Annual ski group

For years and years, we have been getting a group together for an annual ski trip. Once again, we took advantage of the fact that two families live here in Park City.

We didn't have a day to get everyone in a single picture, so this is as close as it got. From left to right: Tom Schick, Julie Joyce, Anne Schick, John Walker, Sherrie Nickels, Hannah Kahn, Katie Nickels and Mark Nickels. Missing from the picture were Bruce Kahn, Carol Kahn, Hilary Kahn, and me (behind the camera). Missing from the trip were Cam Nickels and Bill Hogan.



Hannah Kahn and Katie Nickels at the top of Bald Mountain at Deer Valley. They started these trips as embryos. Now they are almost driving age.



Julie Joyce, skiing up a storm. Good carving Julie!



John Walker, Mark Nickels and Katie Nickels at the Lady Morgan lift.



Oops. Julie skiing. Tom, not so much. Isn't it nice to know that the camera is there to capture everything?



We aren't all that great at skiing, but we are excellent at eating. Here we are toasting to Cameron Nickels. He didn't come on the trip because he was playing in a regional hockey tournament. The toast came when we learned that they had just won their second game.



One night we went to the Kahn's for a dinner that Hannah had put together. It was spectacular. I didn't photograph anything but the dessert, a poached pear. Thanks Hannah!



Sherrie Smith-Nickels.



Anne Schick helping Julie prep for our Academy Awards party.



I'm helping Tom Schick plot out his ski day. After skiing for nine days in a row, I wasn't going to join him.



Bruce and Hannah Kahn over at Fireside Dining. Bruce had torn his calf muscle skiing a few days before the group came out. He couldn't ski with us, but made the dinner gatherings every night. He was hobbling around better than anyone expected.



Tom Schick, praying to the snow gods. Actually, he was just glancing up at a TV screen.



John Walker, celebrating Fat Tuesday.



Mark Nickels, in disbelief.



Julie seems to share Mark's opinion.



Hilary Kahn was with us, sort of. She joined us for a few dinners but never skied with the group. Then she came down with a really, really nasty case of strep throat that put her in the emergency room. It wouldn't be our annual trip without someone getting some form of plague.



I think we can blame the warm weather and mediocre snow, but there just wasn't that much skiing being done this trip. We managed to catch some movies (Slumdog and The Reader), do some shopping, get some massages, and of course, eat. As the years go by, this seems to be an acceptable outcome.