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My Manic Mountain

This winter, Utah had a manic boarding season. The snow seemed intent on shrouding its fluff in mystery. For the flurries came when they weren’t expected and no-showed when they were. Jason and I only boarded five days at our usual haunt, Brighton, due to inconsistency of the storms yet some of the season’s surprises were rather inspiring. Here is my faithful report of our experiences with the snow’s highs and lows.

December 23rd

New Snow: 78 inches

Weather: Who cares? Did you not read that last line?

Commonness: This was the best snow Jason or I can remember encountering in the recent past. It was almost too much powder, if such a ridiculous thing could exist. If you lost your speed, you basically had to tunnel out. Being buried repeatedly in a motionless avalanche was exhausting yet intoxicating. I wish we had gone a few more times while the getting was good.

Trailblazing through powder that deep is quite difficult on a board but we decided to try it with our friends Kelsey and Zac anyway. We almost made it.
Trailblazing through powder that deep is quite difficult on a board but we decided to try it with our friends Kelsey and Zac anyway. We almost made it.
On many of the runs, one could only escape certain powder death by staying on a narrow band of compacted snow. Kelsey and I converged in an unplanned manner on one such band.
On many of the runs, one could only escape certain powder death by staying on a narrow band of compacted snow. Kelsey and I converged in an unplanned manner on one such band.
I fell on one slope and sunk this far. Wow! Incidentally, as demonstrated by this photo, iPhones do not take as good of pictures as regular cameras, despite what their fans claim.
I fell on one slope and sunk this far. Wow! Incidentally, as demonstrated by this photo, iPhones do not take as good of pictures as regular cameras, despite what their fans claim.

January 17th

New Snow: 30 inches

Weather: Warm and sunny

Mountain Pack: Crowded! We literally got the last parking spot in the entire resort.

Conclusion: Brighton broke their previous parking records several times during this season. I believe the winter tourists have finally discovered my little slice of the powder pie. Drat! Unfortunately, based off the number of times I heard “Wow! You don’t see that at home!” uttered by out-of-towners as they gawked at the Heber Valley from the top of the Snake Creek Express, it seems unlikely that they are going to forget about their new finding. Frankly, I feel a little conflicted about my resort’s latest fans. I’m pleased Brighton is getting the appreciation it deserves but can’t it be appreciated from a distance?

This is one of my favorite powder fields at Brighton.
This is one of my favorite powder fields at Brighton.

March 4th

Weather: Mid-fifties and cloudless

Complications: Even though we were heading down to Moab that evening, we decided it would be nonsensical to forgo a chance to board in conditions so pleasant. So we went from riding on white to riding on red within a few hours. I threw a rib out and injured my rotator cuff and neck on the slopes. Still, I biked the next day. Pain is for the people that pay attention to it.

That's at least a solid inch of air.
That’s at least a solid inch of air.
I am tiny but I'm not quite as minuscule as I look in this picture.
I am tiny but I’m not quite as minuscule as I look in this picture.

March 16th

New Snow: 12 inches (AKA powder enough)

Weather: Mid-thirties (AKA warm enough)

Cohorts: We treated my dad to a day on the slopes for his birthday. I think if he had had any birthday wishes left he would have used them up wishing we hadn’t, at least on his first few trips down the mountain. After not skiing for a decade, he was a bit clumsy initially but his muscles, like his mind, have a good memory. By the end of the day he was plowing smoothly.

I am no boarding expert but I do go fast enough that you can actually tell I'm moving.
I am no boarding expert but I do go fast enough that you can actually tell I’m moving.
Mountaintop or otherwise, spending time with my dad is always a pleasure.
Mountaintop or otherwise, spending time with my dad is always a pleasure.
The reasons there are lots of pictures of me snowboarding and not so many of Jason aren't egotistical but technical. I can't board and take pictures at the same time; Jason can.
The reasons there are lots of pictures of me snowboarding and not so many of Jason aren’t egotistical but technical. I can’t board and take pictures at the same time; Jason can.
Jason and I like to live on the wild side of the ski boundary. That's a full foot of danger there!
Jason and I like to live on the wild side of the ski boundary. That’s a full foot of danger there!

April 3rd

Weather: Mid-fifties and mighty springy

Mountain Pack: Practically vacant

Conference: Thank you!

That smile should be self-explanatory.
That smile should be self-explanatory.

This boarding season started out like a superhero but it must have lost its lucky tights in one of the drifts or something because it took a rather ordinary turn in the middle of January. Still, we caught enough powder and sunshine to put big smiles on our faces and a little lament in our hearts over the approach of spring.

Rachel June 7, 2016 No Comments

A Little Solitude

This February I gave Jason the same thing for Valentine’s Day that I gave him last February, a year’s supply of monthly date surprises. Now don’t you be thinking that my unoriginality is lame. I only echoed the concept from last year not the actual activities; I don’t do gift repeats. Jason’s most recent date surprise centered on snowshoeing. Since Jason and I are both suckers for new terrain and we’d never snowshoed at Solitude Mountain Resort before, you can probably guess where we decided to go.

Silver Lake looked like a snow-covered meadow not a buried chunk of ice.
Silver Lake looked like a snow-covered meadow not a buried chunk of ice.

Solitude turned out to be a great choice. It was still an abominable snowman’s paradise when elsewhere winter’s fluff was slushed beyond recognition. We shoed around the Cabin Loop and Silver Lake, which was an alpine ice block at the time. Plus, we detoured through part of the Solitude Trail. In total, we trekked a little over two miles through that sun-speckled forest. Not a terribly impressive distance? We were hiking with giant paddles strapped to our feet so give us a break!

Spring is a great time to play in the drifts. Don’t be too hasty exchanging the racquets on your feet for the one in your hand.

On a side note, sections of Solitude’s cross-country skiing trails actually go over Silver Lake. You can ski on top of a frozen lake. How cool is that? I almost wanted to toss my snowshoes just to give it a try.

Rachel May 18, 2016 No Comments

Going Viking

Although Jason and I had dined at a yurt recently, (How many people can say that?) we ended up doing so again last month. When our friend Jeremy and his fiancé invited us to check out The Viking Yurt at Park City Mountain Resort with them, we said ja.

As it turns out, besides its round shape and mountainous setting, The Viking Yurt shares little in common with Solitude’s primitive Mongolian version. The Viking Yurt is posh, fully heated, pumping with electricity, and even has a grand piano somehow sandwiched in its innards. It may be remote but rustic it is not.

The Viking Yurt is 1,800 feet above the base of Park City Mountain Resort.
The Viking Yurt is 1,800 feet above the base of Park City Mountain Resort.

To get to The Viking Yurt, you hop on a massive sleigh pulled by a snow cat. It dashes you up 1,800 vertical feet, which takes about 25 minutes. At 8,700 feet, you find a warm mug of glogg, a spiced berry drink, awaiting you inside a surprisingly inviting shelter.

My many Viking ancestors were "peaceful traders" according to my mom.
My many Viking ancestors were “peaceful traders” according to my mom.

You are then served a six-course dinner with Scandinavian flair that begins with butternut squash soup and smoked trout salad. Next, to cleanse your palate, you’re given a scoop of sorbet stuffed in a rock from Norway. (My stone came from Goxdeglicindovajavinojaslovan.) The main dish, braised short ribs and Jarlsberg potatoes, follows. A cheese course, which features a variety of unusual fermented and pickled products, comes next, presented on aspen slabs. Then, a warm pear strudel with lingonberry ice cream crams itself into your already occupied stomach. Yummy!

The helmet, the mug, the look, the man... it all fits doesn't it?
The helmet, the mug, the look, the man… it all fits doesn’t it?

After all that eating, you jump into the sleigh again and it drags your heavy butt back down the slopes. The particular night we went the moon was full so we were expecting a spectacular return ride but clouds came between us and that lunatic dream.

The Viking Yurt seemed particularly luxurious considering its isolated location.
The Viking Yurt seemed particularly luxurious considering its isolated location.

So which of the two yurts was my favorite? Would I rather be conquered by a Viking or a Khan? That’s a hard call because Vikings have those cool hats and Khans have… those cool hats. Really, the two experiences were dramatically different but we loved both of them. The food at Solitude was a little better and it was cool to watch it being prepared. Plus, it was refreshing to completely unplug from modern disruptions. However, if you want to be pampered at 8,700 feet, then The Viking Yurt may be your kind of hut dining. You can’t go wrong either way… unless you don’t like eating amazing food in unique settings. If that’s the case, you best stick to gobbling P&J in your PJs.

Rachel May 2, 2016 No Comments
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