After skipping the 2023-2024 ski season, we decided to get out for a few days of skiing to kick off the 2024-2025 ski season. We were able to secure lodging at the Silver Mill Condominiums near the River Run Gondola. It worked out really well having a 2 bedroom condo for the four of us.
We arrived around noon on Sunday, unpacked the car and got out for a couple of runs. We took the gondola up and took Schoolmarm all the way down. We all struggled a bit getting our legs back underneath us.
That night we had dinner out at Rotolo's Craft and Crust. The pizza was OK, but it was nice to have a hot meal.
Monday, we had breakfast at the condo and then headed up the mountain. After a couple hours of skiing we went by the Summit House to have a snack that turned into a full blown lunch with 2 orders of chicken fingers and fries. I headed back down the mountain and the girls skied another hour on their own. That night we did soup and leftovers for dinner. That night we watched "Growing up Smith" and were all surprisingly entertained by the story of an immigrant family who struggled to adjust to life in the United States and having their children defiantly "date" American kids.
Tuesday was an interesting day with my older daughter heading out on her own for first chair and then calling it a day after a couple of runs. Ratna and I went out later. I skied one run with her and another on my own. With weather moving in, the powder was great, but the visibility left something to be desired and my goggles were fogging up.
Tuesday night we grabbed savory crepes from The Crepe Stand. They were pretty tasty, but we got there a little early and were not super hungry. That night we also decided to play cards. We all learned a new game called Euchre. I had played in college, but it has certainly been a while.
We headed home after checking out at 10:00 AM on Wednesday. The drive back was surprisingly easy. Roads were mostly clear with some snow packed section. One section of I-70 was closed, but the detour along US40 was very easy.
It was a really nice 4 day, 3 night getaway. We are not first chair to last chair enthusiasts, so having a comfortable condo with amenities like a game room and hot tub are really nice. It was also nice to have underground parking and a ski locker so were not hauling gear up to the room.
It is tougher to ski together with my older daughter starting to take on expert terrain while, my younger daughter and I stay on intermediate terrain, while my wife prefers beginner terrain. We make it work and having the base area in walking distance of the condo makes things much easier.
Many of the runs were still closed, but there was plenty of terrain for use to explore over 3 days of skiing.
Everybody's gear worked great. It is time to get my younger daughter some poles and I may get some new ski goggles. I did not pack much warm gear assuming temperatures in the 30's. I was a little chilly with temperatures in the 10's and 20's, but did OK.
Packing food from home was very nice. I should have packed some decaf tea and also some lunchmeat.
