Celebration in the Snow

Yes, the party weekend is over and I must admit that it was a birthday like none other. The BIG difference - I don't ever recall waking up on my birthday morning to a beautiful snowfall - luckily our plans for the day were to snowshoe - so snow was perfectly acceptable!

We are fortunate to have fabulous friends who  have embraced this area and know all of the wonderful places to go and do exciting "adventures." We headed just south of our house to Upper Game Creek for our hike. Of course with Kay & Paul, dogs are always a part of the adventure (they were Bella's foster parents). Here are some pictures:

Start of the adventure...all smiles before I knew it was going to be all uphill!

Not sure if you can even tell how steep this climb was - but check out Bella's face for a hint! She actually had already been to the top once and then came back to "check" on me - she has boundless energy. I, on the other hand, do not!

Top of the world celebrating my BDay! Thanks Barry for taking off work, and making this a VERY special and fun day! It's all downhill from here (the trek that is - see Paul in the background)!

On the way back down, a big snowstorm - whipping winds and all, moved in.
A bit chilly, but absolutely beautiful!
Welcome Spring!!!

March 28 and the snow is still falling!



This was the wild animal that Barry caught...bare-handed! Paul skinned it, and then Kay & I fried it up over an open fire for lunch at the top of our hike. We are bringing the pelt home to make a hat or something. Don't we look proud in this picture! You should be amazed that I am even this close to a once living creature of this sort - now I have to sterilize my ski pole!

Poor girl Sennie - she is 12 years old and she doesn't get a break - she goes on all the adventures! Imagine trekking through all that snow with all that fur - it literally "snowballs" on her underside! And when the snow started falling, she got covered! The good news is she is always nice and warm!

After our big adventure we headed into town to see the movie "Adjustment Bureau." Definitely one to miss, lest you want to feel like time is passing VERY slowly (which I guess can be good when it is your birthday - why age any faster)! Unless you were a fan of the movie "The Box," you won't like this one either; we renamed it "The Door!"

We finished off the Big weekend with dinner at the Snake River Grill....amazing atmosphere and delicious food. Can't wait to share dinner there with friends! Of course a birthday wouldn't be a birthday without dessert, so we stopped at Moo's Ice Cream (local and homemade and beyond delicious) for a treat. Now I can say...too much birthday!

WEEKEND REWIND

The great news about birthdays, is that I always have a way of making them last a long time! We actually started the celebration on Friday night with a wonderful dinner with friends at the Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse - one of our favorite restaurants! And the owner/chef happens to be the brother of one of Barry's co-workers - small town!

After a wonderful meal we stopped by the local brewery to get a "Growler" of our favorite local brew - Pako’s EYE-P-A. Growlers are very popular around town, but we had not purchased one yet. You purchase the growler (jug) and then you take it to the brewery (or one of our local liquor stores, that always has 6 different local beers tapped) and they fill them with fresh-tapped beer for $9. A great deal and nice cold fresh beer - my favorite gift - ha! Why can't they do Growlers of wine? It was home to watch the NCAA Tournament games (just what I wanted to do on my birthday weekend) that we had taped.

Saturday morning it was more skiing and more snow! The mountain has gotten over five feet of new snow over the last week. You would never know that it was nearing the end of the ski season. Lots of snow on the mountain and the Gator game starting, we headed home early. NOT the expected outcome in the game...out a bit of a damper on the celebration mood! So...we headed back to the Village for an outdoor concert. Reggae band from New Zealand, and lots of partying in the crowd to go with it! Followed the concert with a nice dinner at another favorite restaurant - The Bistro.

Perfect evening for an outdoor concert!

On our list of "Gear that we need to acquire for life in JH" - Beer Holster!

Sunday woke up to "too much new snow to even try to ski!" Took a 6-mile hike on the levee with Bella instead after a fabulous brunch at The Bunnery (a place we will definitely take all of you to when you visit). Birthday-eve celebration included LOTS of wine, a wonderful home-cooked dinner of pasta and clams, and relaxing and beating Barry at Cribbage (I am really getting good at that game)!

Thanks to all for the Birthday wishes - texts, emails, phone calls, cards, gifts - it was a very Happy Birthday once again! The birthday is over, but the "vacation" continues!!!!

Jackson Hole Interesting Fact:
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has the longest continuous vertical rise of any ski area in the U.S. – 4,139 feet from the valley floor to the top of Rendezvous Mountain!

BELIEVE!!

It just keeps getting better!  With 22 inches of snow since early this morning (Tuesday) and more of the white stuff on the way, spring in the Tetons is one for the record books.

Did I mention it's snowing??????

That's right, Jackson Hole has received over 500 inches of snow so far this winter, and there are still 12 days left of the season.  We are skiing the DEEPEST SNOW  ever recorded in Rendezvous Bowl on this date…wish you were here!  

It's all downhill from here...downhill skiing that is! With less than two weeks until the "official" end of the ski season at the Mountain Resort (which means that the lifts close) downhill skiing will soon be over, at least for me & Barry. Most Jacksonites will continue skiing until the snow is melted - "skinning" up the "bootpack" or in uncharted territory to ski the fabulous conditions that will undoubtedly linger well into May and possibly even June, after the season of snow that we have been blessed with.


The thrill of downhill has been more than we ever expected out here! Barry has logged 34 days of skiing and I have gotten in 19...and we are not done yet! The mountain that appeared to be "too big" for us at the beginning of the season has become "home," and we are definitely much more comfortable. Barry (successfully) skied off the Tram last weekend - a goal that he had at the beginning of the season! His motivation was peaked when we came across our neighbors on the mountain with their 5-year old son who had just skied the tram, Barry was headed to the tram next (so competitive, even with a 5-year old)!

The Tram carries 100 skiers up 2.4 miles to the top of Rendezvous Mountain in nine minutes. You are warned/advised before departing the tram at the top that there is "Expert Terrain only" (thus the reason that I have ridden the Tram to the top and then returned to the bottom of the mountain via Tram as well)! Here is a link to a few guys going up the Tram to ski - gives you a "helmet cam" view of the ride up and their ascent and then descent. Not the best skiers, but you'll get the idea. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFfMEgvqIqA

My big goal was to conquer some Black Diamond Runs, which I accomplished this past weekend (unscathed) - I even did a few moguls! Yes, next year will be even more fun for skiing, as we now know the mountain. I look forward to (hopefully) attending the Women's 4-day ski camp - anyone want to join me? Maybe Barry will attend the steep & Deep camp!

Lot's of FUN(NY) season-ending festivities in Jackson Hole:

The Town Downhill @ Snow King Resort

Champion - Carl Rixon, Jr.

Nice warm Ski wear!



Perfect day for a cold beer & some downhill racing!
Bella enjoyed it too!



Wyoming style Grandstands!



Jackalope Jump @ Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Participants plunged into a frigid pool at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The annual event raises money for Special Olympics

St. Patrick's Day events - The luck of the Irish came through with 17" of new snow on the mountain on St. Patrick's Day! While many were out enjoying the fresh "Pow," Barry & I were at the Snake River Brewery enjoying the fresh Brew! We are now the proud owners of new mugs!!

Pond Skimming at Snow King Resort

Participants ski down the mountain and then try to stay afloat as they skim the pond at the bottom.

THANKS to those of you who supported Barry in "Laps For Literacy"

Laps for Literacy, a ski fundraiser for Teton Literacy Center, raised $19,000 on Sunday, March 20th, to support the free tutoring services the center provides for K-12th grade students. Laps for Literacy had 95 participants who skied 724 laps. Barry (and I) enjoyed a bluebird day of skiing and he did 18 laps, which was 31,200 vertical feet (just under 6 miles)! Needless to say he was pretty tired at the end of the event, but thrilled to be a part of it.

Laps for Literacy Results

Individual Division
Most Money Raised - Alexander Muromcew
2nd Place Most Money Raised - Barry NelsonTram Laps - Jessica Strahan
Gondola Laps - Bob McLaurin
Casper Laps - Eric Danielson
Thunder Laps - Lizzie Baker

As you can see we are keeping very busy enjoying lots of Spring Activities in our never-ending snow! Lots more fun coming up too - stay posted to the blog!

Enjoy your warm weather, spring flowers, pool (yes, Ashley advised me that the TCU pool opened) and we will keep on enjoying all the fun that is thrown our way out here in the Wild West!

A Spring Walk in the Park!

Okay, you may have a different picture in your mind of a spring walk in the park, than the reality of a spring walk in Grand Teton National Park in Jackson Hole. I went on a hike there with two of my girlfriends yesterday - we had a blast. The weather cleared just as we reached the trailhead (I couldn't even see the road in front of me, fogged in, on the drive there) and it was a fabulous, fun and breathtakingly beautiful day!

This is what a Spring Hike looks like in Jackson Hole:

This is where the water will come rushing down the mountainside in the "Spring" (more like late summer at this rate)

Wende (Birthday Girl) and Sally on the way to Lake Bradley

Look Mom - I have friends! See we all are wearing bright Spring colors,
that's how you can tell what season it is here (ignore the Spring Snow)!

Thank goodness my kids are grown up - everyone out here carries their kids in backpacks while skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding etc. This is our Associate Pastor and his friend with their kids on a "walk" in the Park. Looks like a lot of work to me:)

Look like the 2nd day of Spring to you? Wish you could have sound with this picture - there were birds chirping, I swear!

Beautiful Bradley Lake - ice fishing anyone??

This was the trailhead sign. They actually stand about 3-4 feet tall. This was the only trail sign that was visible on the entire hike! Good thing that we had a good sense of direction. We also had Sally accidentally leaving a trail of Pistachio shells unknowingly. Would have been funny to turn around and see a bear following the shell trail!

On our way back into town from our adventure we stopped for lunch and this is one of the front page headlines on our Daily Paper:

JACKSON HOLE DAILY

Bears emerging around Jackson

By Cory Hatch, Jackson Hole, Wyoming

March 21, 2011

Several people have reported seeing bear tracks in Grand Teton National Park and the Gros Ventre drainage, and wildlife managers say it’s time for people to consider carrying bear spray when in the backcountry.

One set of tracks was seen by a Park Service employee who was skiing March 13, Grand Teton spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said. “I heard that folks saw tracks of what appeared to be a grizzly sow and yearling cub in the Gros Ventre drainage,” he said.

...“This time of year, it’s going to be a small number of bears relative to what there would be in the summer,” he said. “Statistically, in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, 50 percent of all [adult] male grizzly bears are out by mid-March,” Cain said. “We most commonly see bears in the lower elevations, particularly on the valley floors. They’ll be looking for areas that have melted out — [and] for winter-killed ungulates.

...Cain said mid-March is a good time for people to start carrying bear spray again. He pointed out that a park employee was mauled by a grizzly on March 4, 2001. 

Needless to say, we were very glad that Sally had brought bells and bear spray (and more importantly that she read the directions on the bear spray can when we were still in the parking lot). We were even more pleased that none of us had seen the Daily Paper BEFORE our hike!

Yet another beautiful day in Jackson Hole. A Winter-weather advisory is in effect for the next few days - shouldn't they rename it a Springtime "winter-like" weather advisory....it is spring after all. Barry & I always laugh thinking about what a blast the weather newscasters in KC would have with this weather. Here they don't even mention the storms, you have to look it up on the National Weather website!

A peek out our front door this morning as the snow fell. Spring is in the Air - it is just frozen!!!

Jackson Hole Interesting Fact:

The Bridger-Teton National Forest is the largest national forest in the lower 48 states, encompassing 1,694,574 acres.

Signs of Spring in Jackson Hole

Well Spring is in the air in Jackson Hole! March has come in like a lion and not stopped - snow, snow and more snow on our beautiful mountains! Our recent March storms have created more "epic conditions" for the amazing skiers that are here for that very reason. And for those of us who are not so adventurous, it provided us with a great day of skiing on Saturday and a nice day of rest on Sunday (too much new powder)! We are realizing why Wyoming was rated the second "happiest state" (behind Hawaii) though - there is always something wonderful to enjoy here!

Beyond the abundance of snow, there are signs that Spring is just around the corner:

1. Music Under the Tram: It's a Party Every Weekend!

This March JHMR is expanding their spring concert series.  “Music Under the Tram” will be held every Saturday and culminating with three days of music as part of Mountain Festival, March 25th to 27th.  These concerts are free and open to all and provide a festive party atmosphere for everyone to enjoy. 

Due to the "Spring" weather, they have opened the outdoor bar for Apres Ski
and enjoying the Music Under the Tram! No problem getting a cold beer at this bar!

Ready to serve whatever you need after a day of skiing!

Great band this past weekend! Looking forward to the next few weeks of entertainment!

2. Yellowstone Bears Emerge (article from the Jackson Hole Daily Newspaper)
"It appears some of Yellowstone's bears believe winter is drawing to a close. Park employees observed grizzly bear tracks...near the lower loop of the Yellowstone National Park's Grand Loop Road...the activity is typically a sign that grizzlies in Jackson Hole will emerge soon."
"Bears begin looking for food shortly after they emerge from their dens. Carcasses of elk and bison that have died during the winter are an important food source, and bears will sometimes react aggressively when surprised while feeding on them."
"Yellowstone regulations require visitors to stay 100 yards away from black and grizzly bears at all time. Hikers, snowshoers and cross-country skiers are encouraged to travel in groups of three or more, make noise on the trail and keep an eye out for bears. Bear pepper spray has proven to be a good last line of defense when it's kept handy and used according to directions when the bear is within 30 to 40 feet."

YIKES! BEARS! Oh my, don't worry Mom & Dad, I won't be going anywhere near the woods until those bears are nice and full (maybe by August??). I will stay 100 yards away, and hope that pepper spray is nothing that I ever need to use. UGH, a bear within 30-40 feet....just have me for lunch!

3. Longer days/warmer temperatures mean more time for enjoying the outdoors
The longer days and warmer temperatures have brought lots of people out to enjoy the weather. We have taken up running again - funny that I see many people out jogging in shorts and women just in sports bras (Barry may even get back out there if this is true)! It is warm, but not that warm yet!

NOT suggested attire for snow running!
And NO, this is not Barry & I - this is from Google images, I swear!

We were hiking out on the levee the other day and came upon three moose, who did not want visitors. They delayed our journey, as they would not let anyone pass where they were! After waiting patiently (you can't disturb the wildlife), we were able to enjoy a beautiful hike. Bella was thrilled to have her "boyfriend" with us and also our neighbors. She loved pulling Nathan on his sled! We saw two bald eagles, a hawk, three moose and an ermine (Weasel) - it is definitely spring time!

Sign posted at the trailhead!

Bella & Lad enjoying the spring weather!

Bella's new adventure - Sled Dog!

Bella trying to find the spring flowers!

JACKSON HOLE INTERESTING FACT:
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has the longest continuous vertical rise of any ski area in the U.S rising 4,139 feet from the valley floor to the top of Rendezvous Mountain!

As many of you head off to Spring Breaks in tropical places (Derek is going to Paradise Island, Bahamas and Ashley is off to Gulf Shores), we will keep on enjoying the snow and skiing in the Great Wild West! Be safe and enjoy!

Mother, Daughter, and now SISTERS!

As many of you know I was thrilled to have Ashley rush @ TCU last fall and pledge Chi Omega! She has had a wonderful experience with her sorority and was officially initiated into her chapter in January. I must admit that it was a very exciting and emotional event for both of us! Never did I think that her being a Chi Omega would be this thrilling, but sharing the bonds of Chi Omega with Ashley has been really amazing. And much to her delight - she now knows the "secret handshake!" Future Nelson woman be prepared to carry on the Chi Omega sisterhood traditions!!

Mother, Daughter AND SISTERS!!!

SOOOO Proud of my Chi Omega Sister!

A bunch of beautiful new TCU Chi Omega Sisters!

Ashley with her "twin" Annabelle and their Big Sister Kathy 

Grandma and Derek came in town to celebrate Ashley's initiation too!

CHI OMEGA MOM'S WEEKEND
The fun never stops - I was back in Fort Worth this weekend for Ashley's Chi Omega Mom's Weekend! Not only was it fabulous to see Ashley and her friends again - but the weather was a welcome change from winter. We enjoyed temperatures in the 70's and 80's and the daffodils were even blooming!
We had a fun-filled weekend, with little time for sleep! Fun and delicious dinners, lots of shopping, going out and pretending to be a college kid again (and realizing that I am NOT), shopping (oh, did I say that already - you don't know how much I have missed it), and then cheering Ashley on as she ran in her first Half Marathon!

Dinner @ La Familia

Mom's & Daughters just wanna have fun....and we did!!!

As Ashley & I were considering what to do on Saturday night, after a full day of shopping in Dallas, she concluded that a nice dinner and rest would be best the night before her half marathon. Darn, why do these kids have to be so responsible - we were supposed to go dancing till the wee hours of the morning with the fraternity guys!!!! Anyway, we found a wonderful Italian restaurant - Piola's. Enjoyed a fabulous meal and turned in early.

COWTOWN HALF MARATHON
I know that I brag about being proud of my kids (don't we all??), but watching Ashley complete this race, was so exciting! She was smiling every time I saw her (yes, I drove to various points during the race, after stopping at Starbucks for the 2nd time, and cheered her and her sorority sisters on....it was the least I could do, since there was no way that I was going to run it with her)! She completed the 13.1 mile race in 2:07:24 (a 9:44 mile pace); 96th place for her age group with just under 300 people in the
division - I was impressed, proud, delighted, jubilant, and yes, just thrilled to be a part of her race. It is humbling to be a parent who is always on the sidelines for your children as they grow up, to then be miles apart from them as they venture off to college and not have that role - I welcomed it back, even for the few moments!

 

Happy at Mile Three!





Still all smiles at Mile Ten!



Almost there - Mile 13...still smiling!

Yahoo - it's over - way to go!!!



 A fabulous weekend of fun and excitement and lots of moments to be proud! Ashley you really are everything and more that a Mom could wish for in a daughter!

I spent my last night in Dallas - couldn't be that close and not stop in and see Derek. He had an extremely busy weekend of studying - yes, even as a Senior (who I believe may have procrastinated on some things)! A quick dinner together and time to purchase a few groceries and that was it. Next time we are in Dallas it will be much more fun as we celebrate Derek's Graduation - yikes, where has the time gone!!!

I returned home to a beautiful "spring" day and a "very happy to see me dog" and husband - although Barry's excitement was not quite as easy to spot as Bella's! The weather is still cool (37 degrees), but sunny and no snow/ice on the streets. So Bella and I took the opportunity to start training for our upcoming race, now that Ashley has inspired us. It felt great to be outside running again, and the scenery was not too bad either!

A beautiful March 1st....no flowers yet. Maybe on May Day - ha!

Jackson Hole Interesting Fact:
America's firsts: First all-woman city council, elected to office in Jackson in 1920; First woman Governor elected; First government in world history to allow women to vote (in 1869, 51 years before the U.S. Constitutional amendment). Wyoming's state slogan is "The Equality State". (You go girls!)

Hug your kids, love your families, see the beauty in the world around you as spring emerges and have a wonderful week!