[su_heading size=”18″]Living to Ski in Aspen[/su_heading]

Beginning last week, the town of Aspen exploded with energy. Serious snow fanatics, living to ski in Aspen, braved  freezing temperatures to reach accessible peaks and plunge into the powdery steeps of Ajax, Aspen Highlands Bowl and Snowmass, as the world’s fastest women sped down Ajax for the 2010 Visa Aspen Winternational Audi FIS Alpine World Cup.

We are a hard working folk up here in the mountains but snow is our God and we all stand behind the 6”+ rule. If you are not out in it than you’re better off keeping your reasons to yourself, unless you are me of course, baring it all.

I was one of those not on it, staying home to play in the snow with Hootie-Hoo, with frequent cocoa breaks by the fire to defrost his little fingers and toes. Building igloos and jumping on our flexible flyer wooden sled to be pulled by our Spanish “Snow” Dog was ALMOST just as fun.

Every now and again I would steal away to check in on Twitter and Facebook to see what I was missing, storing away the photos of powder and face shots for a time where the mountain would be mine…all mine.

It all began with the Aspen Highlands Powder Posse, a coveted day for all alpine and teli skiers and shredders to pack down the first layers of snow in the Highlands Bowl. With backpacks filled with food for fuel, shovels and peeps, the tough got going.

Soon after, the Aspen Valley Ski Club opened the Gondola on Aspen Mountain and let their club members have at it. With a negative 25 degree wind chill factor, my boys plunged in and didn’t stop skiing for five days straight.

Unable to get away during the days, I snuck out at night to volunteer for the AVSC and Aspen Peak Magazine World Cup party, leaving Baddy at home with five boys to build jumps and rails in our back yard so they could keep skiing into the night. Why stop when you have MacGyver at your disposal?

It was a great evening checking guests into the party and when it was over I was invited to go to the Ski Tuners Ball.  The woman volunteering next to me frankly stated that I had two choices, to go home to five boys or go to the party. Her point was well taken I hooked arms with my escorts and raced off.

We entered Christina and Gerry Goldstein’s charming cabin and were met by old timers and newcomers alike, joining together in a festive extravaganza of an evening filled with Mariachi’s, bongo drums and dancing.

Slipping away at midnight I drove the long distance home and was met by a sleepy Baddy who laughed at my obscure text message he received two hours after my expected return time saying, “I’m Okay”.

With the boys back in school this week, I am going to sneak away from my computer and live a little and I’ll be sure to report back to you how spectacularly good it all is to be here!