Sugarbowl 12/25/10

Merry Christmas!   As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to appreciate being able to spend the holidays with family versus the gifts I receive. Today was the best present,  I was able to ride Sugarbowl with my brother and my mom accompanying me on the mountain.   I had an amazing Christmas morning, slept in, opened gifts and made it to Sugarbowl for a day on the slopes.

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I first rode Sugarbowl at Thanksgiving when I wasn’t sure what to expect from the mountain but I found Sugarbowl to have a really rad mountain vibe tucked in the woods off of I-70.  This time around, I got to see more of the mountain including the terrain park features but for the day we just cruised the groomers and some off-piste so my mom could get comfortable on her skis again.  It was a pleasant surprise to enjoy runs to ourselves.

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My brother and mom skiing down the groomers at Sugarbowl

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I have an older brother Brett.  Luckily for me his friends growing up were snowboarders and I was the younger sister who got rides to Snoqualmie with them.  Without his friends who snowboarded, I probably wouldn’t have snowboarded as much.  My brother and I finally got to ski/ride together at Thanksgiving and now I’m stoked to spend days on the slopes with him.  He’s willing to drop rocks and I usually miss the shot, but really it’s fun watching him ski and get time in the mountains.

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The best part about today was never waiting in line, it was lap after lap across the mountain and watching the storm move in across the mountain ranges.  I snapped this panorama from the chairlift, kudos on it coming out even though the chair was moving!  You can open it bigger to see the bigger picture.

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My mom skiing down Sugarbowl.  She got back into skiing after visiting me in Colorado and I make sure she’s a stylish mom skier on the mountain.

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Family portrait at Sugarbowl:  Myself, brother and mom

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After I visited Sugarbowl the first time, I had my sights set on the palisades that looked amazing in November and look even more tempting now.  It’s a goal to hit one of those lines on the right.  Probably one that doesn’t go over a cliff but through a narrow passageway.  Someday!

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We ended the day in the lodge with a Bloody Mary which was the best way to end it.  They make good bloody mary’s too so definitely worth the stop.  Now I’m relaxing at the family cabin in front of the fire, waiting for dinner to be served.  Nothing beats Christmas riding with family and a full stomach later on!  I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!