Twenty three (23) members of the Fredericksburg Ski Club ventured out to Sun Valley, Idaho with the Blue Ridge Ski Council on Jan. 31st, 1999. A portion of us met at 3:30 a.m. (yawn) to join a Van Pool, and eventually joined the rest of the clan at Dulles airport around 5:00 a.m. Since the departure times for the various ski clubs were more staggered than usual, there wasn't the usual mad rush at the ticket counter, so we were there a little earlier than necessary. We were the first in line, and actually had to wait for the ticket counter to open up. On the bright side, we were there in plenty of time to make our 7:00 a.m. flight to Denver which took off on time. In Denver, we caught our on-time flight to Boise, where our bus was waiting. Our bags arrived almost instantly, so we wasted no time getting to Sun Valley. The only delay we experienced was waiting for a cattle drive to cross the road. Yes, a real cattle drive. I can't speak for anyone else, but that was the first time I'd ever seen a cattle drive other than on TV or in movies. We arrived at the Sun Valley Inn, where everyone was able to get bell service to his or her respective lodgings.

On the next bright and sunny Sunday morning (as was the rest of the week), we were abruptly reminded that the difficulty levels are relative to the mountain on which you're actually skiing. Several skiers and I, thinking we'd warm up on an intermediate trail, decided to start the week off on a trail marked "MORE DIFFICULT". We were rather surprised at both the steepness and the speed. I didn't work up to the "BLACK DIAMONDS" quite as fast as I usually do, and some people said they spent more time on the "GREENS" than they ever have. That evening, we ventured to the welcome party at the Sun Valley Inn, and for those interested, two big TVs were set up to watch the Super Bowl. I managed to catch the first 20 minutes and the last 20 minutes. In those times I was able to see Fredericksburg's own George Coghill make two good plays.

On the second day (bright and sunny), most of has had another great day. Unfortunately, Leo St. Jean, while participating in a race clinic, was injured and was unable ski the rest of the week. He suffered (and probably still suffering) a scraped forehead, some broken ribs, and a broken ankle. We're thankful that it's nothing that won't heal. Our thoughts and sympathies are with you Leo.

The third day (bright and sunny), the NASTAR race went on, and unfortunately we didn't win the participation award this year. The increased steepness of the course (and I'm sure Leo's injury didn't help) I believe, made many people rather timid. However, of the 11 who did race, 5 received medals. Congratulations to Michael Bailey, Gen Lee, Bob Schwab, Robert LaChance, and Dennis Crippen. Our only female racer, Linda Wilkinson, didn't get a NSTAR medal, but she took a BRSC gold as the fastest woman in her age category!

Check out (87K): her smile and gold medal at the awards ceremony.

Although some fresh snow would have been nice, the rest of the week was superb. In addition to the great farewell dinner/dance, many of us ventured into downtown Ketchum to eat, shop, and drink. The two restaurants that stand out to me were Whiskey Jacque's and The Orehouse. After the last day of skiing, we topped it off with a pizza and beer blast at our condo.

The next morning arrived and we all managed to get transported back to the Inn and our luggage together in plenty of time. The only thing missing was. . .A BUS!!! What the rumor mill produced was that our original bus broke down on the way to pick us up, so another bus was dispatched. This bus was late, so we cut it a little close to catch our plane in Boise. Evidently, a little too close for Bob Schwab, since he got bumped and had to return the next day, through San Francisco. Although I don't believe he minds the $300.00 worth of travel vouchers he now has because of it. The rest of us made it home late Saturday night with no problems. Except of course for the harsh reality that the trip was over.

Well, here's to another great ski trip out west.

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