January 2021 in Grand County, CO

 It’s time for my volunteer “gig” with the National Sports Center for the Disabled to begin.  The program is bare bones this year with the pandemic.  No programs at all on Mondays or Wednesdays first five week session (I volunteered on Tuesdays), and there won’t be any sessions on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays in the second session.  I worked with Ryder, and middle school Down syndrome participant.  His Dad brings Ryder up on Tuesdays, and joins us skiing.  Ryder has made a lot of progress since I started working with him last year.  He started to explore more green territory last time, which is amazing, considering last year he was still on the magic carpet bunny hill when I first started working with him.  New things are challenging for Ryder, but he really did so well this season.

I got the two bedroom “old school” condo just above the Safeway in Fraser, CO.  My cousin PAt and her husband Mark rented a two bedroom townhouse about a mile away; Brad has been coming up, and Donna came up as well.  In addition to volunteering with the NSCD I’ve been downhill skiing with PAt and Mark and snowshoeing and Cross country skiing with  everyone.   

Snowpack is way down, so downhill skiing is ok for most greens and blue runs, but the steeper runs really need more snow.  The snowshoe and cross country ski trails snow is just fine.

It’s really been a fun winter in Grand County especially with Pat and Mark there.  We’re having a “grand” time.