Friday the 13th

Friday, March 13, 2026

The Ritz, Bachelor Gulch

Today is the traditional party at the Ritz. Which happened. But first...

Today was Chelsea's first day on the big mountain. She was ready and excited to ride the bus to the gondola.

 

The main crew took Chelsea up to McCoy Park. Garth and I did three hot laps on Bachelor Gulch to wrack up some vert and get warmed up. The snow was much more forgiving this morning and we were having a lot of fun. We topped out at over 50 before it got too sloppy to be fast.

Garth and I met up with the crew at McCoy Park. Chelsea had done a couple runs which earned her a trip to the Candy Cabin. What a reward! My experience with our kids was that you have to make it fun or they'll hate it. Kayla will vouch that when we attempted to teach her to ski a Hoodoo she hated it. She had to do it on her terms. And so it is.

Parker and Chelsea in the Candy Cabin

The younger Fawcett Clan in front of the Candy Cabin. Brooke, Parker, Chelsea, and Cam.

Chelsea was done after a couple runs (see comment above about keeping it fun) so Garth and I peeled off to check out Harrier again. The bottom of Larkspur was full on sludge which we figured was a good omen for Harrier being less than bulletproof. Harrier is a run off the Birds of Prey lift that nobody skis and can be really great or not so great. Unfortunately it was not so great - pretty stiff at the top but softening up a bit lower down. 

We headed back over to Bachelor Gulch to meet the crew at Mammie's for lunch. I'd seen Mammie's many times off the top of the lift but only discovered it this morning when I went into the restroom to wipe the sunscreen out of my eyes. What I saw impressed me - a giant outside deck with a yurt bar. Plus, they advertised Grateful Dead cover band. I suggested we head over there for lunch and surprisingly the crew agreed (they almost never agree with my suggestions and as for Garth, well, ask him).

Lunch at Mammie's

Live music by the Laughing Bones

Which I was hoping was an ensemble but was a solo guitarist. That was fine given the logistics of getting equipment up the mountain. Plus, he was a talented guitarist and singer with a good song selection: Lyle Lovett, Bobby Wier, Sam Cooke, and so on. Great entertainment for a late winter afternoon in the sunshine. Catherine got Cam and I a spicy marg which was spicy but a little weird. You get what you get and don't complain or not.

Awesome ski art. Have a pawsome day!!

I've only seen Pine Marten's a couple times. They are indigenous to the Pacific NW and I saw one at Willamette Pass and one at Bachelor. They look like weasels only more wintery. Or something.

After lunch the ladies and Parker went down to the Ritz while Cam, Garth and I did hot laps on Bachelor Gulch. We found the baby bumps on Cabin Fever to be just the right amount of mushy to make them fun. 

Garth skis the baby bumps

We were coaching Cam on how to ski bumps and ride a ski. He's a quick study and is starting to get the hang of riding a ski. He's also learning how to ski bumps which is pretty amazing for someone who has skied less than 10 days. I'm impressed. Cam was called down for shots at the Ritz so Garth and I did a couple more laps. It was a lot of fun to be reminded how great skiing mushy bumps is. I don't quite have the quickness or snap I did when I was when I was in my 20s and 30s and 40s and 50s, but I think I'm still pretty ok for a senior citizen.

The party at The Ritz. This is four bottles of wine in - which is where we joined.

The Ritz where wealthy people who have made piles of money from legitimate and other means stay. I'll never know that kind of wealth and can't really relate to it. I figured that out on my last trip to Aspen in the winter of 1986. We went to a bar (don't remember which one) and I learned there was a level of wealth that I would probably never know.

The Ritz

Garth's the man

Wide angle of the party. We're in the cheap zone outside of the main party.

Beth might have had a bit too much and needed the sag wag to pick her up. The sag wag was the bus from the Ritz down to town where help was on the way and hauled her back to the condo. I was pretty gassed again but after laying down for 15 minutes I rallied for dinner. Now the entire crew is coming over (~15) which is a lot to deal with. I'll take a shower and have some dinner and look forward to skiing tomorrow and going to the pool with Ari in the afternoon. More on that tomorrow.