A year in review...aka The Lost Christmas Letter
Well...let's see...2019 began in Eden. Powder Mountain was the last of 4 ski resorts we hit on our Christmas - New Years sojourn...the others being Park City/Canyons, Snowbird, and Snow Basin. Per usual, we had a good time, especially at PowMow with our Indiana friends Kyle and Colorado and Beth...and a bottomless snowpack.
The next weeks saw one of the better snowmobile seasons in recent memory...and the first time Michelle ever really wrecked me. Thankfully, Gorilla tape was the only necessary repair required.
More winter fun included go-carting with Nick and Meg, and getting a ride in the Presque Isle Sno-Bunnies groomer.
The polar vortex hit hard, but only one of us suffered through...as I was "stranded" in California mountain biking for 8 days. It was hard. Very hard.
SPRANG BRAKE found us in Arizona...with hiking taking place in Phoenix, followed by hiking AND biking with Beth in lovely Sedona. It was so nice to have warm and dry after months of cold and wet. We walked the White Line and went to a Buddhist meditation thing. We found zero vortices.
We bought another boat. It was supposed to be a snowmobile, but ended up being another boat.
Memorial Day was a confused mess of options until we happened upon a wonderful combination of boating and mountain biking at Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. Little 27 Donzi was perfect...even though she was only running on 7 cylinders. Oops. Mtb was perfect Michelle-level riding...and I had fun too. There are bars with fruity drinks and a nice party cove...plus two huge lakes. We liked it so much, we went again for Labor Day.
Then...it was the BIG TRIP. Hawaii. Kaua'i was incredible. We had a condo on the beach with pigeons. The hiking was awesome...the trail names had a lot of vowels. The Napali Coast was amongst the most amazing things we've seen...and we saw it by land, sea and air. 7 days of beauty, gorgeous hikes and beaches. Oahu was family time. Honolulu was decidedly NOT pretty. Tourists doing tourist things...we are not. Climbed Diamond Head, went surfing, beach yoga, Pearl Harbor, Uncle Cliff and SPAM. Day trip to Maui. Private waterfalls are the best waterfalls....would do again.
Lake of the Ozarks for 4th of July. More work than fun...might be could be last time we make that drive? Still squeaked out a good time with good people.
Michelle has chick adventure #2...with heavier emphasis on the "chick." Montana. Glacier National Park. Hiking with Terry and Lindsey, then meeting Colorado and Amy for 3 days of flannel fun at mountain bike retreat. Mike goes to WI and wins a 6 hour mountain bike race in a downpour.
We do Chicago Scene Boat Party, go wakeboarding/wakesurfing/jet skiing on Lake Geneva. Sommer summer fun.
Mike decides to do something stupid and enters a 3 day stage race in Canada. Matt does a dumber thing and agrees to accompany him. Its way, way harder than predicted, but check another off the list.
We grab the last vestiges of summer with a Tuesday night boat ride downtown. The next day it is fall.
Bike things in fall...Wine Ride #2 in SW MI....good fun with great people. TRIBE. Brown County Big Woods Epic...more of the same. Untrained Michelle knocks out 40+ miles on a cold but beautiful fall day. Mike is super happy. Cemetary 6Pack. Many good friends and good times.
Fall seemed boring and long, but we managed to have a fun downtown weekend with Open House Chicago, headed to Terre Haute, IN to watch NCAA CC Nationals, and went to two Bear games...one at home...and one bucket list at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The frost froze on my pocket beers.
Winter came in October and left in December. We rode our bikes in shorts on Christmas Day.
Now you know what happened...and now you'll remember.
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