Mountain valley

The United States has been blanketed this weekend in some of the worst winter weather it has seen for many years.

More than half of the population across 37 states have been affected and almost a million homes are without power. 60cm of snow fell overnight in parts of the north-east. In southern parts of the country warmer weather has brought ice storms and tornadoes.

The only place not affected by weather, and it was a lovely day yesterday, was south-west Florida.

Despite this I packed my winter woolies and headed yesterday to Colorado for a ‘work event’ and despite 15,000 flights being cancelled across the country, I actually made it.

I flew from Sarasota to Atlanta where 80% of flights were cancelled or faced massive delays (photo), and I’d never seen the Atlanta, which is the world’s busiest airport, so quiet.

My flight left a little late after it was de-iced, which took me back to my Chicago days, and off we flew in an almost empty plane.

I reached Vail airport and I was having a pint of Rocky Mountain Hazy IPA at the bar just an hour later.

The downside is that Vail has had a 50-year low snowfall, so winter activities are not the best but this area did get a good dump of snow on Friday. I do love it out here. The mountainside village of Beaver Creek was no. 12 on my 20 Places list.