Possible Colorado Road Trip

 I'm 50/50 on this one.  Maybe leaning slightly in favor of doing it.  If I am to go, it will be just before President's Day weekend.  This would be my fifth visit to Colorado but my first winter trip.  The scenery will be AMAZING!  The previous four visits were in the summer or early fall, so the snow was either gone or only at the highest elevations.  Despite the mile high altitude, I did surprisingly well at the Denver half marathon with a sub 1:40 finish.  That was in late September. 

Cons:

The biggest negative is the cost.  It will be an expensive trip with the last minute flight.  Hotels in Breckenridge are outrageous as well and the lift tickets are not cheap either.  I kinda have to wait and see because there is a risk of a major winter storm and I REALLY don't want to be caught in that mess.  As of now, nothing major is on the horizon but there are a couple of days with 1-3 inches of snow in the forecast.  Will I have enough energy for skiing?  I think so.  Within 10 days, the adrenal spike should go down or at least be more manageable.  Wait until March or even early April?  Prices will be a little lower but the weather is just as iffy.  Although the average temps are higher, the snowfall in Breckenridge is about the same in April as it is in January.  Denver actually receives its most snow in the month of March. 

Plan:

Day 1- Direct flight from Birmingham to Denver.  That's good.  No chance of a missed connection.  I'll probably get in before lunchtime.  From there, I will rent a car ($$$$) and drive just over 2 hours west to Breckenridge.  It's all interstate so barring any weather issues, it should be easy not to mention BEAUTIFUL!  Figure, it will be mid-afternoon by the time I get there.  I'll just chill in town and go out for a drink in the evening.  

Day 2- Skiing in Breckenridge.  This will be my second time skiing in the West.  The first didn't go so well in Big Bear, California.  I wiped out on my first run and was extra cautious after that.  My knee was a little sore but it didn't affect the rest of the trip.  Everyone agreed with me that the slope was much too steep to be classified as Beginner.  Good news is that Breckenridge is Beginner friendly.  I'll start off with the easy stuff but should be bold enough to try a couple Intermediate slopes in the afternoon.  Word on the street is that an Intermediate slope here is about the same difficulty as North Carolina but the runs will be a LOT longer.  YOLO!  After the ski session, I will drive maybe 30 miles south to the nearest town to save money on lodging.    

Day 3- I'll have a 2 hour or so drive to Great Sand Dunes NP.  Pictures look great with the tall sand dunes with snow capped peaks in the background.  I might even be able to take a few sled rides down to dunes.  From there, I'll drive to Pueblo for the night.

Day 4- Quick and easy drive to Colorado Springs.  I definitely want to see Garden of the Gods again but I will probably pass on Pikes Peak.  Too damn cold.  I would have to take the tram up to the top.  No way I'm driving that road in the winter.  It will probably be closed anyway.  I'll be back in Denver for the night.  I've already been to a Rockies game but a tour of the football stadium could be cool.  Not sure if I will have time.

Day 5- Flight back.  Direct.     

UPDATE:

It's a GO!  I may skimp a bit at Great Sand Dunes.  Supposedly, you can spend days there hiking but it will be awfully cold for that.  If I do leave there early, I may have time for both Garden of the Gods and Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs.  I'll have a good amount of time in Denver as well because the flight home doesn't leave until 5:50.  Weather looks good too.  Temps in the 30s at higher elevations and around 45 in Denver.  That's not so bad as long as it's sunny with light winds.