Snowboarding... in Spring???

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I finally get to check out of the dodgy hostel and am picked up by Austen to go snowboarding. We meet at Jess and Austen's place, which is a really really really nice apartment, and I suit up with some thermal gear Jess has lent me. We are heading to Arapahoe Basin, a place which both of them frequent, along with Dan, Mel and Scott. The drive there is pleasant with some great scenery. It takes a little over an hour to get there but some of the views of the mountains are spectacular. The mountains are snowcapped and in some areas the road has been snowploughed, leaving a ridge of packed snow. The mountains are also covered with pine trees which are densely packed together. This was very different from the mountains I usually see, of red rocks and sparse shrubs.

The walk from the car park to the ski fields is some-what treacherous as my Converse sneakers slip and slide on the snow. We all suit up and head out. The air is thinner in the mountains and I only realise this when I walk up a small hill for my first try at snowboarding. It was only a small incline and we only walked less than 100m but upon reaching the top I was panting and needing a rest. Dan shows me how to clip on my board and gives me a quick tutorial on what to do before heading off to the slopes. Apparently, I am a natural as I only fall over a few times, but perhaps I was a little cautious so as not to injure myself. Once I get the hang of it we head in to have lunch.

Again I purchase the usual hamburger and fries which are sold everywhere in the States. Whilst waiting, I stare off into the distance... well into what I later found out was an empty pretzel stand. A cute guy behind the counter by the name of Fraser calls out to me telling me that pretzels are on the way. We have a quick conversation before my meal is ready. Fraser tells me to come back to buy a pretzel from him later. Too bad he closed up shop by the time I was finished snowboarding.

After lunch and a beer (I may even be so bold as to say people from Colorado drink as much beer as we do, or even more!) I feel a little more adventurous, also because Jess had decided to also try snowboarding. So we brave the small ski lift but the first dismount was and EPIC FAIL as both our boards got tangled as we tried to get off and we ended up in a heap at the top. I try to go down fast but keep falling over as I tried to slow down and eventually this leads to the stiffest neck for the next couple of days along with a cold.

We head back to Denver after a long day of skiing/boarding I farewell the holiday mode and say hello to work as this was then the start of the American Thoracic Society Conference. The next few days were some what boring as sessions were either so specific that most of it went over my head, or not related to what I studied. Some sessions however, were quite interesting, particularly those regarding basic immunology. Nevertheless, it was a good experience as it was the first time attending such a large conference of over 20,000 attendees. I also found it quite interesting talking to people who have been in research for so long. It was also nice to have received so many congrats from people in the poster discussion session which I presented in, since not many undergraduates are selected to present in those sessions. The rest of my time in Denver was spent hopping between ATS and seeing some sights in Denver. These included: walking around outside the US Mint, Denver Art Gallery, Town Hall, Lacrimer Sq and 16th St Mall for some serious make up shopping. All their lines are 1/3 of the price in Australia!!! And, they even have discontinued colours!!! Also, the Tattered Cover bookstore had a great range of books at decent prices. The final night in Denver ended with dinner at the famous Hard Rock Cafe. I was a little disappointed with myself as I couldn't finish my pulled port sandwich and fries.

As a side note, it is damn difficult to find fresh produce in downtown LA and Denver and New Orleans!!! But I did try Burger King and it was meh, as was a burrito at Taco Bell.

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