The other day, I gave you a gentle reminder about purchasing your Colorado Pass. Those of you who listened will be skiing Arapahoe Basin on October 15. The 18 inch base combines man-made snow with a little help from Mother Nature. Apparently, a bit of snow blew in this past weekend. As a result, kiers and boarders can warm up for the season on the intermediate High Noon run and the High Divide Terrain Park.

If you don't have s season pass, opening day adult lift tickets will cost $49. Teens age 15 to 19 get $5 off that price; and kids 6 to 14 pay just $25. Equipment rentals, the tune shop and food will  also be available on opening day.

Meanwhile, according to the Loveland website

"Catwalk, Mambo and Homerun offer nearly 1000 vertical feet with tree-to-tree coverage and an 18 inch base. Consistently cold temperatures over the weekend and early this week allowed our snowmakers to finish up the last little bit we needed to open. Snowmaking will continue as we begin to focus on other areas of the mountain."

Two great mountains and two early season openings. How cool is that?

The other day,I wrote a post about Breckenridge dogs, and mentioned the Breckenridge Dog House. You're probably wondering why the above photo shows a picture of my cat. At 13 years old, Willow wanted nothing more out of life than to sit in our laps and give constant kisses. Perhaps her only other joy was tormenting our greyhound Giselle, or teasing Blackcomb, our other cat.

My husband and I are currently traveling through France and Italy. Giselle is staying at "camp," otherwise known as the Dog House in Breckenridge. Two of the girls from the Dog House have been coming in to look in on the cats.

Today, enroute from Firenze to Roma, Mark's cell phone rang. We were just going into a tunnel, so he could not receive the call. Later, he would listen to a message that would bring bad news. When Nicole from the Dog House came in on Friday, she found that Willow had crossed over the Rainbow Bridge.

Rather than leave Blackcomb by himself, they decided to bring him to the Dog House and put him in the same room with Giselle. Since Giselle had originally found him as an abused kitten in a shopping bag, they are quite close.

  So here we are in this beautiful room in Roma, complete with a private balcony, and all I can do is grieve.  Tomorrow, we will go to the Colosseum, where the stray cats roam. Not sure why, but it seems like the right thing to do. Otherwise, I feel as if my soul, if I ever had one, has been separated from my body.

But for now, a shout out for the Breckenridge Dog House. They truly go the extra mile!

Attention snow sliders! Even though I am currently traveling through France and Italy, I wanted to take time out from my busy vacation to remind you that your days are numbered for purchasing cheap season passes.

Here's the scoop:

All passes must be purchased by Monday, October 13!

Here are the deals:

While you can purchase the Epic Pass online,  all other new passes must be purchased in person at one of the following locations, Friday - Sunday during store hours:

Colorado Ski and Golf: Aurora, Arvada, Littleton and Colorado Springs

Boulder Ski Deals: Boulder

REI: Denver Flagship, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Lakewood and Englewood

Breeze Ski Rentals: Lakewood, Dumont/Downieville

Orchard Town Center: Westminster

The Shops at Northfield Stapleton

Park Meadows Shopping Center:
Dining Hall

FlatIron Crossing Mall: Food Court

SCHOOL OF SHRED
5TH AND 6TH GRADERS ONLY

5th graders get 3 FREE days at each of the following resorts: Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge.

6th graders get 4 days at the same resorts for only $99!

Days are unrestricted - no blackouts.

Students must prove eligibility by showing a 5th or 6th grade report card for Fall 2008.

For complete details, please visit ColoradoPass.com

COLORADO PASS CLUB
PARTY AT INVESCO FIELD
75 lucky Colorado Pass Club members and their guests will be invited to a VIP Season Kickoff Party at Invesco Field, Monday Night, October 20. I'd love to hear that one of my readers won this perk. Go for it!

PLAN B

If the economy has got you down remember that some of the lodging packages at Summit Vacations offer discount lift tickets.

So book your Breckenridge condo and come on out!

In the past few weeks, I've been doing a bit of traveling. Since my husband travels for business, he's accumulated a massive number of frequent flyer miles and hotel points, which, under new regulations, will soon be worth a whole lot less. Fortunately, we've been using them up before they are devalued.

I am in Paris as I write this blog post. I know, it's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it!. Yet of all the places I've visited within the past year, there's one thing I've noticed: Nobody treats their dogs the way people of Summit County treat theirs. It's disturbing, actually. While I think that most stereotypes about Parisians are false, don't even think of petting their dogs.

In contrast, if you need a bit of pet therapy, just take a walk near the Blue River. People in Breckenridge encourage interaction with their dogs. So if you have to leave Fido or Fluffy at home during your Breckenridge vacation, rest assured that you will find plenty of puppy love right here in Breck. And to paraphrase Stephen Stills, if you can't be with the dog you love, love the dog you're with. If you want to travel with your pup but can't find pet friendly lodging, the Dog House on Airport Road is a great place to send your dog to "camp." Then, reward your furry friend by purchasing some treats at the Barkery on Main Street!

Let's face it. Breckenridge is a pretty small town. However, we seem to have duplicates of things that are often considered rare. For example, the historic society owns two Edison phonographs. What's so weird about that? Edison was the competitor of Victor. Victor made the better product, as in Victrola, right? As such, Thomas Edison phonographs are pretty rare. Yet we have two in Breckenridge. Go figure!

By now you're wondering what on earth this has to do with ski boots and Jeff Bergeron. It's simple. Jeff Bergeron aka Captain America is not the same person as Jeff Bergeron of Boot Fixation. The name is uncommon, yet there are two Jeff Bergerons in Summit County.

While both Jeffs have contributed to the dynamic Summit County lifestyle, it's the boot work of Jeff the bootfitter that has changed the skiing style of many of the local skiers. In fact, his work is so popular, that people don't say that they're going to have their boots fitted. They say they're going to Jeff. Boot Fixation is located at 127 South Street, inside Norway Haus.

As if great bootfitting was not enough, Jeff and his wife Jen have written a book entitled Ski Like a Diva. According to their description,
 "Ski Like a Diva is specifically designed to encourage beginner and intermediate women skiers through the challenges skiing presents: fear, weather and self-imposed pressure to name a few"

If you know an aspiring female skier, do her a favor and get her a copy of this book.

Two actors play all of the play's eight characters, racing through a literal quick-change marathon complete with werewolves, vampires and damsels in distress. Combine all that with crazy plot twists (two characters travel from England to Egypt to inspect a mummy), and "The Mystery of Irma Vep" guarantees fun for everyone."

Here's the best part. The show is performed by two of Summit County's most hilarious actors, Skip Miller and Christopher Willard. These guys will have you laughing for hours!

I'll post more events as I hear about them. Stay tuned!

According to their website:

"Young Actors Workshop focuses on the fundamentals of improvisation and acting on the stage. Brush up your acting skills by learning to make creative choices, character building, movement, and tips for auditioning! Filled with improvisational exercises and games, this class promises to be rewarding and fun!"

The cost is $20 per kid. You can't get four hours of babysitting for that price. Space is limited, so register in advance by calling 970-453-0199.