A Winter Park Tradition

For the last few years, on the weekend after Thanksgiving, we have gone to the mountains above Winter Park to cut a fresh tree with our friends The Bayons.  It's become one our family's favorite things about the start of the Christmas season!  

We watched the temperature drop steadily and the snow levels rise as we headed up over Berthoud Pass and down into Winter Park.  It was a beautiful bluebird day!  We met up with our friends at the town Chamber of Commerce to get our tree passes, and drove on up to Crooked Creek.  The dogs knew exactly what was going on and they were oh-so excited!  They both jumped out of the car and proceeded to do "crazy dog" loops in the snow when we arrived.  Dogs out, kids out, sleds ready - off we go!

It was a nice trail back into the trees.  At a point that looked promising all the big boys headed off into the forest to hunt for the perfect tree.  Moms and Gabe stayed back with Nikita and sleds on the main trail.  It didn't take too long for the guys to come filing back out with trees in hand!

Now the fun part:  to sled back down the hill we hiked up!  After reaching the cars again the dads took to the task of roping the trees onto the roof racks.  Chris and I handed out cups of hot cocoa to the boys, and chatted with some other tree hunters near by who's kids and dogs were playing as well.  It was a lovely little tailgate party at what seemed like the top of the world!

We stopped in town on the way home for lunch and to take our annual family pictures.  At home we let the tree thaw a bit, and the boys put lights, ornaments and candy canes on that evening.  It was a sweet end to a wonderful day, and a marvelous way to start the holiday season.