Wednesday morning I was greeted by sunrise on Chief Mountain outside my window, a pleasant surprise considering the weather report we read the night before.  Wind, snow, and blistering cold from now until New Year's Day.  It was awfully windy, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  The Weather Channel said it was 100% chance of snow at 2pm.  Based on that information we decided to go snowshoeing in the trees.  We picked out an easy route with no avalanche danger to the Sally Barber mine outside of Breckenridge.  I brought my goggles, headlamp, first aid kit, and an extra insulating layer based on the weather forecast.  

We have a saying out here in Colorado that if you don't like the weather, wait half an hour.  Weather forecasts are often vulgarly wrong and things like snow and sunshine happen all the time due to the dynamic terrain of the high country.  By the time two pm rolled around we had established that we weren't headed toward the mine but rather into a basin surrounded by bald peaks standing above treeline.  This was fine, the trail was defined, and the silence of the wilderness in winter is smothering.  

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We moseyed deeper into the basin for a while, decided it was time to head back and crossed the creek to find some clean snow.  We eventually looped back to the main trail, the clouds broke, THEN it started to snow.  Unfortunately you can't see it in this pic, but it was snowing indeed.  

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That little adventure inspired me to buy maps.  Stopped at the local mountaineering depot on the way home, picked up topos for the entire area, and it turns out that we were walking into the continental divide, resting on the ridge in front of us.  The peak is Mt. Guyot, 13,370, on the divide, and now that I have a map I know that.  

Cory's head exploded when she heard that I didn't own a single piece of cookware.  How do you eat?  I go out and get food.  I know how to cook, but I don't like to for myself.  I've never bought cookware and don't know a damn thing about it outside of the woods, so I offered her the blank check to get cookware.  She accepted.  I'm now the proud owner of both an omelet pan and an iron skillet.  Turns out she's a helluva cook too, whipping up some sun-dried tomatoes and something risotto that night that was awesome.  

Thursday we experienced another fantastic sunrise in a cloudless sky and I hoped the meteorologist wouldn't be suicidal that morning after a year of being wrong almost every day.  That inspired us to go hit the slopes, and due to the holiday crowds that means A-Basin.  As soon as we parked the truck the blizzard hit.  I knew somewhere a weatherman was celebrating.  We hit the slopes, it was blown out up top and out back, and we found ourselves at the bar watching the blizzard blow by before too long. 

That night we BBQ'd with Steve, Lindsay, and Jen.  I've never grilled steaks in two degree snowy weather.  They were some kick ass rib-eye's that had been marinating for 30 hours though and came out awesome.  Headed to Johnny's that night for a NYE pre-party, walking both ways in the snow cause it's the best.  

Today's New Year's Day, did some end of the year business and errands, and now we're relaxin getting ready for tonight.  Plan is to go to Johnny's for the Phish simulcast from Madison Square Garden as well as some live band that is supposed to be awesome.  Stoked, I love this life after a month up here, and it's been a great year.

Peace and good luck,

Devo