Bear Lake DAY 1

Instead of buying mattresses or furniture this year for Presidents Day weekend, the Petty's much more happily accepted Travis and Amy's invitation to Bear Lake for some fun winter festivities.

The drive was LONG.  St. George to Bear Lake and over Logan Pass is many many miles of driving.  And Logan Canyon is a winding, narrow pass near river and steep cliffs.  Note to all: do NOT let the kids be watching a movie whilst maneuvering the mountain.  Ashton found out the hard way how the stomach and eyes are connected to the twists and turns of the road.  We found ourselves parked on a very slender shoulder of the road next to the river with a three year old dripping in vomit and shivering from the cold winter air as we cleaned off his body, his car seat, and the truck.

Onward.

Because the Official Kick off for FUN was on Saturday at the Beaver Mountain Ski Lodge, it has the most pictures and will likely take the longest to look at - so I broke this Trip into more than one blog post.

Mostly it's the longest because Nathan and Olivia took Ski School Lessons and had a GREAT day on the learners hill!!  Olivia has been skiing several times, but this was Nathan's very first go.  And he LOVED IT!! They were so darling, and the happiest little skiers ever!

They had an hour lesson, then did their own skiing.  We went in for lunch at the lodge at about 11, before the crowds, and thought that we might break it up after that and head home for naps and rest.  BUT NO!!!  The kids were devastated to think that their time on the slopes had come to and end!  "Can we do more Skiing, please?" They pleaded with desire on their adorable little faces.  When Amy and I couldn't deny them more fun, they were then RUSHING and DYING to get back out the door.  With much sense, the adults made the kids digest food for a little while before returning to the groomed trail.


ON THEY WENT!

Ashton spent most of his Mountain time in the Kinder Shuttle playing Leapster. Otherwise he was eager to join the crowds of people on ski's, right down the heart of the snow pack.  Devlin did great playing on the snow, seriously - just on the snow.  Sometimes he was face down, and sometimes he was face up - he didn't care.  If I didn't know better, I'd say that that little kid was born in a snow bank!

The little's found a little swing set to play on for a few minutes.  But then Ashton face was ALIGHT with the idea of riding the "Big Swings" aka: the ski lift.  I think after a closer and more careful examination of the "Big Swings" he was content to return to his Kinder Shuttle for a little rest.

As we were packing up for the day - Shane told me to go hit the Nordic Ski path and meet him lower down the mountain.  I couldn't resist the beautiful groomed trail and the fantastic weather!  So I made my way from the lodge to the narrow and steeply dropped off road that would lead me down to the main trails.  Well, quickly I was going too fast for comfort and fell - no big deal, I'd just take off my skis and walk down the rest of the turning narrow steep part. One ski off, I set it down and hear "sssshhh. Flump"  Over the side of the steeeeep embankment went my ski into a a thick blanket of fluff.  Okay, well, I'd just have to reach down and get it.  Nope - too far out. I can't reach it.  And I can't lift it with my ski poles, so I'll just step down with one foot, with the other sturdy on the bank - WHOOPS!!  I have come off the trail, chest deep into the snow.  Snow up my coat, on my glove less hands and around my work out pants legs. Crap. At least I can grab my ski and I toss it up above my head back onto the trail with it's ski mate and two poles.  There is NO way I'm going to make it back onto the bank. It's a drop off.  The path hasn't been used all day, so I can't sit here and wait for someone to happen by.  I look across the ravine and see the road is just as steep of a climb of what I'm currently in.  And I can't walk. Anywhere. The SNOW is UP to MY CHEST!!

Then I see across the way, through the trees, both Shane's Truck and Travis's car head down the mountain.  I call out in vain.  So, if I can't walk in this snow, then I'll have to roll down into the trees just below me.  I manage to get on my side an roll into the shallow snow under the trees and stand up and empty snow from my coat.  It's still a long way to the bottom of the ravine.  I know I can't climb up the other side, nor the side I'm on, and there's no guarantee of favorable conditions if I continue to the middle of the little valley, but what choice do I have?  So I step out and again roll down the hill a few more times until I can stand in shallow snow again. LUCK!!  There's a TRAIL in here!!  Either an animal trail or an old snow shoe trail, I can't be sure.  BUT, as I trudge over to it I find that it's packed hard enough to walk on and leads down the hill towards what MUST be the Nordic Trail. (that's what my logic tells me, anyhow.) I follow the trail for a while, being careful not to fall off the hard pack into the soft snow that is deeper than my knees, though in my hast I do fall off a time or three.

THEN I see a snowmobile trail!  Yay! It's wider and packed just as hard as the previous trail, AND I can see the Nordic Trail from it's vantage point!!  YAY!  I'm saved.  Cold, breathless, and lumbering out of the woods covered in snow, but still, saved!  I climb onto the Nordic Trail and work my way back to my abandoned skis and poles.  After several minutes I see the spoke that breaks off the main path and heads towards the lodge.  I climb higher and higher and higher, until I wonder if I am indeed on the correct narrow steep path. Perhaps after my time in the woods I'm slightly delusional and my logic has failed me? Then near the very top I see two skis and two poles.  I collect them and throw them on my shoulder.

Next on my my agenda, as I am completely spent at this point and have no intention of skiing back down the long trail, is hailing a car coming down the mountain and trying to find where Shane and the boys are parked and waiting for me.  I continue walking toward the entrance of the Ski Lodge when who to my wondering eyes should appear? But the Barney's in the Pontiac Vibe did toward me Veer!!  After not seeing me down below, they thought to head back up to find me!!  GLORIOUS PEOPLE!!  AND SO TIMELY!  They saved me from further humiliation in hailing a stranger! I was packed up into the family roadster. Amy offered me the front seat and squashed herself into the back compartment as they delivered me red faced from fatigue to my waiting husband and sons. In minutes, and after sips of Dr. Pepper, I did recover.


After returning to the condo, Shane and Ashton laid down for a rest, and the rest of us went off to walk on the frozen lake.  And thus ends the more exciting parts of Day One.