The weekend of the 23rd we went skiing again at Wisp. Some friends of our had graciously invited us to stay with them in a house near the slopes. It was available for Friday and Saturday nights. Our previous ski days at Wisp have always been day trips. A full day of skiing and six hours of driving make for one long day. Too long. This weekend would be a real treat.
The forecast was for an icy Friday morning, so I convinced everyone that we should leave Thursday evening instead. The plan was to leave home right after the birthday party for Lynne. Unfortunately we still had some packing to do. By the time we pulled out of the driveway it was nearly nine o'clock. I wasn't happy, but we still had time to complete the three-hour drive before the weather arrived.
Or maybe we didn't. We had scarcely left Prince William County when snow began swirling in the headlights. At Front Royal some of the white stuff was sticking to the road surface. At Hagerstown the lane striping was covered. I knew it would only get worse as we travelled west, gaining elevation, and I was right. At Rocky Gap we saw two cars that had slid into the median. Small cars and big trucks alike had to crawl down the steep and slick grades.
At Cumberland we stopped for gas, and I told Kathi I felt we should stop, find a room, end finish the drive in the morning. It was already past midnight and the roads were sure to be worse at the higher elevations ahead. Kathi felt we continue, and with her at the wheel. Now her years of Wyoming driving would pay off.
Other cars and trucks sped by as we steadily made our way. At Grantsville we saw one of these speedy cars flipped in the median, upside-down. Over my constant pleas to drive slower, Kathi carefully guided us slowly up and down the many steep hills. We finally arrived at the house around 1:30am, way late but safe. Five inches of perfect, Utah-quality powder snow was already on the ground, waiting for our arrival.
But alas, our days of powder skiing just weren't meant to be. As we departed for the slopes it started to rain. Even with surface temps below freezing it managed to rain, all day long. And the rain brought with it fog. At times visibility was so bad that getting lost on the slopes was a real possibility.
We drove to the summit parking and skied down from there. The two beginner slopes are easy to access, nice and wide, and never crowded. We spent most of our day on this side of the mountain. Melanie got in a few runs on the easy green runs Happy Camper and Backbone Pass. Then we left her with Mom and we made for the longer runs farther down the mountain.
Despite the weather conditions we had a grand time. Evie quickly graduated from the green circles to the blue squares. She skied Ace's Run several times, carving big beautiful S-turns all the way down. I strayed near the edges of the run where the light fluffy powder was now like a thick white Slurpee. A different experience, but a lot of fun regardless.
Kayleigh was being very patient, as we were spending quite a bit of time on the greens, way below her skill level. At one point the kids bent one of the ski poles while exiting the chairlift. They even took this in stride however, taking turns with the remaining good pole. Kayleigh seemed happy to just be spending quality time with friends.
Eventually we started hearing the complaints of the cold fingers, and the cold toes. Everyone was quite wet, and the kids always seem to feel the effects first. I was surprised to learn that it was nearly 5pm. We packed everyone into the van and called it a day.
The house was amazing. There was plenty of room, even for our two large families of six each. There were five full bathrooms, an enormous kitchen, two fireplaces, an oversize double garage, a pool table, and a Foosball table. And all of this was within view of the ski slopes.
By Saturday morning the big low pressure system that had brought the wintry weather was leaving to the northeast, and now cold air was coming down the backside, directly from Canada. The wet sloppy snow was turning into hard crunchy ice. But we still had a fine day on the slopes. Thomas is getting much better at carving turns on his snowboard. For quite some time now he was getting away with simply slipping from edge to edge when he needed to. Now he is making full-fledged turns, toe-side and heel-side.
By late afternoon the cold started taking its toll. We made one last run on the blue square "Down Under". It passes through a short tunnel that the kids get a kick out of. There were more complaints of cold fingers and toes, and even the heavy fog was making a return. It was a good time to quit.
After dinner we sneaked out for a few runs under the lights. I had time for one crack at the short, steep, gladed area next to "The Face". The snow was hard and crunchy, but if I really dug in I could get just enough edge to make some nice turns. I'm sure it wouldn't remind anyone of Colorado, or Tahoe, or Utah, but it was fun nonetheless.
Sunday turned out beautiful. A brilliant sun lit up a bright blue sky. But it was time for us to leave. That is just how it goes sometimes. No regrets, however. We had two great days on the slopes, a great place to stay, and great company.
I like reading your stuff. I can't describe like that. Very fascinating.
nice weekend