A great evening above the clouds

Missoula often sits under thick clouds that sit down into our valley this time of the year. That means fog, drizzle, gray. But the top of our local ski mountain is often above these clouds, so you are skiing in the blue sky while looking down at the cloud-enveloped valley. When driving up to the ski area, you emerge out of the fog and see the snow-filled trees against the blue sky. Yesterday was such a day.

It was also the annual party for ski instructors, with us spouces welcome. The last lift of the day held ski-school employees riding up with backpacks of food and good local beer. A BBQ was held in a small A-frame near the top of the mountain, after the lifts had closed. A beautiful view of the surrounding mountains, looking down at the cloud-filled valley below. As the sun set, we stepped into skis and snowboards for the trip back down. It was near dark as we got back to the base. Some had headlamps, others of us felt our way down. Looking out over the views, the sunset, and having the mountain to ourselves was a moment we wanted to last forever. Heading down the windy road back to town, we descended back into the thick fog, the end of a perfect evening. A pint at the local brewery was in order!