Day 22 : Two mountains (three actually) and two rescues

Busy day today, we headed off to Aspen Highlands this morning. Aspen Ski Co is actually four mountains (Aspen, Aspen Highlands, Snowmass and Buttermilk). The one ticket does all four mountains and they are all connected by buses. So we caught the bus to Aspen Highlands this morning to check it out. Being the weekend we thought it might be a bit quieter than Snowmass. Whilst the days are fantastic - sunny, blue skies and just a bit warmer than zero, the downside of this is no fresh snow. So things are starting to get a bit solid packed and icy at times. After we skied the different areas in Aspen Highlands, we decided we would catch the bus to Buttermilk for the afternoon. As we were heading back to the base village we could hear these yells that sounded like they were coming from the trees on the side of the run. John saw a small child (about 5 probably) skis and legs either side of a tree with a couple of people looking at him but no one close enough to help. So he headed off up the slope and managed to ski up close enough to help the boy extricate himself from the tree. We helped him put his skis back on and worked out that he was with a ski school group, so headed off down the run to help him find the group. We had to laugh, when straight away the kid headed up back into the rough stuff off the edge of the run - obviously not at all phased by his experience. We found the group waiting around the next corner and delivered him safely back to his group.

We found the bus to Buttermilk and luckily for us arrived just in time to catch one without waiting to long. Next weekend at Buttermilk is the X games so they are building huge jumps. ski cross courses, snowmobile tracks etc, all of which John was very interested in seeing. We headed straight up the lift to the Cliff House for lunch, and once again sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine and the view. We could even look out and see the runs we had skied on in the morning at Aspen Highlands, and the view down the valley was amazing. We skied enough runs to check out Buttermilk, a much more sedate mountain than Aspen and Aspen Highlands. John rescued his second ski school kid for the day - this one was much simpler he had fallen over in the middle of the run and just needed help to get his stocks back and  himself organised so he could ski down to his instructor.

We caught the bus back to Snowmass (our third mountain for the day). We have worked out it is easier to walk to the slope from the bus stop, ski down to the lift, catch the lift up the mountain and ski down to the road that goes to our condo. This is much easier than the walk up the hill from the bus stop to the condo.

Not sure I have taken over the mantle of Super Powder Rescue Guy as there was no powder involved - maybe Ski School Backup Rescue Guy is more apt! Hopefully I will be able to avoid the little tackers in trouble from now on - one reason we moved to Buttermilk was all the kids at Aspen Highlands - never seen so many little skiers - more of them than adults I reckon - it was an exercise in balance getting two hot chocolates back to our table with them running everywhere with their trays and dollar bills to get their favourite snack!!

Margo is going ahead in leaps and bounds - she skied a black bump run today at Buttermilk!! - While Aspen has no green (beginner) runs, Buttermilk has no Double black (extreme  - regulator johnson in a blizzard runs - remember that one - I do) - so not sure how they rate the slopes - I think they put in a few token black runs so people think it has black terrain - but they were more like blue runs we had skied everywhere else - nevertheless, Margo has skied a black bump run (Javelin, look it up on the map)