She shared a terrific bond with kids, and they responded to her "friendly" teaching methods. She chose to become a friend to the students, to treat them like the young adults that they were slowly becoming. The kids enjoyed the responsibility and the prestige of being "a young adult," and everyone looked forward to Kristen's class. When she read about a discounted Colorado ski package for students, she jumped on the idea of sharing her love for skiing with the students.

It was set-up for their spring break vacation in March, and the trip was scheduled for a 10-day stay at a well-known Colorado resort. The resort afforded great accommodations for the students, as well as a wide range of ski terrain to challenge every skier. She was brimming with energy as the plane touched down in Denver.

There were 15 students, along with two teachers serving as additional chaperones. Arriving at the resort, the kids were all surprised to find gigantic rooms and all the great amenities that came with the resort. They had arrived late in the afternoon and once everyone was settled in their room they all met for a brief orientation in the lobby. Kristen had arranged with the resort to schedule a list of activities for the students, including lessons for the less experienced skiers.

There was a group of 4 students, 3 boys and 1 girl, who were all advanced skiers. Kris had spoken with them before the trip to see if they would be interested in skiing the peaks with her, and she outfitted them with the avalanche "peeps." The "peeps" is a transmitter that would emit a radio "beep" from the unit that you would wear on your body with a chest harness. Everyone leaves it set to "transmit" while they are skiing, and if someone got lost, the others would switch their units to "receive." The "peeps" then acted like a metal detector, growing louder as you got closer to the transmit unit. It was the best way to find lost bodies on a mountain or in an avalanche.

The vacation started off great, and they began with a large dinner on their first night. Kris was brimming with energy as she watched the excited faces of all the students. She sat with John, Tom, Michael and Kim, the four expert skiers, and they all discussed their plan of attack. They agreed that they would spend the first couple of days with the other students, and that they would learn the mountain.

The first day was incredible, complete with sunny skies and perfect weather. Everyone had fun, and it was an exhausted crew that piled into the lodge for dinner. Kristen and the others did not have to worry too much about the kids getting out of control, as they were all whipped from a long day on the slopes. The next couple of days fell into a similar pattern, and it was a joy to see a big smile on everyone's face each and every morning. The trip was working out far better than expected

On the fourth day, Kristen grabbed the four kids and decided to hit the peak of the mountain. There was a single lift that extended beyond where the main lifts ended their run, and there were some areas that you had to hike up to. They took the tram up to the top and then turned on their "peeps." Slinging their skis over their shoulders, they began the long, arduous hike up to the peak. With the thin air in the high altitude, they had to stop and catch their breath after every couple of steps. It was a difficult trek, but they knew that they would be rewarded with some outrageous skiing.

Finally reaching the top, they all sat back in the snow to rest for a second. "Wow, look at that view," said Kim, her eyes scanning the immense valley that was laid out below them. From where they were they could see for miles, and the whole world was at their feet. As their bodies became re-energized, they all slipped into their skis and began their descent. Kristen let the boys lead, and she hung back with Kim, following in their trails as best they could.

"That was incredible!" shouted John as they all stopped for a break.

"Dude, that was radical," echoed Tom in agreement. Their first run was amazing, their skis blazing paths through virgin snow and catching serious air over natural made jumps and rock formations. They rested for a second, and then forged on towards the summit, back to the base of the mountain. By the time they reached the bottom, it was just after lunch. They all grabbed a quick bite and then asked Kristen to do the run with them again.

"It is getting late you guys," she warned them, her mind a little hesitant, but her spirit raring to go. "If we go again it is going to be late when we get in. It will have to be a quick run."

"Come on Ms. Thomas," the boys all yelled out. "Are you a woman or are you a wimp?" Everyone laughed at their statement, and she challenged them to a race. They hustled over to the tram and took the ride straight up to the top. Once there, they again turned on their "peeps," and they made their way up to the top of the peak.

Aiming down hill, they were off, the boys again taking the lead. Michael took a fall and Kristen and Kim skied over to make sure he was OK. Continuing on, John took a fall as Tom raced on ahead, his skis shooting a white fountain behind him. John, Michael, Kim and Kristen all took their time as their bodies were all worn out from the day of hard skiing.

Partway down the ridge, they stopped for a breather. The only sight of Tom was the lines from his skis. The four of them sat back in the snow to rest their weary bodies. The physical exertion of the last couple of days combined with the high altitude to wear them all down.

"Hey, it's getting late," Kristen told the kids as they watched the sun begin to set. "We better get a move on. We do not want to be stuck up here after hours."

"I bet Tom's already at the bottom," chimed in Kim. "The way he was flying down the mountain he is probably in his room!" The others chuckled with her, their tired bodies groaning out as they stood up to finish their run......(cont)