Oktoberfest in Vail

This weekend was Oktoberfest in Vail Village. I missed out on the one in Lionshead last weekend because of the Buffalo Bicycle Classic in Boulder. Thursday night got pretty cold and there was a pretty steady rain overnight and during the day on Friday. That meant snow on the higher peaks. It usually melts off after a day of relative sun this early in the season, but it stayed cold enough to stick this weekend. This was taken from the highway while driving in to Vail on Friday night.

The band was playing, the brats were cooking, and the beer was flowing as we strolled into the village. The view of the Gore Range was pretty cool from the street the festival was on.

Wolverine boots had a booth where they had a plinko game. Old school "The Price Is Right" style. If you get one disc in each of the 5 slots at the bottom you won a pair of Wolverine shoes or boots. The slots were cleverly labeled B-O-O-T-S. I drunkenly attempted once and missed on my last disc. We went back later with better strategy. I asked two of my friends to help me and release all 5 discs at the same time. All 5 disc scatter across the board as they made their way to the bottom. 'B' gets a disc, then the two 'O's, and 'S.' The fifth disc stalled directly above the 'T.' I go up to give it a tap, as they have been doing for stopped discs, and it slides into 'T.' FREE BOOTS FOR DAN! Therefore it was time to celebrate. Ein bier bitte!

We proceeded to destroy our livers until it was time to go home. Being in no shape to drive and not wanting to pay for a taxi home (usually about $60), Luke and I opted for the bus. A long ride, but only $3 each. By the time the long bus ride stopped for Miller Ranch (our exit) the alcohol had really kicked in and we were out of it. The bus driver stopped, proclaimed that we had reached Miller Ranch (he said this twice, we were asleep the first time), then we stumbled off the bus and walked home... safely.

Saturday was pretty lazy. Luke cooked an awesome breakfast. I laid on the couch. Eventually I felt good enough to go climbing for a bit and had a great day. I completed a route that I have been working on since I moved here.

Back at home I watched some college football before it was time to head to Oktoberfest again. We only had one beer at the festival and then headed to The Tap Room for many libations. Drunken shenanigans ensued. Again too drunk to drive and not wanting to pay for a taxi, Chris and I decided to sleep in the car until he could drive. Now that's dedication! Wake up at 3:30 with a stiff neck/back and make our way home... again, safely.

Sunday was another day of laziness. Chris and I decided to go to Glenwood Springs because that was the closest Wolverine dealer, Corral West, a little western shop. They only had 1 style of Wolverine boots, so I was a little disappointed. However, they did have some rockin' pearl-snap western shirts which I had to buy. I'll have some pics to display my rockin new threads soon. Across the street was a cool hill. I like the contrast of the changing fall colors with the burnt trees from an earlier fire. I guess you can't really see it in this pic.

NFL Football made up the rest of the day. There were some really good games, including the Broncos who got lucky on a few calls and ended up winning.