The Plan
There isn’t much to add to the trip at this point, so all we have left to do is pack up the house and head home. This is all we plan. Pack, clean house, return car, fly to Chicago, change planes, fly to Newark, get car, go home.
We have a 12:56 flight which means we have some time to take it easy to start the day. The boys sleep in a bit and D makes French toast. Or is is French Toast? We also clean up the house before we leave.
Flight 1
The first flight, basically the second leg of the trip if you count the airport run as #1, was slightly delayed due to the maintenance crew taking apart the engine and making sure it worked right – my analysis. Apparently it passed because after a 10 minute wait, we boarded the plane.
But the wind was forever in our favor and we made up much time and landed at ORD on time.
Layover
We pulled up to the gate at 5:04, and the next flight boarded at 5:17, or at least started to. We got to the gate around 5:14 or something. Plenty of time. Oodles of time. ORD was incredibly crowded.
We all used the bathroom them got in line, for what was more or less my shortest layover ever.
Flight 2
Flight 2 also benefits from the wind and it takes us 1:30 to get home. It would have been faster had we not done circles around EWR.
I get the car at the off-site lot, then pick up the crew and all the luggage.
Home
An easy 30 minute drive with a stop for milk, and we are home. Then we all gorge on egg sandwiches & cereal.
Summary
It was a really amazing week out in Utah. It’s obviously a shame that the person Utah was hurt and couldn’t ski, but it is what it is. I am sure he had a decent time. He likes people.
In all, we skied 6 days in 5 destinations with 8 different people (not including myself). I did 191 miles over 23 hours of time moving. In total, there was just over 99k feet of vertical elevation.
The Ikon renewal email will come in a month or so and I am sure we will discuss a 2024 trip and plans at that point. We have lightly talked Colorado, Utah, as well as Alberta as options.
I don’t know that the trip could have gone any better, top to bottom. We had a great set of days, lots of snow, with good friends.
And with that, we end the start of the 2023 year of living.
Traveling Normandy 