On Durango Mountain...

02/08/10. Wing. The weatherman says snow but the sun is shining and it’s going to be a great day to get outside and have some fun. Some of us must find our fun wherever we find ourselves and I think that I’m going to find myself both inside and out. I’m trying to get some accounting software set up and am confused as hell about what I should and should not be doing. Don’t know how long I can keep at it before I’ll have to take a break and get some fresh air. A group of ski instructors came down from Vail in the middle of the night and are busy drinking coffee and eating bagels in the Break Room. They are going to attend an Avalanche Survival Course put on by Southwest Adventures down in the Columbine Room. Don’t know if they get to go outside or if it’s all classroom work. But it’s only eight and they’re already hard at it.  I hope they don’t miss the sugar donut I poached from the boxfull they left in the Break Room.

02/07/10. Wing. About six inches of fresh powder on the ground, on the van and on the rooftops. It’s supposed to snow all day and all night. Wanzek ought to be showing up any minute now to fire up the bobcat and begin moving the snow out of the cluster.  Simpson is already warming up the van and thinks it will do just fine without chains on the short trip to the ski hill and back.  Hope he’s right.  The powderhounds will be out in strength but everyone else will be sipping hot chocolate around the fire and watching the pregame on the TV. Simpson is chopping wood now and we’ll have a blazing fire momentarily. Momentum, a band from Bayfield, was blazing last night up at the Creekside Lounge in the Plaza at Purgatory. It was great to see the kids dancing with the old folks. The drummer even let one of them sit down and bang away for a couple of minutes during the break.

02/06/10. Wing. Only about an inch of powder on the van this morning and no one seems in a hurry to hit the slopes. It’s supposed to keep coming all day and all night and precipitate between 6 and 14 inches of the white stuff. Hope it does. There’s a pack of  freestylists up on the hill today banging mogels and contorting their bodies as they fly through the air. I’m sure they’ll appreciate the soft landing. They should be fun to watch. But Jim Law is heading for coffee, Steve is chowing on a breakfast burrito. Richard allows how his hip is whimpering just enough to make him wish he were going snowshoeing instead of skiing. Here comes Winnie who is wondering what everybody else is doing. Steve has warmed up the shuttle but no one is in a hurry to do anything or go anywhere. It sits just outside the door waiting patiently to do service.

02/05/10. Wing. Clear skies at the dawn but it has clouded up quickly and everyone is excited about the possibility of new snow. Marty Delgeorgio came up last night with his son and a couple of his son’s buddies. This is the first stop on the boys big ski adventure. They plan to bee bop from ski hill to ski hill and end up at Whistler for the Olympics. But when it comes to ski bumming they’ve got nothing on Charles Huff. Charles is up from Houston for a month and a half sleeping on couches and scamming tickets. He’s a real artist and a hero to those who admire the art.  Made a run with him yesterday and am sorry to report that there’s another flatlander who can beat me down the hill.

02/04/10. Wing. The weatherman says 50% chance of snow but I don’t think he’s looked outside because there‘s not a cloud in the sky. Just a waning moon setting over the cliffs high above the condominiums. It’s cold outside and it will be a good day to make some turns up at DMR. We’re still working on the snowshoe track and have quite a ways to go before it’s finished. Once set in it will be easier to keep up and faster to walk. But for now it’s an exercise in pace and patience; of breath and balance; and for making a strong heart, lung and leg.  If you get lucky or move slow enough you could stumble on that quiet beauty that hides within a winter forest. Yesterday we came upon some coyote tracks, some rabbit tracks and some ski tracks. The ski tracks meandered through the woods, across the meadow and ended in the parking lot at Silverpick. The astonishing thing was where they came from.  As we climbed towards the base of the cliff we could see that they shot out of a hidden and narrow gully full of rocks and trees and sharp drops that rises a full 1500 feet to the cliff top. 

02/03/10. Wing. Hazy daze and it could be a lazy one too! Wouldn’t mind taking a few hours to curl up with a book by the fire. Supposed to snow just a little today and a little more tomorrow and it’s hard not to miss the sunshine we got while tromping out a new snowshoe trail yesterday.  Supposed to go back out today and tromp around a little more. But there’s plenty of work to do if you’ve got a mind to do it.  Steve has arrived and is planning to spend lots of time spreading salt and chopping ice. Eddy plans to finish up the tile work in #103.  Neal is back and helping Eddy but I think he may end up down in the laundry folding towels.  We all have our given chores. Given by me, who wants to do nothing but build a fire in the lobby and read about how Iago manages to destroy the pretty world in which he lives.

02/02/10. Wing. Briged and Jorg have returned to the high country for a month of skiing and have come bearing a gift of home made sour cherry jam. Home made with 25% less sugar. Wonder if they just ran out. I’m going to try it on a bagel a little later. It’s always nice to get presents. But I’ve already got everything I need (more or less) and it can be a challenge to figure out what to do with something new. The best presents are those you can give to someone else because you know they want it. That happened to me once when I was bartending. A friend at one end of the bar gave me a ball cap with his company logo on it. His corporation had gone bust in the Savings and Loan debacle and it was his last company hat.  Tom, at the other end of the bar, was a powder man, living on the mountain for the summer. He came up to blow deep holes in the living rock for planting the huge utility poles that follows the highway from Durango to Silverton. As Gene handed me the cap Tom allowed how he admired it.  So I passed it on to him without so much as a pause to see if it fit on my own head. Felt lucky that day.

02/01/10. Wing. Up on the mountain it’s easy to forget that there’s a little city only 25 miles south and 2500 feet below. But every so often you get hungry and have to make the trek down to the valley for vittles and the other necessities of life not found in here  in the high country. Included in that category is the nebulous thing some people call “culture”. As if what goes on at the Schoolhouse between 11pm and 2am isn’t culture enough. What they really mean is fine art and while there’s a dearth of it at altitude, Durango certainly has its fair share. Yesterday I went down to listen to a piano recital by Steven Mayer who really put out a vibe. Who knew one dude could fill an entire concert hall with so much noise. Of the pleasant variety. Even made me smile a couple of times. Now that's a fine art.

01/31/10. Wing. The Boike’s have sold their condo and are headed back to the flatlands today. They had a pretty good run of five years or so and seemed to enjoy themselves while they were here. But all good things must end. Hopefully to be replaced by other good things. Such as a walk back from the Schoolhouse under a full moon giving way to downhill skiing on the freshly packed powder giving way to piano jazz at the college in the afternoon. Hopefully, and without unpleasant incident. Steve is here again and will be working on the Guest Directories between shuttle rides and tending the home fire in our “massive stone fireplace”.  He’s got lots of copies to make and people to call but his biggest challenge will be to fix the color copier.  Me, I’m just waiting on my ski buddies to show. I like the way that reads!

01/30/10. Wing. It’s going to be a sunny one. But that’s a still few minutes hence. Right now it’s cold and grey and quiet inside and out.  No one in the Lodge but me and I wonder what happened to my buddies from Albuquerque who were supposed to arrive at 11 last night. I think they might have got sucked into the Snowdown celebration in downtown Durango. Most of the homeowners here for the Annual Meeting are leaving today except for the Drapers who just arrived to finalize the purchase of a second unit.  It’s next to their existing condo and they plan to hook them together to make a grand space all on one level. A victory for stair haters everywhere.  Went skiing with Mickey yesterday and what a day it was. The front side was in the clouds but we skied around to the back and you couldn’t have asked for a prettier day or better snow.  Seemed magical somehow. No lift lines (as usual) but the chairs were full of happy and contented skiers.

01/28/10. Wing. Just about four inches of the fresh covering the van this morning. It’s going to be a great day to be up on the slopes. The weatherperson says that we’re going to get more of the same all day.  Which means it will be a very nice weekend to spend at Durango Mountain Resort.  In fact there’s going to be plenty to do in Durango as well. This weekend the town hosts the annual Snowdown Winter Carnival. The parade is tonight and the weekend is full of every kind of sport and social event imaginable. The theme is “Life’s a Beach” and Hawaiian Shirts are popping out everywhere. You can check it all out at: www.snowdown.org.  Am going to try to stay up here on the mountain. Celebrated Joe Barnes 66 birthday up in the Sow’s Ear last night and am hoping for a short respite before jumping back into the fray.   

01/27/10. Wing. Cloudy but no sign of snow. The weatherman says we’re going to get thirteen inches which makes sense since we’re just about finished cleaning up after the last storm. Eddy just took the old folk up to the mountain and I don’t think there’s anyone else going over for a while. We’ve got a group of six folk some of them on the far far side of 60 and they’re having fun giving each other a hard time about their skiing ability. Yesterday they all skied from first chair to last putting to shame most everyone else on the mountain. Today is Joe Barnes 66^th birthday and he’s gone skiing as well.  Wish I could have joined him but he got out too early for me. Steve and Eddy are in the house going about their respective tasks. Tonight a few cat skiers are arriving from Boulder. But today the housekeepers are off and there’s peace and quiet and some degree of serenity in the Lodge.  

01/26/10. Wing. Supposed to cloud up and snow today but yesterday was a lovely day and all of the homeowners who made it out and up onto the slopes came back happy and chatty.  Saw Barney in the parking lot this morning when I dropped of the first shuttle load of guests but I bet he and Sharon are the only homeowners who make it up today.  Eddy’s already hard at it over in #103 working on the tile after nearly a week’s hiatus to deal with the storm. Neal’s come back to work to give him a hand and hopefully they’ll make some good progress this week. The housekeepers are here as well and they are going to be very disappointed to learn that Steve is taking my truck to town to patch a leak in one of the bobcat tires. He’s had a devil of a time with the machine this go round and he’s not the only one. Seems like all the snow removal equipment is made to break down when you need it the most. I hope this is the last issue with the bobcat this year. Fat chance!

01/25/10. Wing. The sun is shining, the snow is fabulous and spirits are high. Made a couple of runs yesterday and everywhere you looked there was someone from Silverpick in a lift line or screaming down the hill. Back at the ranch the snow plows and snow shovelers were busy as can be. They are starting to make a dent snow on the roads, pathways and roofs. But still have a long ways to go. The parking lots in particular need attention and some folks have yet to begin to dig their cars out.  Meanwhile, the wedding folks from Ruidoso packed up and returned to that mountain town but left healthy portions of shrimp, gumbo and ribs behind. It is without doubt the best gumbo I’ve ever tasted. The bride and groom tried to drive up to Ouray but were turned back by avalanches and had to drive around the long way to their honeymoon through Cortez and Telluride.

01/20/10. Wing. And Snowing! The ski area is reporting 18 inches in the last 24 hours and it’s still coming.  Terry is out in his loader clearing the roads. He looks as happy as a clam (I guess that’s before you eat ‘em) perched high above the accumulated fun in his glass cab.  It’s a heated and he sits in the middle of the storm in his shirtsleeves listening to music and watching the flakes swirl around him as he goes about his appointed task. With any luck I’ll get a chance to watch the flakes swirl as I whirl through the fresh powder down the blue runs. Supposed to make a few runs with Joe Barnes and Vince Lipani, at least that was the plan at dinner last night. They may decide they need a day to acclamate to the altitude after they see what it looks like outside. And what do you know. Here comes Joe wanting to use the computer for some urgent business. Maybe we'll get out tomorrow.

01/19/10. Wing.  Well yes it’s snowing. And snowing. And snowing. Just 6, 7 inches overnight but it’s still going and there’s supposed to be two more storms behind this one. Whoopee! Steve has fired up the bobcat to clear out the cluster and Pete Maisel says his boys are on their way over the hill to plow the roads. Rod Sweet and his best friend, Otto, are already here plowing out the Lodge lot. I wish I was 50 again! I’d be out on a snowboard today. Instead I guess I’ll just stay snuggled up by the fire and wait for some sunshine later in the week.  No snuggling for Eddie. He’s still working on #207. Just a day left till it‘s rented and he’s got lots to do. Texture and paint the patches he had to make to hang the flat screens, repair and install a digital thermostat for the toe heater, replace the bathroom faucets, hang a couple of mirrors and haul in firewood. Then the housekeepers will attack the unit tomorrow.

01/18/10. Wing. Looks like it’s going to snow.  And snow. And snow. The weatherman says we’re in for a week of it.  That ought to be enough to make everyone happy. Could make it difficult to fly in. That’ll be a worry for the homeowners coming in from across the nation for the Annual Meeting on Saturday and Pot Luck Cocktail Party Friday night. Vince wants me to remind everybody to stop by his condo (#312) around 5pm with an appetizer and a bottle of wine, though I guess a six pack would do as well.  Busy night in the restaurant last night with the annual Xavier Father/Daughter Dinner.  I guess it went off well. I had dinner in the bar with the Patrick Barnes and the service didn’t miss a beat. Lots of people in the restaurant and lobby, some of whom found gainful employment at the chess set while they waited.

01/10/10. Wing. Why yes, it is another beautiful mountain morning. Very quiet in the lobby except for one little old lady looking for her boots.  No one else is thinking about boots quite yet. It was a very nice wedding and a heck of a reception.  Now the guests will make the trek back from whence they came, some a long ways and some a short ways. All moving away from this precious moment in the lives of Steve and Lauren. It will be quiet at the Lodge for a while and the next big thing is the homeowners meeting on the 23^rd.  Can’t have a crisis every year so there’s not too much interest. There’s still lots plan and talk about.  So the few will decide for the many.

01/07/10. Wing. No snow yesterday but it’s partly cloudy this morning. Weatherman says don’t get your hopes up.  OK, I won’t.  Too much to do anyway. The Aggies seem to be enjoying themselves and are making full use of all the facilities in the Lodge which is gratifying. Eddy says they must be showering before they get in the hot tubs because they are much cleaner than usual. Chock one up for reading ability and comprehension. For some reason most folks ignore the “Please shower before entering hot tub” sign. Now they are starting to gather out front for the quick trip up to the lifts.  June’s the only other rider today so there’ll be plenty of time left over for paperwork, my favorite thing. NOT. 

01/06/09. Wing. Feels like spring outside and the weatherman says it’s going to be 33 degrees, cloudy with a slight chance of snow. You couldn’t tell it by the 7 o’clock sky which is clear as a bell. Either way works for me. The Aggies arrived yesterday morning and spent the day getting ready to ski today. Only I think they started to have too much fun with each other and forgot about skiing somewhere along the way. It’s 8 o’clock now and there’s barely a peep from the group. Maybe they’re downstairs making breakfast and practicing cheers. They certainly know how to entertain themselves. Who know card games were a college major? I bet their math skills are pretty good. Never made it to town but sent Eddy down to pick up some materials for the tile job in #103. He’s nearly finished breaking up the old tile and will start putting down the underlayment today.  The housekeepers finished deep cleaning #207 after Chad and Megan moved down to the Glacier Club, we moved the furniture back in and now it’s ready to rent once more. Steve has got the walks clear in the Cluster and the place looks pretty good. I guess it is time it snowed so he can start all over again.

01/01/10. Wing. Yes it is VERY quiet in the Lobby and I can’t even believe I’m here.  The restaurant was busy until well past midnight and had their biggest night ever. The food was outstanding and the service was pretty good as well. Our small group sat down at 10 and Richard honored us with his custom brand of service though  we left before we had a chance to hear him sing anything. We of course did our part to liven up the dining room with a chorus of “Lucky Me” and were rewarded with a modest round of applause. Afterwards we hung out around the bonfire and Mitch set off the fireworks Pete and Bruce had sent up from New Mexico.  A most excellent display and great way to draw a line between the old and the new.  But now it's back to the daily routine, running the shuttle back and forth to the ski area then down to Needles to fill it up with gas, cleaning rooms and fixing whatever breaks. Today it's a hot water heater in #308 and a toilet in #103. How will 2010 be any different than 2009? God only knows.