Farnsworths on the Front Range: January 2012

Well, we finally have the internet set up so it is back to blogging. A lot has happened since we were last able to post. Spending time with family and friends for the holidays was fantastic. We had a lot of fun seeing everyone and wish it could have been a longer visit. Maybe next time… After Christmas Jacquelyn’s father Mike offered to drive out with his truck and haul some of our belongings back to Denver with us. We were extremely excited to once again sleep on our own bed. We also brought our dog Gretchen and kitty Mary back as well. Mary wasn’t all that happy about it.

With Mike’s help we were finally able to get the apartment into a livable space. We even went and got a nice dining room table and chairs for super cheap off craigslist. Once Mike went back to St. Louis the party was over and it was back to work for the both of us. I accepted a position at a local paint retailer for the time being. The work is easy and the owners are very nice. Plus, I get a nice view of the Front Range out the windows. The bike ride to the shop is only 5 miles each way and I am getting used to the climbs. The downside to both of us working now is we only have Sundays off together. So those days have become our “get out and do something” days.

Our apartment is right at the base of Green Mountain, which has some excellent hiking trails and views of the city below. This is our frequent walk if the weather is good and there isn’t much snow melt. The trails can become quite muddy. It will be awesome to bike once the mud is all dry. Some nice descents.

Jacquelyn is a better photographer than me, obviously.

Ronald and John came up for a weekend as well. I had to work on Saturday so I wasn’t able to spend as much time with them as I would have liked, but they entertained my fiancé and themselves at the REI flagship store. They brought up more of our things and more firewood to add to our stack. Through my brother’s excellent driving skills we finally were able to go further into the mountains and made it up and over Loveland Pass on Sunday morning. We saw hitchhiking skiers and snowboarders being taken up the mountain pass by passing cars, and then dropped off at the top for a free day of skiing. We then hung around downtown Frisco to eat and saw the hotel where John asked his lovely wife Kristin to marry him. It was a great time but sadly I have no pictures of it. Father needs to email me a few.

Last Sunday Jacquelyn and I went snowboarding at Loveland Ski Area. We left at 6:40AM in clear weather but once we hit I-70 traffic was moving at 20MPH and in almost blizzard conditions. At the exit to Loveland the little car of ours wasn’t able to make it up the mountain to the parking lot of the ski area. Luckily, a Police Officer drove by and saw us stopped with the cars behind us giving up and turning around to head back to Denver. They were afraid to face the storm but we were not going to give up so easily and continued to attempt the icy hill. The Officer flipped on his lights and was nice enough to give our car a push with his vehicle up into the parking lot of the ski area. Having made it safely we faced the 40mph winds and snow and laced up our boots. Being my first time snowboarding and getting off the lift into 2 feet of powder made for a slow morning. After Jacquelyn’s tips and watching her flow smoothly down the mountain through trees and the occasional jumps, I eventually was able to catch on. By the end of the day the weather cleared and we were doing mostly blue runs trying to find secret runs in the ski area. Loveland was amazing. It seems like the best place to avoid tourists, crowds and that resort feel of many ski mountains. We headed home around 3 and ate plenty of Tai food. Best day yet. … The next day was the most sore my body has been in my adult life. I am still recovering from what I like to call Lactic Acid Poisoning. I can’t wait to go again!