Kirkwood: You can knock, but you can't come in

Once we did wake up on new years day, our feet hit the ground running. While only a 1.5 hour flight, traveling to our condo at Kirkwood Mountain, is always a long, laborious travel day. Usually there is some amount adventure. For the record, this trip provided more than its fair share of excitement.

Peyton watching people and planes at the airport

We arrived only to discover that the mountain was closed. Not just closed, but evacuated. Until further notice. Everyone was leaving. No one was allowed to enter. Rumors were spreading as dangerously and unpredictably as the raging fire that was causing the chaos. After waiting for a little over an hour at the Kirkwood Inn, just off the highway, in the dark, we managed to wrangle, a bit of sense from the madness, our whole group (we were meeting up with Luke and Cheri and Steve's cousin Adam and his wife, Sarah) and sweet talk our way to our condo, with the understanding that there was no electricity, heat or warm water until further notice and that we could be evacuated at any minute. Sweet.

Fire in the power house!

Cheri & Peyton watching the blast from a distance

We settled in to our cozy condo just as the sun set. For almost 48 hours the place was a ghost town. When the power did come back on it was spotty and unreliable. We waited almost 36 hours before a hint of warm water trickled from the taps. It quickly came and went. The first 4 days were trying, but manageable. It wasn't until the last 2 days of the trip that we could count on the essentials, electricity and warm water, without holding our breath.

Shocking, I know. I felt like pulling my hair out too, buddy!

Yet, somehow we managed. Not just managed, but had fun. The weather was glorious. Warm, sunny, blue skies. Almost spring like in the mountains. Not great news for skiers, but since there wasn't much skiing going on, it was great news for us.

A snowshoe hike up Red Cliffs during our first day was eerily quiet.
No buzz of electricity. No bustle of people.

Peyton slept for a surprisingly long time in the backpack while we hiked.
We almost never get to see him sleep anymore. It was a beautiful sight;
The hike and our sleeping son.

Two lifts were operating normally the second day. By the third day it was business as usual. Except, the holiday crowd had headed home and the fire kept the weekday riders away. Which meant, more peace, quiet and room to roam for us.Peyton enjoying a bit of after hours tubing.Our condo is just behind us to the right. Sweet location. Sweet view.

Here's a closer look at the view from the balcony!

I admit that I would have left, instantly. If someone else would have said the word, I would have gladly gone anywhere, but Kirkwood, for the remainder of the trip. No one muttered a thing, not even jokingly (probably for fear some weak soul, like myself, would take the bait and bail on the January 2010 Kirkwood adventure).

The view of the village from Red Cliffs on yet another snowshoe hike.

One thing is for certain. While we enjoyed our January 2010 Kirkwood adventure, we're all ready for a vacation. A vacation to unwind from our vacation. A relaxing vacation. Paradise, anyone?