Do these skis make me look fast?

Three cheers for the 2012 Stratton Mountain Ski Crew!

From singing in the gondola to speeding down the mountain – this group rocks. Derek and I can’t thank Bo and Ashley enough for inviting us up again – is it to early to reserve out spots for next year? Did we mention how awesome you guys are?! 😉

The day started with another casual morning and a pre-ski breakfast of a cinnamon raisin bagel with cream cheese, jam, and granola with a side of apple.

Despite the causal morning approach, we still made much better timing this morning than the morning before. Instead of parking the car at 10, we arrived at 9. Big improvement. All the hardcore skiers were pleased.

As they should be, it was an awesome day for skiing. Seriously.

The conditions were still icy, but the sun was out and the temps were a bit warmer than the day before. The best part was I finally found my ‘ski legs’ again, apparently I just needed a day to warm-up. Yesterday was iffy but there was definitely no holding me back today.

Lunch break.

Friends that eat together, stay together.

Same restaurant, different lunch – Granny Smith Grilled Cheese with Waffle Fries.

This cheesy masterpiece of multigrain bread, cheddar cheese, Granny Smith apples, and bacon was amazing. The server referred to it as the perfect mid-day indulgence and she was spot on. It was rich and decadent, but small enough to be just right. I need to make this at home.

The waffle fries were worth repeating again today. I’m not sure what it is, but waffle fries are 10 times better than regular fries. No question.

The afternoon was when the real fun began.

We all wanted to stick together for at least one run this weekend.

And we learned that you can fit 10 people in a gondola. Good to know.

Don’t let Ashley fool you – she’s a skiing rockstar. Watch out! 😉

I stayed out late with the big boys and felt comfortable enough to hit a couple double black diamond trails. The day went way too fast – I felt like I was just getting started! It’s always great to end ski trips on a high note – I’m already looking forward to next year. 🙂

It was worth it to get off the mountain and change out of my ski boots and indulge in some free hot chocolate

Gotta love a mountain that hands out free hot chocolate at the end of the day!

And free marshmallows!

They had a fire pit going in the village with free marshmallows and sticks for roasting. I think I like Stratton more and more. 😉

Another successful day of skiing. It’s sad that’s our last one of the season. *sniff*

Until next year Stratton! It was fun using you while it lasted.