wack; not only is there no snow, it's unusually windy! It's not good for the B&B and it's not good for the town, which relies on the snow to bring in business.

But Chase and I got ourselves the best Christmas present we could ask for - 3 full days with no guests so we were very happy. The last two weeks had been crazily busy and since the owner's were away we hadn't had any time off.

We had a lovely quiet Christmas day and that night we had one of our similarly orphaned friends, Dan, over for dinner. He's a great guy who Chase met when he used to live here years ago. They worked on trail crew together. They both left Winter Park about the same time and its just coincidence that they're both back here again this time. Dan works at the Ski Resort for NSCD (National Sports Centre for the Disabled) and is a really big out-doors enthusiast, he's even hiked the John Muir Trail, a massive 211 mile (340km) trail in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California!

Derrick & Patricia middle, back; Dan and Amy right, front

Check out this Colorado
craft beer - almost makes me
wish I drank beer!

The next night some more friends came for a belated Christmas dinner. Patricia and Derrick Taff are originally from Alabama (Derrick is also from Chase's town, though they became friends when they worked on trail crew together as well, so Dan, Derrick and Chase all know each other). I first met them when Chase and I lived in Atlanta in 2006, they came to visit us and we all got along very well. We also visited them where they lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama after our road trip in America in 2008. At that time they were having their going away party because they were moving to Colorado. Now they live in Fort Collins (an apparently really cool university town an hour north of Denver) and both work for the university (Derrick is getting his Doctorate in outdoor recreation too - nice). We'll definitely be visiting them in Fort Collins sometime this year and I can't wait to see this cool town. Along with Derrick and Patricia, Dan came again for a second helping and brought his sister Amy who had just arrived for a visit. So it was a very merry gathering, with the boys reliving their old Winter Park days (I'm glad I wasn't there then!).

Chase made the delicious ham and roast vegetables again that he made at Thanksgiving plus a home-made mac and cheese. I made a mega salad and cauliflower with cheese sauce, Derrick and Patricia brought dessert - home-made pecan pie and both sets of friends brought tonnes of wine and beer.

Our great Xmas gift from
Derreck & Patricia

Of course, we were all stuffed afterwards.

It's been pretty fun being in Winter Park for the Christmas season even though it hasn't been snowing much. I enjoyed seeing people driving home with real Christmas trees on their roofs (aka. The Griswolds!), and the carols playing actually mean something here. We were walking home from the coffee shop one day and we went via the park (Hideaway Park), there was carols playing over a loud speaker and there's a nice big gentle slope where a bunch of parents were at watching their kids sled down. With the background music, the snow covered park, and the children sledding, I really felt like I was in a Christmas movie!

There was the annual lighting of the Christmas tree a few weeks back and on Christmas Eve they had the annual Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade at Winter Park Resort. We were wusses and didn't go to either - it's too cold! The torchlight parade would've been fun to see but Chase and I were looking forward to our first night in a while in a quiet, people-free B&B. The Winter Park Resort employees (including Dan) ski down with lights in the form of a Christmas tree, then Santa Claus ski's down.

From the Winter Park Resort Website:

The event begins with Christmas carols around the bonfire at the base of the Resort then a procession of torch-bearing skiers and riders (employees of the resort) begin their way down Lower Hughes trail, followed by Santa Claus and his merry helpers. A spectacular fireworks display and snowcats adorned with Christmas colors light up the slopes in a Christmas tree formation to conclude the festivities. Immediately following the show at 6pm, visitors are welcome to attend Christmas Eve interdenominational services and Catholic Church services.

I've included a video from you tube but don't you think the long-exposure photo is most impressive?