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For the past two weeks, the 2015 Alpine World Ski Championships have been held here in our valley at Vail and Beaver Creek Resorts.  Everyone seems to be pretty excited and there's a real athletic and sporty and patriotic vibe grooving in town lately.  Parking lots and buses have been jam-packed heading up to the finish stadium.  Free concerts and awards ceremonies happen every night in Avon and Vail.  The daily paper is chock full of event coverage and photos and stories about the athletes and fans.  Cal and I even saw the Italian ski team roaming the aisles of Wal-Mart one morning.  It's been fun to say the least.

Due to Cal's nap schedule, we weren't able to swing getting up to the Red Tail stadium last week.  We did get out among the crowds in Beaver Creek Village, though.  Callie walked all over the village in those walkin' boots, and she thought the bus ride and free BC chocolate chip cookies were a fantastic way to spend a Saturday.  Bonus points for finding a park to play on, too!

Today we debated about whether or not we dared to brave the crowds again to attempt to actually see a race.  It's the women's slalom today, and that was bound to mean big, big crowds cheering on our hometown local and Sochi Olympic Gold Medalist Mikaela Shiffrin.  We thought about heading to Vail to catch the men's slalom qualifying runs, but we didn't know if Vail would be just as crazy since likely all the skiers would be heading there to avoid long bus lines in BC.  After seeing the start list for the first women's slalom run had Mikaela as the 2nd to go, we opted for seeing her and we made a plan:  We'd leave home early - as soon as we were up and done with breakfast and dressed, hopefully around 8:00.  We'd park somewhere in Avon, catch the bus to the village and then hike up the 2015 Trail to the stands.  We figured it would be packed, so we planned to just hike up the side of the course where they send overflow folks and stake out a spot by the fence.  We'd stay for a handful of racers, which included all the best, and then we'd head back down on an empty shuttle to the village, swap buses there to take us back to our car, and then head home.  All before lunch and nap(s) at noon.  That was the plan.

Amazingly our plan went off without a hitch!  I was so happy with how smoothly everything went!  We pulled out of our garage at 8:11 am and by the time we got to Avon both of the main BC lots were full so we went straight to the rodeo lot behind the grocery store.  The bus was full going up, but we got seats, and Cal was loving it.  The hike up was a good little workout - about a mile and a half up the side of a ski run.   We watched as race shuttles packed to the gills passed by us and were glad to be moving at our own pace in the fresh air.  We made it to the base of the stadium at 9:30 and worked our way up to the side of the course.  It was steep and slick there, but we made some little steps in the ice to give us a more solid foothold with the help of a nearby lady's cowbell.  It was a fun perspective to see the full stands (they were gigantic!) and so many people all around.  And we were so close to the course - the racers just flew by right next to us!  We stayed for just a few runs (including Mikaela, who rocked it, finishing the first run in first place with a 0.40 second cushion over the next racer) and then worked our way further up the hill, trying to get a better view/foothold.  So many people and such loud speakers prompted us to just head back down the giant ice/snow steps that had been carved into the mountain (so helpful!).  Soon we were back down to the bus, which was waiting empty for us, and a few minutes later we were back to the village.  We were greeted by a man playing songs on an alpenhorn - that was pretty impressive! - as we exited that bus to get on the one headed for the parking lots.  Back to our car and home again by 11:30 - in time for lunch!  Total success and such a fun time!  (I have to admit, I was wiped out, so I was glad to have Cal's naptime as an excuse to leave the excitement early.)

One of the first things we saw upon nearing the stadium was this
giant media area - a temporary three story building surrounded by
giant trailers, a big black generator, a satellite dish and miles of
miles of wire and cables (underneath all that plywood).  Pretty
impressive!

There it is!  Red Tail Stadium - waaaay bigger than the usual
stands they have assembled for the Birds of Prey races each Dec.

So big I couldn't fit it in one photo - so you get two.

Our finish line view from the sidelines.

Cal was mostly happy to be there - but I think
she was getting bored waiting.  She did entertain
herself for a few minutes with crushed Valentine's
Day cookies I carried in my bag whilst scooting
down the snow on her bum.  (Luckily Gregg's legs
were there to stop her from sliding all the way down
the hill!)

Family pic.  (We had to pull out the bink - a rare
occurrence these days - to satisfy some crabbiness.)

Looking up the hill at the course.

Weird little alien girl.

One of the forerunners checking out the course.

Quite the view from a little higher up the hill.

Sitting on a snow block.

On the bus back home.  She would not look at me for a pic.

Selfie time with Dad.