return to deer valley

 Because of that major storm cycle early in the week, we knew the Cottonwood Canyons were going to be a complete zoo for skiing on the weekend.  H agonized over it for a while, then finally opted not to ski on Saturday, instead staying home where he rode his bike and cleaned the house.  On Sunday, however, the clouds and roads cleared and he was able to drive to Park City to ski Deer Valley with our friend Ted, plus another old friend who was in town from back east with his fourteen year old son.

There's snow in the Wasatch Back too

It's been a while since either of us has skied at Deer Valley.  The parking lot was full of out-of-state license plates (um, there's a pandemic going on, folks ...) but H got there early enough to get his ticket before they sold out; because of his Alta pass, H gets one free DV ticket - which is good because an adult Deer Valley day ticket is over $200 these days!

Well, that's pretty

He made two runs on his own before meeting up with the guys and then they skied non-stop for over five and a half hours: fast groomers, some trees for powder pockets, and lots and lots of bumps.  At that point, the other three cried uncle and they called it a day.  A good day too: when H got home, he said that had been the most fun he's had skiing all season, in large part because he had friends to ski and ride the chairs with.  He'd even skied hard enough that his quads were a little sore for the next day or so - a good day indeed!

I think it's hilarious that their jackets are all the same color

Meanwhile, Milton and I did three long walks, two medium walks and three short walks.  I got caught up on all the laundry (even folded it and put it away!), watched a movie and spent some time in the kitchen.  From my new recipe book, Drinking French by David Lebovitz, I put together two infusions to steep in the fridge: an "arranged rum" with pineapple and ginger; and a homemade strawberry liqueur (sugar and strawberries and vodka).  I also made a chocolate bundt cake with chocolate ganache; the cake was a little dense but quite yummy, especially when drenched in extra ganache.  And we went Asian-inspired for dinners: a yaki udon (noodles with carrots, onion, cabbage and broccoli) on Saturday and vegan bao filled with teriyaki jackfruit, TVP, cabbage and other veggies.  I do miss skiing (although not the crowds) but I am enjoying trying new recipes.  Glass half full - with a boulevardier, my new favorite French cocktail, bien sur!