C&C on the Move

This past weekend we traveled to McCall, Idaho to participate in the two day Northwest Passage Ski Mountaineering Race. Friday's race consisted of a 1600ft vertical race and Saturday a traditional ski mountaineering race with 5500 ft of vertical. 

The weather was so brutally cold that I didn't get any photos from the mountain. Here's a shot from the lodge. I ended up purchasing this Mammut skirt Friday prior to the race just to keep my tush and legs warm over my race suit....it was THAT cold. 

Here are a few shots from Friday's vertical race. I'm at the base of the climb to the far left. It wasn't a stellar performance, but given my lack of training, I was just happy that I didn't finish last. 

 This look is called "cold, tired and I live at sea level".

Saturday morning the temperatures were reading as low as -27 on our car, and at the start the temp was still ten to twenty degrees below zero. My younger self would have joined my amazing and slightly crazy husband....

photo courtesy of Eric Hoff

But my older, wiser self decided to stay in the warmth of my cozy bed at the Shore Lodge. Let's talk about the Shore Lodge. I had not stayed in this hotel in well over a decade, and only in the summer, so I didn't have any expectations going into it. 

The Lodge sits right on Payette Lake with spectacular views. Here are a few photos I took. 

And some from the hotel's Facebook page. The lodge in winter...

And in summer.

The cozy fireplace in the lobby.

And one of the rooms. Did I mention how cozy the beds were? I'm very particular about bed linens, pillows and mattresses, and these did not disappoint!

From the moment we arrived we were treated with only the highest level of service and hospitality. At the check-in desk they had a tray with a caprese bruschetta (which the second night was a pastry puff filled with a tasty fruit compote). Each night at turn-down we found a freshly baked treat next to the bed (oatmeal raisin cookie and rice crispy treat). Our dog was welcomed to the hotel with a food and water bowl and dog biscuits. And every....yes EVERY member of the hotel staff that we encountered was friendly and helpful. I would easily equate the level of service to that of the Ritz Carlton.

Friday before our race the Mini and I decided to check out the heated outdoor pool.

We had a great time swimming despite the crazy cold temperatures.

At the end of our very short stay (2 nights), the Mini said "I really like this resort. Can we come back here again?" Of course my heart will always be in my hometown of Sun Valley, but McCall and the Shore Lodge has made an imprint that will have us coming back for more. I didn't even have a chance to visit their incredible The Cove spa, so a return trip is definitely in order. 

As far as restaurants....we went to the Fogglifter Cafe three times in two days. It reminded me a lot of Java (in Ketchum) with great coffee, baked goods, breakfast and lunch food. We also had dinner at the Salmon River Brewery. I had a delicious steak salad, and they had a great selection of beers. Stacey Cakes came highly recommended, but we didn't have a chance to get there. I guess we have something to look forward to for our next trip. 

So if you find yourself looking for a fantastic winter or summer getaway, I highly recommend the Shore Lodge. 

Currently Coveting

Day 4 of Currently Coveting, and despite the fact that it's nearly summer I can't help but lust have this gorgeous Vince sweater coat. It's the perfect mix of black and navy.

Vince Leather-trimmed metallic wool cardigan $272.25 (on sale)

Is it Winter Yet?

I've got a thing for long vests. I LIVED in my two from Zara last winter (see here). And when I saw this Waistcoat with Furry Collar, I knew it was a necessary addition into the winter rotation.

Here are a few other similar options if this style isn't 100% up your alley. 

Handmade Waist Coat

Trouve Mix Texture Long Vest

Nic & Zoe Plush Jacquard Long Vest

Thakoon for DesigNation Sloane Square Look

Baby it's Cold Outsid

It certainly hasn't felt like fall (or winter) here in Portland the past few weeks. Until these last few days, we had been having an Indian Summer with temperatures in the low 80s, so cold weather has been far from my mind..

The other day a friend posted a photo of herself in this amazing, printed "sleeping bag" like coat.
Given that I am ALWAYS cold, I had to know what it was and where she got it.

Say hello to the Poler Napsack. Katie actually posted on this product two years ago (here).

"The Napsack has zippers at the shoulders, so you can stick your arms out, and a cinch at the bottom so that you can open it up and stick your legs out. Hike it up to your waist, cinch it, and wear it like a puffy coat around the campfire, and then crawl right back into your tent without ever having to leave the warmth of your bag.

Perfect for summer trips, couch surfing, music festivals, jumping into after snowboarding, surfing or any other activity that brings your core temperature down. Its not too hot for inside and is awesome for wearing around the house in the winter.

The chest pocket fits a phone and has a pass through hole for your headphones to run internally, and it has pockets like a puffy jacket."

My friend ordered a small size and uses it just for wear, not for sleeping, so it comes slightly below her knees. I love the print, and I think I need one of these. It would be the perfect thing to keep me warm during the winter months. Because I am ALWAYS cold, and we live in a 1953 house and my husband likes to keep the heat much lower than I do. 

He says it's a "Snuggie" and that its ridiculous. Yes, so it's basically a Snuggie, but it's way cuter, and I totally want one.

C&C on the Move

This past weekend my +1 and I left the Mini Fashionista at home and headed to Colorado. Our agenda: 1) Client meetings (for my +1), 2) Visit with college friends (for me) and 3) The Snow Mountain Stampede XC ski race. 

We spent Thursday night and Friday morning in Denver, and then headed into the mountains to stay just outside of Winter Park at Devil's Thumb Ranch. Two years ago we had lunch at the ranch after my husband competed in the Snow Mountain Stampede. After that short visit, we knew that we had to come back and stay for more than a few hours. It is a winter paradise.  

The main lodge was modeled after Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood with a hexaganol center room. The grounds of the property are breathtaking. There isn't a bad view to be found. The accomodations include lodge rooms and cabins. 

Fortunately for us, all the lodge rooms were booked, so we were "forced" to stay in the newly built High Lonesome Lodge in one of the 1000 sqft guest suites. It was pretty fantastic! 

On Saturday we competed in the Snow Mountain Stampede. The race conditions were not ideal, with snow and wind gusts over 25 mph. While my +1 raced 42K, I decided that I would stick to the 21K race. Going to an altitude of nearly 9,000 feet from sea level is not an easy physiological feat (It takes 1-2 weeks for your body to acclimate), so I decided to play it safe.

Well, it paid off! I ended up placing 2nd overall and 1st in my age category.

Then it was back to the ranch for some R&R. We spent the remainder of our visit, Saturday, Sunday and Monday relaxing, skiing, eating and savoring some adult alone time. I even got to enjoy an 80 minute massage at their spa. HEAVENLY! 

It was hard to do too much sitting around because the trails at Devil's Thumb are so spectacular. 

We did manage to balance our outdoor activites with some indoor activites: reading, checkers and the aforementioned eating and drinking. The Lodge has two restaurants and a coffee shop all with great menus. We did not go hungry! 

Not only is Devil's Thumb Ranch a great place for some adult R&R, but it's also extremely family friendly.  With a pool, theater room, ice rink, sleigh rides and countless other activities (any interest in laser biathalon?), the Ranch offers something for everyone. I have no doubt that we will be back here again very, very soon. 

After weekends like this I feel so fortunate. I feel lucky to have in-laws to watch the Mini Fashionista. I feel lucky to have the means to travel and exerpience such incredible places, and most of all I feel lucky to have an incredible +1 to do it with. Life is good. 

Austria, I miss you Already

Our European adventure began at the Munich airport where we picked up our Mercedes Vito Van. We could have carried an entire ski team we had so much room! 

Our first stop on our two week long adventure was Ramsau, Austria to visit our friends and to do some XC skiing before heading to Italy. Ramsau is about one hour from Salzburg and is a winter paradise. This was my 5th trip to Austria, 3rd in the winter. Katie and I had Austrian au pairs growing up, three of which came from this area. Two of them still live there, and they are like family, so we take any chance we can get to visit them. 

Our accommodations, Alpin Apartments - Reinhard Tritscher is a Pension owned/run by the family of one of our former au pairs. She lives right next door, so we got to spend lots of time together. 

This is the view from our apartment. Could it be any more beautiful? 

A photo from one of my many XC skis around Ramsau. 

The tallest mountain in the region, Dachstein. Katie and I hiked to the top in the summer several years ago. It is incredible all seasons! 

I enjoyed skiing and spending time with my friend Gudrun and her family. 

The Mini Fashionista enjoyed sledding and all the winter activities with her new friends Annika and Yannik.

One afternoon we ventured to the opposite side of the valley to visit our other au pair Birgit on her farm. She made us delicious cakes and coffee.

The Mini loved meeting Birgit's horses.

Don't worry, she told the sheep her vest is faux shearling. They felt better.

This is one of my favorite photos from the trip...two of my Austrian au pairs, Gudrun and Birgit, and Gudrun's son Yannik.

And here is our final photo. We are all wearing our new hats made by Gudrun's mother-in-law Helmar. 

It was really, really hard for me to leave Gudrun and her family, so after a tearful goodbye we packed up and headed out in the Vito. Next stop, Italy!

Fjallra-what?

I love photos (you can follow C & C on instagram if you want to see just how much). They tell stories that words just can't. And I love keeping up with my friends through their images. It's almost like being there.

Earlier this year one of my fellow Idahoans sent me a picture of her and her +1 out in the elements wearing this in black. Cute, right (you know I love a good cape).

So of course I immediately wrote back to ask who it was by. Knowing that I didn't want to forget to check it out online, I took a photo of the text. Good thing, because who's going to remember how to spell or pronounce Fjallraven anyway? 

Fjallraven, which means arctic fox in Swedish, started 50 years ago in Sweden making backpacks. Now they offer a range of items for men and women to brave the great outdoors. Here are a few other things that caught my eye. 

Nordic Heater

Vintage 20 L

Knaster Sweater

Pak Down Vest