Great weekend with Derek

Derek was in this weekend. The snow was great and the sun was out. We skied Vail Friday and skied Breckenridge on Saturday. We finally did some runs I have been waiting to do since I have been out here. At Vail, we went out the Western gate in Blue Sky Basin and did US (Upside Sled). This is a pretty secret stash that Jason showed us a couple years ago. The ridge is a really popular sidecountry area for locals, but most either drop in before this spot or go farther along the ridge. I'll let you know how to get there as long as you don't tell anyone. After passing the gate, you need to traverse for about 15 minutes, going through 3 fields. Each field will be marked with a number on the orange warning signs. Don't worry about the signs that say "Leaving the ski area" and "You are headed to a lost, cold night". These are just there to scare you, although you should be scared. Anyways, once you get to the third clearing, look for the upside down emergency sled. Immediately drop in from there and about 300 feet in, you will find an amazing clearing with a 5 foot cliff and untouched snow. When Derek and I got there, we were very hesitant, since there were no tracks into this area, which is not normal for the area. Once we got to the clearing, it was perfect. The snow was deep and untouched. Just don't fall, or you can't get up by yourself. So if you are at Vail, feel confident, and have the appropriate equipment, try it out! Today was bitter cold. Danielle and I headed out early, but only did 6 runs, since the snow wasn't great and it felt like -10. I am heading back to Denver tomorrow to pick up Jeremy and Matt. Should be a great week. Also, I found out great news that Ryan, Michelle and Mia are making it out in mid-March. Check back later. Hopefully I will stop being so lazy and will post pictures from when Kate and Derek were out.