Today I went skiing for the first time this season. I went to Arapahoe Basin which is just on the other side of Loveland Pass. As I was driving up there was a sign to watch for wildlife on the side of the road and not two minutes later there was herd of mountain sheep grazing right next to the highway. There was a big old ram with his family. In all my life I have only seen a mountain sheep in the wild through binoculars.
It was sunny and warm when I left Denver. By the time I got to A-Basin, it was snowing and the wind was gusty. Still I had a good time. I stayed mainly on green and blue slopes as I wasn't in any shape to try the blacks. There were hardly and skiers. How few were there-well, I managed to park in the second row of the "Early Riser" lot which is usually the first lot to fill up on a normal day. I road a quad lift to make my runs and I never had a companion on the lift. It was like the Hogadon ski area near Casper on a weekday.
Although I had an all-day pass, I quit around noon in deference to old age, poor skiing fitness, blowing snow, and a 10,400 elevation at the base. More tomorrow.