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A Tale of Two Brothers

We had the good fortune to coordinate time with two of our brothers!  First my brother Mike at Roger's Pass.

Mike before we tortured him on the uphill

My brother Mike has been a long time skier.  Ever since he was a little kid, he chased snow.  He skied every chance he got and he is good!  A natural athlete with tremendous grit, Mike can do anything.  This year he decided to give back country skiing a go.  Normally one would progress along a path of trying this out on a small scale - maybe rent gear, maybe make sure you know how everything works, maybe start out on a small hill, and so on. Not Mike.  He agreed to a couple days in Roger's Pass with Greg and I as a "first time out".  One might call us irresponsible for taking him there. Anyone else, we would have said no. But Mike.....we knew he could do it.  And so, one cold February morning, Mike donned the back country ski gear that he rented the day before, and we headed to the mountains of Roger's Pass. Snow was falling and it was a perfect day for finding fresh powder.  We started with a long hike (skin) in and up.  We climbed and climbed and climbed as Mike tried to figure out the "kick turn" (not an easy motion if you've never done it).   He stopped talking early on to save his breath.  He ate when we told him to eat.  He kept himself warm.  And he kept is head down until we reached the top.  At this point, we ripped our skins and it was time to ski.  Mike quickly learned that if you've never skied deep powder, or never skied with a backpack, you will have little skill in getting down the mountain gracefully. After an initial disappointment and a few falls, Mike hunkered down further.  He was not to be denied.  He listened to our instructions, laughed at himself, swore a few times and stayed focused.  After two days of hanging in there and repeat tries - HE GOT IT!  He was blissfully skiing downhill in deep powder with a huge smile on his face.  No one I can think of could have pulled this off.  To watch his success was pretty much the best day of skiing I've ever had. I hope we get to do it again!! Thanks Mike for joining us.  







Then onto Greg's brother Chris at his home turf in Phoenix.  Chris lives in an awesome hot spot.  There are lots of outdoor activities nearby. He lives in a chic city apartment with his partner Rose and a cool dog named Ollie. He is pretty much the funniest person I know (other than Sawyer) and he is a great cook (so is Rose!). We planted ourselves there for several days of riding, hiking, hanging out, eating great food, and playing with Ollie.  I loved the deset scenery and especially the cacti - saguaro, prickly pear, barrel, staghorn and many more.  Thank you again Chris and Rose for a great visit!


 




Thanks for reading and hearing about our family time.  We love seeing everyone along the way and it is so special whenever we spend time with family and friends. It is honestly the best part of our travels.  Enjoy the remaining few weeks of winter weather and see you here again soon.  We are winding down with a few weeks left of life on the road with RED. Much love and hugs!  

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