Speed, it seems to me, provides the one genuinely modern pleasure. ~ Aldous Huxley
Today I took a slight detour in the agenda. A good friend of mine, Bruce and his son Josh were in Vail with Bruce's friend Jon and his daughter Rebecca. They were skiing the Vail mountain for a few days, but planned a snowmobile trip in the high mountains tucked in behind Vail. Let me first thank Bruce for the invitation and let me next say that this was an amazing day. You will want to see these videos below. It was tough leaving the Boston gang, but they were battling sore bodies, tired minds and the thought of taking a day off from the mountain. More on that later. So I headed out of Steamboat this morning and started a 95 mile trek to Vail. It's not a long distance, but it's through some winding valleys and desolate land. It makes for a longer drive, but driving through this unknown land (to me) is all part of my adventure.
When asked what this day meant to Bruce he replied, "There nothing I'd rather be doing in the world" He could not have been more precise in terms of where I stood as well.
I met the group at a hotel in Vail village. Nice place. There was a lot of activity going on in Vail that weekend that made headlines. It was Vail Gay Week and outside of there being a lot of gay men in the village, they also were handing out some souvenirs. Bruce (on left) and Jon are pictured above sporting some of the goods. Apparently this group will move around from mountain to mountain and show their pride.
A van picked us up at the hotel and we started about a 35-40 minute uphill trek to get to the location of the snowmobiling lodge. Probably the most interesting landmark we drive by was an abandoned mining town. The town itself was situated on a cliff and the mining business owned the homes. There were dozens of homes. All were empty and have been for a long time. Apparently when the government found life threatening contamination in the mining town water supply, everyone in the town...in every single dwelling....was ordered to leave within 24 hours. No questions asked. The town has remained there, empty homes, an empty bowling alley, empty movie theater, etc. It made me think about what life would be like there in general. The driver also said at the time the mine was operational, workers traveled by foot down a thousand steps each and every day to get to the mine. And after a long days work, you guessed it, they climbed back up a thousand steps. That is a long day. I know mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world and I have a lot of respect for the people who do it.
There is something about having that amount of power at your hands. The snowmobiles (sleds) topped off around 80mph and that is quick. We went through all the beginning tutorials (safety, how to start, etc) and I just wanted to go. These videos may not do it justice, but there was A LOT of speed, some hairpin turns and some of the most beautiful scenery I have viewed in my life. I'll try and show some of it all. These are in order so it can be like you were there with us! Sorry, but I have to include ten of these because there is not enough I could write to capture the moments. Most are short clips:
1) Here is part of our first climb, with tour guide Fred, to first mountain. We took a quick break to see how everyone was adjusting. Look toward back left of video as Josh takes a "relief" walk off trail. He immediately sinks to waist level in the snow. Jon, offers a helping hand (sort of) after http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB5PDNXg_1A
2) This video is at the top of the first mountain. Could not tell you the elevation but I was feeling it. I look like hell to be honest but the first word out of my mouth (no volume) is "unbelievable". It was. The hut I walk into is an actual station where extreme hikers can stop and rest/sleep so they do not freeze in these high elevations/winds when they are on long treks. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24jLcPQQlq0
3) Here is a video coming off first mountain where I hit a hairpin turn going a little too fast. Coming off the turn my speed did not give me the turning radius to stay on the trail. I ended up buried. Tour guide Fred helps me get it out. All part of the fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvvPQ4fH2eU
4) This video is the second mountain ascend. Not sure how fast I was going, but I was playing catch up (good excuse). People hike up to this area (or get dropped off via snowmobile) in order to ski down some of these fresh powder snow fields. Unbelievably inspiring views. Just look at the 53 second mark where I turn my head to get a view of the sun coming through the clouds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoMmqoUGINw
5) This clip is the last 50 yards of the second mountain ascend. It's a climb with some pitch right to the very end. Kind of looks and feels like you are climbing into the clouds. Another reason I am including it is because behind me, in the distance, a person is walking toward a very steep ledge that drops off into an abyss of white. Tour guide Fred said if that person went 2-3 more steps toward the edge, they may have gone over if the ground beneath them snapped. It's pretty crazy and even Rebecca (in red) and I got into it along with tour guide Fred. Have a look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT57rsrEwTo
6) If the previous clip was an ascend to the clouds, then this shot must be heaven. I sometimes do not filter danger and I just wanted to get the best shot of this unbelievable drop off that I could. I ask tour guide Fred how close I can get. The shot is one of astonishment; the drop off seems like it would not end. The last few seconds of the clip are, from left to right, Bruce, Josh, Jon and Rebecca. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61o5O-eK-V4
7) Here is a video in an open field where tour guide Fred was not happy with me. At about the 50 second mark of the video my entire body is off the sled with only my hands holding on. I hit a bump (Fred said it was an obvious jump) going about 60mph. Swear I did not see it (maybe!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkhU25O2WQo
8) Nearing the end of the day here is a clip of an open field where Fred let us go on our own and have some fun. Not sure if that is a smart call there Fred. Bruce has labeled me an inappropriate term, although on reflection he may have been right. This part was a lot of fun....80mph speeds, unmarked tracks, some jumps and a lot of fun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzsVHqDmDo4
9) Here's a great clip. It's an Aspen tree tunnel and when I asked Bruce to explain that to the camera, he leaves his sled, the sled leaves him (hilarious) but we all make it through this really cool area of the trail http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juHaV0Rr5ek
10) What better way to end the day with a little fun. They had these mini kids snowmobiles and I asked them if I could take a ride on one. There short answer was "no" but they let me sit on one to close the day out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBPMJoHYj1o
I left Vail with a racing heart and my drive back to Steamboat was probably a little on the quick side. Going from snowmobile to car is not smart from a law standpoint, but I felt like I could have driven for hours. I did steer clear of the law and have done well in that department this whole trip. Thank God. Back in Steamboat the gang, fresh off 2-3 movies and very little fresh air for the day were waiting for my arrival. Not really, but I pretend they all care. It was a quiet night to accompany my not-so-quiet day. A good dinner out and the relaxation following was good. Tomorrow will be a great day! Good night from Steamboat.
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