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| Skiing in Western Maryland |
Anna had one more three day weekend left, so we headed for the mountains of Western Maryland for a ski weekend. Anna's friend, Sofia, and her family invited us to join them for a long weekend at the mountain. Thanks to Sofia, Anna's ski ability improved dramatically and she had a fantastic time.
The first day saw temperatures hovering in the mid-to upper 40s with winds gusting to 30 miles per hour. Sofia and her Mom decided to brave the slushy snow, while Joe, Theresa, Anna, Sofia's Dad and little brother (Luke) opted for a hike at Swallow Falls State park. Luke and Anna had a blast explore the trail, not to mention the adventure of hiking on ice.
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| Anna, Sofia & Macallan |
Sunday weather was much colder, so we headed out for some skiing. After pulling into the parking lot of the mountain, they were greeted by an attendant who informed them it was "Suburu Day" on the mountain, which meant free valet parking for Suburus. 1st Bonus! While getting ski boots on, Joe reached into his new boots to take out some papers only to find a free lift ticket for the mountain. 2nd Bonus! The crowds were small. 3rd Bonus! Things were looking up until we reached the beginner slope so that Anna could practice. After one ride up the magic carpet, she decided she did not want to ski. This was soon followed by tears, taking off her skis, and carrying them down the hill. Joe and Theresa decided to keep going up and down the hill while waiting for Sofia to show up. At last, Sofia and Luke arrived to save the day. Anna, wanting to keep up with her friends, proceeded to follow Sofia down the hill until she mastered it. After lunch, she was ready to go on the lift and proceeded to ski the beginner slopes the rest of the afternoon.
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| Skiing with friends |
More snow arrived Sunday night (including a major snowstorm for DC). After much debate, including betting that school would at least be delayed on Tuesday, the parents agreed to stay an extra night to take advantage of the fresh snow. It was definitely worth it as skiing conditions where excellent. The best part of the day was lunch break when Anna ran into another friend from her class at school, Macallan and his older sisters. As it turned out, Macallan's grandfather owns a place by the ski mountain, so they come up frequently. The kids had a fantastic St. Patrick day skiing the rest of the afternoon. They even talked Anna into an intermediate slope. Riding the lift was a big event with each of the kids jockeying for position of who they wanted to ride with (including which parent). There was lots of singing involved, mainly Beetles songs thanks to the efforts of their school music teacher (check out Macallan and Anna singing on the lift
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0gglnjxk5u3k4ll/2014-03-17%2019.05.44.mp4) The day concluded with a pizza dinner at a local restaurant.
Apparently the school system is toughening up as there was only a 2-hour delay on Tuesday morning. Everyone piled in their vehicles at 6 AM to make it back in time for school. After arriving home, Joe & Theresa found that a kind neighbor shoveled the driveway.
It was a fun-filled weekend that went entirely too quick. A big thanks to the Andersons for organizing the trip. We look forward to returning next year....but for now we are done with the snow.
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| Anna & Luke hiking at Swallow Falls |
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