SnowSlowmobiling and Snow Days

Aw...the last day of our trip...but the best...in my opinion!

We were picked up at 8am by Cha Cha...our driver and snowmobile guide! Quite a character, but he had lots of energy and really fun!
{hanging out in the lobby waiting for Cha Cha!}

Once we arrived...got outfitted with our huge helmets...and were given our safety guidelines and instructions...we picked out our ride...


I...of course...asked to be in the back of the line...because I knew I would be a tad slower than the rest and did not want to feel pressure to go fast! This was the first time we've ever been on a snowmobile...let alone actually try and operate one...on the side of a mountain no less! Yikes!

But once we got started...I was feeling a little more confident! Cha Cha assured us if we felt left behind to keep on going at your own speed...there was only one path and if we got stuck ...he would come back for us! I was trucking right along for awhile...a l-o-n-g while...wondering where everyone else was! I saw Dan and Alex in front of me for a short time and then they took off! Finally...I rounded the corner and saw everyone else waiting for me and taking pictures! Dan said it took me forever to catch up...oops! But worth the wait {I'm sure!} to see this...

{can you blame me for taking my time? Look at that path...it's pretty narrow...and we were literally inches from the edge...that's a long way down! Gulp!}



{I'm a little surprised that my helmet didn't just tip our snowmobile right over! It was so heavy...but it did give me a sore neck...maybe because I was so tense steering around those tight turns!}


{one last picture before we continued on...}

It was such a beautiful Winter Wonderland...I wanted to take pictures through every turn...but I figured I was taking enough time already...but I was keeping up this time...I made it up to 20 mph and didn't have Dan out of my sight for too long!

Half-way through our tour...Cha Cha led us to a little cabin overlooking another beautiful view!



We all grabbed a log on the way in to start a fire and try to warm our hands and feet and drink some hot chocolate! It was so cold! I'm not sure how high up in the mountain we had gone...but high enough to feel the difference in temperature! {The neat thing about the snowmobiles that I didn't know before was they have heated handlebars...so my hands stayed toasty the whole time! Almost hot!} But it was nice to take a little break...because my 'throttle' hand was feeling a little numb clutching the handlbar so tight!

I loved the snowmobile tour so much! It was gorgeous and I had lots of fun driving! I was a little sad when the tour ended...but so relieved that we all made it back safely!

I'm not sure if I mentioned it already...but something about being at such high altitudes always made us tired...and me a little winded and dizzy! So we took a little rest in the afternoon and then started packing up to head home...bright and early at 4am the next morning...ugh! And it's New Year's Eve!

That evening we headed to Vail Village to watch fireworks and a 'light' show performed by some of the local skiiers. They skiied down the slope with torches and it was a neat thing to see! And there was also a bright, full moon over the mountains that cast such a pretty glow on the snow! My pictures do not do it any justice...so you'll just have to take my word for it!






Even though we didn't ring in the New Year at midnight {well...I did get up at midnight when the party downstairs celebrating and cheering woke me up! So I went out on the balcony...if that counts!} it was such a memorable holiday! I'm so thankful for Dan for planning this wonderful holiday getaway! It was so much fun trying new things and seeing such beautiful scenery that we've never seen before! I hope that we get the chance to do it again...but we'll always remember it!

But it's always good to be home!
{Sunrise over Denver heading home...in a tiny airplane! It made me a little nervous when the flight attendant asked a few people to move from the front of the plane to the back...so there was more weight in the back!}

Thanks for all the fun, sweet comments and sharing our trip with us!

Now that we're home and have just started back to school this week...we are expecting our second Snow Day on Friday! And I love it...except making up the days in the Spring...but so fun!
Let it snow!