We'd arranged a ski trip to Utah - instigated by a wistful comment by Chris - for January. Skiing - and eventually snowboarding - we took up when we moved to Virginia, some 20+ years ago. As native flat-landers, it was something we all had to learn. Except for some skiing blips on prairie slopes, I didn't have much myself. Martha courageously faced her fear of heights (a ski-lift!?!) and learned. And over the years, each of the boys learned and loved it. It is, in fact, the only activity that we can all do and enjoy. Some of my fondest memories are racing downhill along with my wife and four sons on a final run after a long and exhilarating day.
Back in 2014, we did a ski trip to Park City with Patrick and Nathan. Chris was originally booked to join us, but he'd just started his job and couldn't afford to take the time off. So when he casually expressed some regrets about missing that trip, I immediately jumped into plotting how we could do it again - with all of us. Because of COVID, we hadn't seen Jamie in over two years and he was trying to make a visit anyway. He was just coming off a horrific episode with the Thai authorities that concluded at the end of the year. So the stars were all aligned……as long as no one got sick, or any flights were COVID-cancelled. There was a lot that could go wrong.
While the trip was an extravagance, the boys are not encumbered by heavy jobs or families. Who knows how long that will continue, or if our health holds up. Eventually, it'll be a lot more difficult if not impossible. So I decided; screw the cost, whatever it might turn out to be. Let's just do it.
I arranged to have Jamie fly from Bangkok, a layover in Tokyo and then to LA. Then catch another flight from LA to Salt Lake City. That arrived a day early, on Sunday afternoon. I'd gotten him a hotel room near the airport to recover from jetlag and get used to the climate. I'd also gotten Nathan a ticket from Nashville to Salt Lake City and had Jamie go meet him on Monday morning at the airport and wait for our flight from Richmond. When we arrived at baggage claim, we had a happy reunion, with Martha especially thrilled.
We booked a SUV "skitaxi" shuttle from the airport to our AirB&B in Park City that we had for four nights. The house was directly across from the PC Mountain Resort parking lot; an incredibly convenient location to the lifts.
After getting settled in the house, the boys and I walked over to the resort and got some seriously overpriced, underwhelming food at a pub. The guys picked up their equipment rentals while I got the lift tickets. After hitting a nearby grocery store for supplies, we were all set to hit the slopes the next morning.
The first day - January 11 - was especially symbolic for Chris. He'd not only inspired the trip, but this was his birthday - 28 years old. Since it had been a number of years for all of us, the first few runs were taken up figuring out the routine, the layout and shaking the rust off our skills. That evening, to celebrate Chris' birthday we walked into downtown Park City (a cold hike) to an Italian restaurant, Buena Vita. The quarters were close and we were anxious about COVID exposure. And again, unbelievably expensive for the food and service.
Jamie had gotten his second COVID shot on Monday and had a reaction that kept him in bed all Wednesday. The other boys took off on their own while Martha and I stuck to some tried and true green slopes. And while I was fixing some problems with my boots, she was systematically trying to improve her technique.
On our final day of skiing I made the boys promise to give me that exhilarating thrill of going downhill together - that I would record. With all of us scattered around the resort, just coordinating the rendezvous timing was a struggle. Ultimately, it went reasonably well. The three youngers then took off and we spent the remainder of the day with Jamie, having lunch at a mountaintop restaurant and trying some route variations.
Our sons are no longer boys and it's rewarding to have time with them as adults. While there's a tendency to revert to earlier roles - both between us and between themselves - we're extremely lucky in how they've matured and how our bonds have strengthened over the years.
On Friday we packed up and headed back. We flew out with Chris and Patrick, while Jamie got a separate flight to Richmond. Nathan had a much later flight to Nashville. Jamie stayed with us for a few days and then left for Portland, LA and then back to Thailand.
The whole extravaganza came and went in the blink of an eye, and we spent a gob of money. So I had to wonder if it was really worth it. But it seemed to strengthen the existing bonds of our sons to us and with each other. Over time, I'm sure, it will become a milestone in family lore. The money comes and goes, and we'll eventually be too old or gone. So this was a gift that will stand the test of time and I'm glad to have made it happen.
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