Nick's 30th Birthday

Like last year Nick spent his birthday on the mountain skiing all day and night. This year the only difference was that this was his 30th birthday and we decided to make anyone crazy enough to join us come celebrate. I was just talking to friends and it seems to be a theme two years running that I become deathly ill at Nick's birthday parties. Last year - without any alcoholic assistance - I got the stomach flu and well...you can imagine. This year thankfully it was just the normal flu; nothing Day Quill didn't sufficiently mask. Let me say attempting to ski for a 24 hour period is both the stupidest and most fun thing I have ever done. We had a pretty good turn out given the mid-busy season timing and the birthday evite titled "Ski Marathon." Nick thankfully decided to take this year's competition less seriously so there were many breaks. In fact we spent most of the day on the back side of the mountain. It turned out to just be me and the guys during the day - I got to drink out of a flask on the chair lift and they even pretended that I was keeping up with them! Seriously good times. Here are the men! (Nick, John, Ryan and Pete)
The weather was a little foggy in the morning but it basically burned off by mid-day; perfect weather for my first time up in three seasons. I don't have too many pictures but in summary there was skiing, hamburgers, chili, skiing, bar lounging, hot tottie & beer drinking and some more skiing. That was just during day light!!

After the sun went down more friends joined us and the night skiing ensued. Codie's famous cup cakes filled our belly's but it turns out when you are exhausted with another 12 hours of skiing left, drinking the case of beer you brought up in a back pack just doesn't sound appealing. No worries though we rallied. My last runs were around 11pm and before I collapsed on (and later) under a picnic table in the lodge for about five hours. Here are the boys an hour or so before I passed out. You should have seen them at breakfast.



I am told that Ryan and Nick came back for an hour or two sleep but I was certainly not conscious. I woke up around 5am when the boys came in and after breakfast we all went out for a run at sun rise. AMAZING!


Think about it, what other time can you ski at sunrise? This made the whole crazy 24 hours worth it!! Nick said he had a blast so I believe we can call this birthday a success. We were home by 11am but no worries, Deven was well taken care of. In a couple of years (maybe not for a Ski Marathon) Deven will be up there with us...here is proof!!