JANUARY - Colorado Ski Trip with Jess: Days 1-4 - Breckenridge & Keystone

Day 1: To start our trip, Jess and I indulged at the Alaska Airport Lounge before catching our flight to Denver. From there we were lucky that the rental car company gave us a Hyundai Palisade from the bigger row when there were no vehicles available in our "row." It is a plush ride! Then it is a 1:30 hour drive west to the area of Dillon/Silverthore/Frisco on the Dillon Reservoir. This area sits at 9100' and I-70 goes through a mountain tunnel to get to it. It is a beautiful area and situated in the middle of some great ski resorts that are part of the Epic Pass (and also other ski areas, too). Noting that the temperature was 5 degrees Fahrenheit for the opening, we opted to sleep in and go up a little later in the day. Colorado, like much of the Rockies and the West hasn't had much snow this year. The resorts are open but with limited lifts and terrain. This was not totally unexpected, because this is early in the ski season, but most areas about about 15-20% of their terrain open right now as opposed to about 70% last winter. Sigh. But this means that we can just have fun, check out each ski area, tour what is open, and still have time left to explore the towns and not stress about missing optimal skiing.

Day 2: We figured out how to catch a shuttle from a skier lot outside of town to the BreckConnect Gondola that goes from another parking area in town up to Peak 7 and Peak 8 base areas. We skied Peak 8 over to Peak 9, back to Peak 8, spent a good amount of time on Peak 7, and then did a few more runs on Peak 8 before calling it a day. It was all groomers. They had some snow-making machines going, it was crowded at Peak 9, maybe from the resorts at its base, but no lift lines on Peak 7. There was a lot of patches of ice under the snow and so it felt like one always had to be vigilant. Also there are many novices on the mountain and there wasn't a lot of terrain for more advanced skiers to go spread out on, so that was sort of a hot mess. We didn't meet many locals on the chairs, mostly it was families on ski trips from all over the US (east coast, south, Midwest, Florida, etc.). It was a beautiful, sunny day and the views were great. I'm sure it would be a very fun mountain with more alpine terrain open. We stopped at Robbie's Tavern (Peak 8 base) for a late lunch / apres ski at 3:00. It was great. However, when we were ready to leave, the downloading line for the gondola was insanely long. To make matters worse, after standing in line about 15 minutes, it was announced that the gondola was broken and shutting down. After evaluating all our options, we ended up walking 1.5 miles in ski boots, with our skis, down to the bottom of the gondola in town. By that time, the bus to our ski parking area had stopped running and we had to figure out another bus to get there that didn't quite go where we needed it to go. It was not ideal, but we made it and so we are fortunate to not be stuck in a gondola or still waiting at the base area for a ride that was never going to come. Side note - the log structure parking marker fell onto the rental car sometime that day, so that was a fitting end to the day. Skiing is always an adventure, but this was an opening day for the record books! Lol!

Day 3 - Today we skied Keystone. To be honest, it was the ski area I was least excited about, probably because I didn't really know about it before this trip and its reputation is for being a good family resort with a lot of beginner and intermediate terrain. But another part of its reputation is for advances in snowmaking - and this year, that is the most important different between Keystone and any of the other resorts in the area. We had snow! We could do long runs from top to bottom! There were still vast parts of the mountain inaccessible and we'd love to return and ski the alpine. But we were treated to excellent groomed runs today - most averaging around 2000' vertical per run. It was also very straightforward for parking, getting up to the top and exploring the runs. Plus, we had hardly no lift lines and an easy to manage lunch in the Timber Ridge Lodge near the Outback area. Keystone also elevated the experience by having a life-size snow fort to explore. It was really cool! My request was to have an afternoon ski break at the top of the Summit House on the deck and we did that! It was such an incredible view - we could see across the valley to Breckenridge and also were able to look down at the Dillon Reservoir from there. We had a great ski day of 24,000 feet vertical. Keystone has a lot of resort lodging options and a big village at the base area that reminded Jess and I of a mini-Whistler. I'm so happy we are checking out every resort because I would have overlooked Keystone for sure.

Day 4 - We skied Keystone again on New Year's Eve and it was awesome. They opened up another area called the Outback which had a couple sunny and long, well-groomed runs that didn't feel like they got skied off even later in the day. We also had a few outstanding runs on the front side. It was a day of long groomers - 21 lifts and 33,000' vertical even though we ended early so we could get dressed up (mountain-style, LOL) and go out in Breckenridge for New Year's Eve. Breck is very much an old-west style mountain town that has been dressed up with beautiful Christmas decorations and lights. It is fun to see stores like North Face and Starbucks in old west style buildings. Jessica found the Gold Pan Saloon for dinner. We ended up sitting at a table that also hosted the bar's ring toss game, so we were in the middle of everything and made some new friends including Mike and Shelly who were the nicest and most inspiring couple - they even picked up our check. We headed to bed well before midnight in order to get an early start the next day.

The 2025 Christmas Letter

 Johanna, Edison, Charlotte, & Reed’s 2025 Christmas Letter

 

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. 

                                                                           – Khalil Gibran | lines from the poem: On Joy and Sorrow

 

            Time is relentless. I am now 46. Routine doctor check-ups cause a little pang of fear. I am wondering if I need my first pair of readers. My father, Herbert McClees, passed away this February. I am a mother to two children in high school and one in middle school. All I want to do is to enjoy the absolute delight it is to watch them grow and come into their own. This is everything we have been preparing for. Simultaneously, it is poignant to know these days with all of us living our house together are in the final stages, at least for the older two. I cannot slow down time or pause this moment. I try my best to savor each day with my children. This is sometimes more the goal than the reality depending on the homework crisis or amount of extracurricular commitments piling up.

Edison is seventeen and in his junior year. He works hard in all aspects of his life: taking five AP classes, working all summer at the Civic Club and saving money, and pushing himself in his athletics. He is now leading our town’s Youth Court and was able to spend another year being a camp counselor for his elementary school’s fifth-grade camp. He continues to swim, making it to State meet in the 100 Back as well as swimming several regional swim meets and a great showing at All City this year in the 100 IM. Throwing has eclipsed swimming as his favorite sport, however. He is disciplined and works hard outside of the Track & Field season throwing discus, shot put, and javelin on his own. Last spring he earned an 8^th place podium finish at the 3A State Meet in Discus and was 14^th in Shot Put. He and Charlotte returned to Iron Woods Throwing Camp in Idaho again last summer and are really invested in this sport. I’m really proud of the young man Edison is becoming. He makes thoughtful decisions, is intentional about being a good big brother to Reed, and helps me around the house whenever I need it. He is also rocking the shaggy mullet.

Charlotte is fifteen and a sophomore. She continues to be an attentive and conscientious student who demands the best of herself in her classes. She had a breakout Track & Field season last spring as a freshman and was named Top Female Thrower on her team after achieving a 12^th place finish in discus at the 3A State Meet. She is venturing into learning the javelin. Though she ran the 400 individually and in the 4x400 relay for much of the season, Charlotte has decided to focus on throwing. Edison and Charlotte discovered USATF Club Track Meet competitions. They both competed in state and regional meets and they qualified for nationals. Charlotte chose to compete at nationals, but Edison did not. That meant Charlotte and I also got to make it into a bit of a girls’ trip as we traveled to Savannah, Georgia for the meet. What a beautiful city and coast! She did awesome in nationals and placed 13^th in discus! In addition to taking Drivers’ Ed. classes, Charlotte also had a fantastic summer swim season and went to All City in two relays and the 100 Free. Somehow she has also managed to become an officer of her school’s DECA program (business-marketing program that involves competitions) and went to Orlando for the National DECA conference in April. For her birthday, we went to see Mamma Mia! The Musical at the Paramount which was so much fun! She also earned a spot on the Shorecrest Flag Team and performs with them at assemblies, football halftimes, and with the marching band. This fall she is dialing up the rigor, taking Pre-Calculus and a couple AP classes (World History and Physics). She had a fantastic sophomore season on the girls swim team and was the District Champ in the 200 Free and her 200 Free Relay. She swam at state in the 200 Free and 100 Free plus the 200 and 400 Free relays, dropping time and earning personal bests in these events. These all qualified for finals and she finished 10^th overall in the 100 Free and 11^th overall in the 200 Free!

Reed is twelve and has made the jump up to Kellogg Middle School and 6^th grade. His time as a cellist was short-lived – he has chosen to do a few art and technology electives this year rather than continue in music. I am happy he can make the choices that are best suited for him. He continues to swim on the Excel Club Team and with Aqua Club in the summer. He competed at regional swim meets, as far away as Boise, and also at the All City meet – earning 4^th in the 100 IM and 5^th in the 50 BR and taking fifth in both relays. I think he likes the challenges of middle school and is proving to be a responsible student – studying for big science tests and doing nightly homework in his “compression math” (two years of math in one year). It is fortunate that Edison is able to tutor Reed when he gets stuck. We’ve continued to be able to do some fun things together while his siblings are busy doing all their high school activities. In March we snuck away for a day of skiing at Bogus Basin near Boise while Edison and Charlotte were doing prelims at the regional swim meet. Our favorite recent adventure was to the Seattle waterfront, Pike Place Market, and a ride on the Great Wheel. I cherish our time together. He has many friends and can rise to just about any occasion.

Johanna. Life is not for the feint of heart. I just keep trying to hang in there and do my best. In February, my father passed away after a decades-long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. It was expected and yet I was not prepared. In sorting out things afterwards and going through pictures, I was reminded of the man he was before this disease. That is the best gift I can take away from all this. I was dating someone that I really cared about for the past year, but that ended in May, after a wonderful trip to Paris. Not everyone is ready for being in a partnership. Though, I think I am and I would like to be. If you know anything of online dating in this day and age, you will wish me well because it is a rough go out there. On the bright side, I was able to return to downhill skiing last winter, using a brace in place of my torn ACL. I decided against surgery and I wasn’t slowed down a bit – even having my biggest day in December at Sun Valley – over 53,656’ vertical and 44 miles. I learned how to cross-country ski (Nordic) this year and want to do more of that – hopefully trying out skate skiing. I still swim almost daily at Aqua Club which provides me with balance, vitamin D, and keeps me in good health. I’ve also started acupuncture as a wellness practice. I have so much gratitude for my friendships: I have fellow mama friends who can identify with and empathize with just about everything I’m going through, neighborhood friends in Book Club, incredible hiking buddies, dedicated work colleagues, my swimming comrades at the pool, high school friends, and ski friends. Rivers and mountains are my happy places where I am able to re-energize my spirit on weekends. I really like to share adventures in those spaces with others but have also started embracing solo travel.

I tried solo travel with a trip to Park City for a Mid-Winter Break ski week. I’ve discovered I love listening to an audiobook on my AirPods while I ski all day. I finally made it to Europe - James and I went to Paris in April. It blew me away and was an absolute fairytale of a trip. I can’t wait to explore more of Europe and hopefully be able to travel with the kids abroad. Jess and I did a really awesome adventure circuit in Oregon at the end of June: skiing on Mount Hood, rafting on the Deschutes, and hiking a few trails outside of our base in Bend, Oregon. We both think there’s a ton more to explore and have designs to go back! I did another solo week on the Olympic Peninsula – hiking 50 miles, camping in some really beautiful spots, visiting hot springs, and seeing orcas, and black bears. Heidi and I also got out to do a three-day backpack in the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area south of Mount Rainier – we were treated to incredible wildflowers, views for miles, and stargazing. 

The many activities and commitments of the kids make it harder and harder to find time to travel as a family. But we did our best! We’re trying to maximize our time at the cabin by staying here during Winter Break and skiing a lot, and inviting friends out for rafting and floating the river in the summer. We went to Zion National Park with friends for Spring Break - finding beautiful hiking spots and trying out ATV rides through the sandy canyons for the first time. We fit in one camping trip with the Hass Family at Lake Diablo in the North Cascades – including a hike to Blue Lake and the best pastries ever at the Mazama Store. Our big summer family vacation was a road trip to Missoula & Bozeman, Montana, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Jackson, Wyoming. We saw the most amazing and beautiful sights and several herds of bison, elk, and even foxes. We did some fun things like see a concert on top of the mountain at Snow King Ski Resort and went to the Jackson Rodeo. I had the realization this year that if I wanted me kids to see or experience something then there wasn’t any more time to waste! So we also went to our first Mariners games and Seahawks games which were so much fun! Then we got hooked and went back. We saw the 15-inning win by the Mariners in game five to advance to the ALCS! Reed and I went and saw the Seahawks defeat the Texas on Monday Night Football. The kids loved the Jackson Rodeo, so we went to my childhood favorite, Ellensburg Rodeo, for Labor Day weekend! So fun!

 

 

I can’t slow down time, but I like to capture these moments with my kids, my mom, good friends, and out on adventures with photographs and in my blog which is like a journal of my life. It is satisfying to look back and think of how fortunate I am to be able to have wonderful people in my life and amazing experiences. I will keep on doing my best and trying to live with love and purpose each day. Thank you for sharing this joyous life! Here’s to a fantastic 2026! Please keep us in your hearts, as we do the same with you.

Family Day In Poulsbo

 Can you tell we went to Poulsbo?! It's the quaint little Norwegian town on Liberty Bay on the Kitsap Peninsula. We haven't been in awhile and it was a beautiful, sunny day for a family day trip. The kids loved looking at the boats and surprised me by really getting a lot out of the Poulsbo Historical Society's Heritage and Maritime Museums. We are Norwegian on my mother's side and I can remember my great grandmother wearing dresses like the ones in the museum, my family joking about lutefisk (North Atlantic Cod soaked in lye for five days), and my grandmother learning the art of Rosemaling - Norway's floral folk art. Getting to walk around a museum that looked like going to my grandmother's house was pretty awesome and I loved sharing those memories with my children. The Maritime Museum was great, too, and had lots of hands-on exhibits and features. We had a delicious lunch at The Loft overlooking the marina. Sluys's Bakery had a non-stop line of at least 20 people all day, so we ended up stopping at a bakery in Kingston and walking the beach while waiting for the ferry home. It was a fabulous day and I don't take these moments for granted - it was quite the effort to plan in advance and make sure all the kids were up for it!