After the serious snowfall the Colorado Rockies has experienced this winter, a couple of the ski resorts decided to extend their seasons past the usual April 1 - April 15 closing dates. Oddly, snowfall amount has very little to do with closing dates these days. It's all about bookings and advanced sales and centered on when those out-of-towners stop coming in. With the variability in snowfall, the high dollar out-of-towners usually don't book too much past Easter weekend or early April.

Anyway, a couple of resorts decided to re-open for a couple of late spring weekends. Wolf Creek, Crested Butte and Aspen Highlands. Essentially they open for the local crowd, which is a very nice gesture. Also, they drop the price of lift tickets substantially, also a nice gesture. We heard that they were going to be offering $12 lift tickets to anyone that has a season pass to any ski resort. Larry (Strazz) and I asked around but no one else seemed to want to go. We didn't let that stop us and wow, I'm glad we went. Given the fact it was late April, conditions were amazing.

The skiing commonly known as "Aspen" is composed of four different mountains. Aspen-Snowmass is a totally separate mountain located north of Aspen about 10 miles. Aspen-Buttermilk and Aspen-Highlands are two smaller mountains located close to each other. I believe it is possible to ski between the two but I could be wrong. Buttermilk is where they have the Winter X-Games. Aspen-Ajax is the mountain that is actually situated right above the town of Aspen. Aspen-Highlands is the area that was open for an extended season. They reported a 90"-130" base for the day we were there. Incredible for pertinear (antiquated contraction of pretty-near) May. More incredibly, it was true. We didn't see a rock or dirt or stumps or anything poking thru the entire day.

Being on the mountain with Strazz is always fun. The dude can ski. He's originally from Illinois but has been out in Colorado since 1995'ish. Highlands has some great terrain. Steep and bumped out. Conditions were a little springy, which means that it takes a little while in the morning for the snow to soften up but amazingly it never got slushy, not even at the bottom. One other thing I was blown away by was the level of skiing I saw that day. It was obvious it was nearly all locals. Everybody could ski.

The trip with Strazz down to Aspen was great and totally worth it. Turns out we didn't even have to pay for lift tickets because 2 different people gave us comp tickets as it was the last day of the season. We stopped in Glenwood Springs on the way back, which is a great little place in its own right. On the way back we put in a little Mitch Hedberg and we were home in no time.

Good call on making the trip to Highlands Strazz!!!

Since I know that you are all dying to know, here is how the broomball team fared this week. We went 1-1, with the loss coming in an overtime shootout. Game 1, the eventual loss, was a well played game as we managed to score three goals, including one by me off a beautiful pass by Larry. Unfortunately, they also managed to score three goals which sent the game into a 3 on 3 most goals wins overtime. Neither team scored. It went to a shootout and they got the best of us. It was a really fun game. Our passing is getting better and better each game. It was a loss but it was a hard fought loss.

On Wednesday night, we played our second game of the week. We started off the game by scoring less than 15 seconds into the game. It seemed like we dominated the ball and had many, many shots on goal but nothing would go in after that. Their goalie was playing in a somewhat unorthodox way as he stayed on his knees the entire game and essentially blocked the bottom half of the goal. This forced us to try to loft the ball into a corner but we couldn't buy a goal. Eventually, the other team, Lodging, tied the game up at 1 with a nasty blast from the left side. I'd swear guy was nearly behind the goal when he shot but it went in. So, the score was tied at 1 with about 5 minutes left. Then we finally scored again with about 3 minutes left. The goal was a product of great passing. We managed to kill the clock and escape with the victory in a game that I feel we dominated but the score certainly does not show it.

That was the end of the regular season and we finished at 2-2. Or possibly 3-2 if you count our forfeit win. At any rate, I think the 2-2 will get us into the playoffs. Boy, that would be fun, especially since I can see definite improvement in our team.

Stay tuned for Playoff Action...at least I hope so.

Image courtesy of Broomball.com

So Kyle calls me about 1pm and says "Can you play broomball tonight?" An unscheduled game. We had just played on Mon. night and now they wanted to know if we could play on Tues. night. Of course I can play broomball. There's always time for broomball!!

Broomball is a massively fun game played on a hockey-sized ice rink. Essentially it is hockey but without the skates. Players run around in regular shoes with plastic boat oar shaped paddles chasing after a small rubber ball (about the size of a little kids soccer ball). The intent is to score goals, into hockey nets. It is a crazy fun game, especially since we are now using a little soccer ball instead of a rubber ball. The soccer ball really can scream.

Keystone Transportation has a team this season and that's the team I'm playing on. The season consists of about 5-6 games and then a playoff. We are about half way through the season. The last game was particularly intense and fun, especially since the good guys ended up with the W. A quick rundown...

We play (2) 20 minute halves and trust me, if you're not tired after that, you're obviously not playing hard enough.

Transportation vs. Accounting*(see below for more info on our opponent)
1st half action...

12' - John Liske (Good guy) scores on a 1 on 1 breakaway. The response of the opposing goalie (to his teammates) "Get with the F'in program!"
8' - Larry Strazz (Transp.) plays no role as one opposing player undercuts his own teammate. Nevertheless, Larry takes retaliatory hard elbow to the back. Tempers flare.
6' - Jason Connolly (Transportation) undercuts opposing player. 2 minute penalty. (Penalty successfully killed)

Halftime score: Transportation 1, Accounting 0

2nd half action...

18' - Accounting scores a contested goal. A rocket shot right past my leg.
12' - Accounting scores again. Not good, the game is slipping away.
10' - Larry Strazz scores on a dart from 12' on the right side. Excellent teamwork.

End of game: Tied at 2.

We go to Ooooovertime. Overtime is 5 minutes of 3 on 3, no goalie. Most goals wins.
3' - Jason Connolly scores!!
Keystone Transportation frantically holds off the Accountants for the remaining 3 minutes!! Good guys win!!!

A very exciting win from an intense game. It's only broomball but it is SO much fun.
Solid contributions across the board from...Misty, Vinisha, Ruth, Ben, Me and Kyle was excellent in the goal!!

*Our opponent was accounting, more specifically auditing. Of course it was accounting. It seems as if we always play accounting. Here's a typical exchange...
Me: Where do you guys work?
Opposing player: We work in accounting, auditing.
Me: I thought we played auditing last week.
Opposing player: Oh, you probably played our external auditing team. We're internal audit.
OR
Me: I thought we played Accounting accounts receivable last week.
Random opposer: Oh, you probably played accounts payable last week. We're accounts receivable.

You'd think a resort the size of Keystone would have teams from all over (Restaurants, Lodging, Ski School, Lift Maintenance, etc.) But oh know, they're all freakin' accountants. Except us. We are Transportation, Keystone Transportation.