The Hazard Chronicles

Sun Valley- Resort home of the rich and famous, rife with ski history, posh, remote, and completely confusing. If I had to guess where the first ski lift was built, where America's first destination resort was, or where Warren Miller began his prodigious career, Sun Valley would definitely not even be on the short list. While the skiing isn't bad, it's definitely not Jackson Hole or Snowbird. And though snow is on the ground, it doesn't hold a candle to what's on offer in Utah or Colorado. Finally, and perhaps this is the answer I'm looking for, the accessibility of the resort is...well...not accessible. You have to travel pretty far from the lift to find any major cities- or even minor ones. Heck, even a coffee stand is hard to come by. This place is definitely a "retreat," in every sense of the word.

Once you're there though, it's easy to allow the rest of the world to just fall away and emerge yourself in a place and a culture that seems like a throwback to simpler times. The hotel we stayed in was defiantly on the nicer end compared to our normal Super 8/Holiday Inn repertoire, and the fact that it was adjacent to the resort parking lot made for a very laid-back stay. No early wake-up calls needed this time- just a quick breakfast and out to the gondola. And at the end of the day, a dip in the heated outdoor pool/hot tub with the sun setting against the rugged peaks is better than any movie night we could ask for. It was nice.

As far as the skiing, I can only speak for myself, but I think everyone had fun. We got two full days in, and memorable moments for me were playing on the bumps all afternoon with Ev/Addy/Lindsey, racing down the steeps with Addy in the evening, and cruising the groomers all morning with Rachel and Maren. The weather was sunny most of the time, and while "there is no such thing as bad conditions- only bad skiers," the spring-like atmosphere kept us in good spirits and full smiles the entire day.

*****

Of course, for a trip to really be considered a success there needs to be a good story of hardship, toil, and overcoming obstacles. In this respect, the swanky town, good weather, and mellow skiing couldn't really deliver. No worries though-Idaho Highway 93 happily stepped up to fulfill this facet of our journey. The number or rocks and animals on this road quickly crossed into the absurd, and then went downhill from there. Driving was like dodging land mines while at the same time being dive bombed by elk, deer, or coyotes who spawned out of nowhere- the whole time swerving precariously close to a cliff, trying to get us out of this action-movie as quickly as possible.

For the most part, we were able to navigate these obstacles. There was one instance on the way home, however, when a well placed rock found its way under our car, bucking the entire vehicle and scaring us halfway to Hades. Things were a little tense, but seemed fine after that, and we drove another three hours without incident before pulling into a gas station to refuel. It was then, upon putting the car in park, that the dash board lit up like a Christmas tree and I opened my passenger door to a literal cascade of oil gushing from under the car. I'm no mechanic, so I don't know why the car waited until then, but it's clear that it was bleeding out.

After an hour, a quick midnight jog around the town of Lolo, some tin-foil, and a bunch of JB weld, the situation was stabilized and we made the rest of the trip without any further excitement. Our car is a little worse-for-the-wear, but still hanging in there like a champ. Also, the kids didn't have school the next day, so our later-than-anticipated arrival had minimal effect on them. All told, this brief little hiccup was like a spicy jalapeño hiding in your sandwich- unanticipated and different, but actually kinda tasty.

*****

Most people were pretty tired the next day and took it easy. Maren and I headed up to Schweitzer for a good half-day in the mountains, and Evelyn had a bunch of friends over to hang out. 

Over the course of the weekend Ev actually happened to have a birthday (15), which we will celebrate a little later. I do have to say, she does "teenager" really well. She has good style, good taste in music, good friends, and good grades. She gets moody sometimes and rolls her eyes at me just enough to let me know she isn't a kid anymore, but most of the time we get along pretty well with 90s era music being a point of common interest. I think it's cool that she is the drummer in a garage band, and she appreciates that Rachel and I, even in our "oldie oldie" stage of life, can still hang.

Alright- not much more to say. It was a good one.

Have a good week!

Just because we have a lunch break doesn't mean we stop moving!

This pizzeria had a great music playlist and we were all getting into it a little bit!

Pizza and skiing just go together

Pretty chill morning before heading out to the mountain

Sunshine in our eyes and smiles on our faces. 

This is from Schweitzer when just me and Maren went. It was a super windy day- like, we could spread our arms like wings and just let the wind push us around the flats. Woo!