On Liftlines and Legacies

By Mark Phillips, 4-15-06

The birds are out in force in Boulder. They're singing loud enough that I don't need to set my alarm. The windows have been open all night and it's warm enough at 6AM to enjoy the sunrise without shivering. This morning's light offered a rainbow between me and the Flatirons. And I'm shedding the first layer of the season's first sunburn.
Spring comes early this year in Boulder, or rather, there still seems like there's plenty winter to enjoy, especially after this winter.
Several resorts closed last week, and with a few exceptions, most will stop the lifts and wish the Ski Patrol well after this weekend. For snow enthusiasts tracking this year's offerings, it's hard to take these closings quietly. Every mountain that remains open this weekend has more than 50 inches left in the base; Silverton is reporting 100!
Oscar and I leave for Winter Park this morning after his first Soccer game. Winter Park (75 spring-snow-lovin' inches), like most resorts, has a full roster of bands, egg hunts, and final-weekend activities, including the Spring Splash, a bottom-of-the-hill run through a pond intended to send show-offs and spectators alike back to their mountain bikes and hiking books dripping with a reminder that the memory of the incredible 05/06 snow season will outlive their wet clothes, their hangovers, their sunburn, and most certainly their mountain bikes. I’ll post a summary of our 5th grade Passport experience later, but for now, I hope you’re able to get out and enjoy one last day on the slopes!

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