Mammoth '09/'10

Christmas & Mom's 40th birthday passed into the history books and we took off for a holiday in Mammoth. Jade did not join us as he had special (secret) plans with Sara for New Year's Eve (more on that in a future post). But we DID have Mom, Dad, Lando, Deevs, & Miss M.

The plan had been to leave at 3AM on the 3oth and get to the mountain in time to board/ski that day, but we decided to sleep in instead and got on the road closer to 10AM.

We drove most of the day and stopped for lunch at the Pizza Factory in Lone Pine. Scott & Mel were in England visiting Becky & Frank & Rachel, so we did not get to stop to say "hi" to them.

Lone Pine Pizza Factory

Dad driving - "look at the snow"

Brothers

At the condo

Getting ready to hit the mountain

Suiting up

Mom & Deevs

Mom & Deevs again - Lando showing us the "super model" camera angle to make us look tall & thin

Waiting for the gondola from the Village to Canyon

Dad & Miss M at lunch

Lando & Mom at lunch (in an attempt to make sure he was not going to make a funny face, I was the one who got caught making a funny face!)

The conditions were pretty darn good and the weather was OK. The storm that was supposed to roll in on New Year's Day passed through as barely a whisper with no measurable snow.

Miss m and Wooly

Family shot

Deevs hurt his back in a fall on a jump attempt. Having also come the week before with Kyle, he was not as dedicated to being on the mountain so we let him go home on Friday with friends & stay with G&G.

Miss M & Mom were both feeling altitude sick and getting colds and were sore... so both of us only went 2 days then stayed in on Saturday (we went to see Avatar). Dad & Lando went together for a half day which started at 12:30. They said it was surprisingly uncrowded (on a Saturday of a holiday weekend) and the weather couldn't have been better. (I was a tiny bit regretful that I didn't go.)

Today is Sunday and I am typing this from the condo. Everyone else is still asleep, but should be waking up shortly when we will hit the road for the 5-6 hours back. (Worth it!!!)

Mammoth '09

We are so sad Jade couldn't join us for this EPIC trip shreddin' the pow-pow in Mammoth!  (Busy with calls and meetings for his new job helping people with life insurance, long-term care insurance, retirement, disability planning etc .)

Minus him though, we had the whole crew.

We left at 4:30AM on Thursday, dropped the gear off at the condo and Dad and the kids were on the mountain snowboarding by 10:30.  

Mom had to go rent skis so she got a 1/2 day pass and joined the Fam at 12:30.

It has not really stopped snowing since we arrived so we are enjoying the fresh, deep powder. (Well, at least MOST of us are.  Miss M is a little bitter at it.)

We have had a few minor wardrobe malfunctions:

Mom needed new goggles (major fogging episodes helped us to know what it might be like to ski if you were nearly blind!)

Boards sitcking - needed waxing.

Hands were FREEZING - glove liners purchased.

Legs cold - long underwear bought.

1st day we thought the mountain closed at 4:30 so didn't get back to the Mill to get our car in time.  The kids walked back to the condo from Canyon Lodge while Mom & Dad had to take the gondola into the village (from Canyon) then catch the redline shuttle back toward main lodge to the Mill where the suburban was the last car in the parking lot... covered with a foot of snow.

Lunch on the mountain at McCoy. (Memories: Lando making friends with Alex from Mumbai & Jose who made AWESOME  grilled roast beef paninis with bacon, Dad tipping George at check out, Miss M falling asleep face down on the wood bench.)

Dinner in the condo:

Soup & crusty french bread (Broccoli & Cheese or chicken tortilla)

Spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad

Polska kielbasa, potatoes, salad

Hey, keep your eyes on the road.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

Getting ready to shred the Gnarnia.

Winter wonderland.

Jade, wish you were here!