It’s that magnificent time of year again. The time when you can shed a few layers of clothing, forget about winter woes, and venture outside without freezing your keester off. Spring how I do love you!

Winter has definitely been retreating the last couple of weeks. I’ve gone running without a jacket, relaxed a little in my sunny backyard, barbecued steaks and corn on the grill, and watched my tulips and daffodils emerge from the ground.

Nothing seems sweeter than glorious spring sunshine after a dismal winter and I am always eager to get my share of those blissful rays. So, in order to get as much heavenly sunlight as possible, Jason and I have beefed up our running schedule and we participated in our first race of the year today, a 5k family Easter run sponsored by Lehi city. I managed to maintain my awesomely mediocre race pace from last year through the winter. It’s good to know that I’ve kept at least some of my muscle mass over the last few months and that I didn’t fall victim to winter flabbery.

But running isn’t the only outdoor activity we have been trying to do more of recently; we haven’t let the lingering snow in the mountains stop us from taking out our bikes. Although it’s too early in the season for traversing our sweet peaks, riding our bikes on the Jordan River Trail has been a refreshing and nearly irresistible pastime for us as of late. Even after running our 5K today and feeling adequately exercised, the temptation of the trail was too overpowering to withstand. All that delicious afternoon sunshine lured us in like a warm and wily tractor beam. So we met up with Jason’s parents, Keith and Sue, for a 15 mile biking excursion. What can I say, I’m a sucker for sunbeams. Besides, there’s always time to be tired later. The divine season must be enjoyed while it lasts because if there is one thing I don’t like about spring it’s its fleetingness. Why doesn’t it stick around just a bit longer? Is that so much to ask? Winter’s chill fades into summer’s singeing heat far too quickly and spring often just seems like a breath between extremes. But I shouldn’t complain, for now I should just soak in all that spring goodness while it lasts. Ahhhh…

The company Jason works for sponsors a ski week every year at Sundance Resort. Thanks to their sponsorship, hitting the slopes is extremely cheap during that week. This year the deal included a super day pass, good for both day and night skiing, and lunch at the resort for only $30. What a bargain! It would normally cost $90 for all of this.

Since Jason and I are always looking for excuses to board, and this price was way too good to pass up, we skipped work on Friday and headed up to Sundance. Jason’s brother Jeremy and our friend Aaron tagged along.

The day was exceptionally sunny and pleasant. Beautiful! A snow storm had hit the night before and left a fresh sprinkling of powder…even better. While the lower regions of the mountain quickly lost their new-snow-feel due to the mighty sun, the upper regions, accessible by the Arrowhead lift, were soft and powdery all day.

The only time the exquisite spring sunshine vanished on this delightful day was when we were literally boarding inside a cloud. Up near the ridge of the mountain a cloud settled in for a bit as it struggled to climb over the saddle making visibility extremely limited and the temperature drop. It was a strange experience…I’ve never roamed around inside a cloud before. But the mist soon sank into a nearby valley and it was clear and spectacular once again.

Although the good deal alone would have been enough to entice us onto the slopes, Jason’s company went beyond just making this activity economically friendly. They rented the rehearsal hall at the resort for employees and their guests to take a break in, eat lunch, warm themselves by a giant fire, play some Wii, or watch a movie. Additionally, they gave free swag to everyone. Sweet!

It was a lovely day and well worth the $30 price. Having our friends with us made it even more awesome. Aaron was, as always, a great help in improving my snowboarding skills. Thanks Aaron for your patience and knowledge! You’re amazing!

Incidentally, there are no restrictions on who can join us for ski week. So friends and family members feel free to take advantage of this discount and keep us company next year.