US of A: Breckenridge funtimes!

vail pass

This season is a bit of a change up- instead of going back to Chamonix for some more adventures in the Alps I'm in the US on a powder finding mission....first stop XMAS and NYE with big sister in Breckenridge, CO.

I have been here for about a week now, the jet-lag is slowly melting- mainly due to the fact that I have had no time to experience it with all the plans Anna and I have made.......that's the problem with being a chronic organiser I guess.

Anna showing me around main st- most importantly the cookie & coffee shops

On my first few days Anna booked us in for the American Avalanche Level 1 course with the Colorado Mountain College on good advice from a one Mr Jake Black. The course was 3 days long with two night study sessions ( Anna and i totally packed the best snacks) and 1 day at Vail Pass for some snowshoeing, hole digging and beacon searching.

sunrise

Anna decked out in her icebreaker gloves (I am so jealous), driving to Vail Pass

The snow in Colorado is probably some of the most unstable of the whole of the US. It seriously opened my eyes. Kurt, Jeff and Rochelle took us through all the basics of snow-pact, skiing in the back country safely and rescue. It was an awesome refresher from my last course in France.

Magnificient Mountains

Anna focusing on finding baby beacon

Anna gettin' her search on!

On our third day snowshoed into the pass a little, made a base camp and then stomped a false avalanche track down to practice beacon searching.

I was wearing at least 6 merino wool layers and a gore-tex jacket and I was still freezing! As you can see above we were rugged up like little eskimos. My feet seriously hated me afterwards.......the weather has only gotten colder. Yesterday was a max of -15 C. brrrrr.

snowmen!

Keystone as the weather was coming in.

I've been getting my ski legs back, chilling out at Keystone and Breck, doing some hikes and making new friends. While this is the busiest week of the year, I have still managed to find some soft snow (amongst the icy runs that the public have anhilated).

I'm heading off to my new home tomorrow night, Salt Lake City, UT, where the beers are light and the champagne powder makes up for the lack of booze available. Sounds like my kinda town.