the same only different

 Sunday morning didn't bring any new snow but some weather vagary had scoured the air pollution out of the valley for the morning, which was really, really nice.  Milton and I did a slightly longer walk, with some off-leash zoomies in an elementary school playground.  When we got home, I was a little at a loss as to what to do with myself, what with the clean house and the up Christmas tree.  I soon made myself a list and started checking things off: more laundry; baking dog cookies; roasting a butternut squash (a CSA holdover); starting a Liqueur 44 infusion; finishing holiday cards; dehydrating unused fresh rosemary and thyme (leftover from the savory bread pudding); and making leek and potato soup for dinner.

Meanwhile, H took his first ski bus ride of the year to Alta.  It was not crowded.  The snow conditions were unchanged from Saturday, but weather-wise it was cloudier, windier and colder.  My goodness we need snow.  And there is just nothing in the foreseeable forecast.  I hope it's not going to be another one of those years.

All the other lifts are open though

friendsgiving

 Traditional Thanksgiving can be awkward eating-wise for vegans.  So when your vegan-friendly friends say they're available the weekend after T'giving for a vegan T'giving meal, you jump all over that.

But first, H went skiing.  Since the last we'd seen said that the ski bus wasn't going to start until 12/13, he drove up.  Of course, there was a ski bus there and when H went to talk to the driver, he found out that the ski bus has in fact been running since the previous week.  Good to know.  There has been no new snow since the Tuesday before (real) Thanksgiving so the conditions were thin and hard.  Being up above the smoggy inversion in the Salt Lake Valley was a nice change, however - being able to see the sun and breathe clean air.  H reported that most chairlift conversations centered around how big a shitshow Christmas week - with all its tourist families - is going to be if we don't get some snow.

No smog up here.  Also no snow, really.

Meanwhile, down in said smoggy valley, Milton and I did a shortened walk, needing the exercise but not wanting to breathe the air longer than necessary.  Then there was a flurry of vacuuming, bathroom cleaning, holiday decorating and clean laundry putting-away-ing.  I had prepped food the night before, so when our friends E and K, and their eight year old terrier mix Stevie arrived late afternoon, things sort of ran on autopilot, allowing us to catch up.  Milton and Stevie get along well, although Milt seemed completely mystified, watching her act like an actual dog: sniffing every inch of every room, getting the zoomies in the basement, getting up on all the couches and chairs, playing with a squeaking stuffie and snacking on whatever anyone dropped on the floor.

Milt, H and Stevie

I can't believe I didn't get any photos of dinner but it was really quite good (if I say so myself).  We had roasted acorn squash, carmelized leek bread pudding (a/k/a stuffing/dressing), mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry-orange relish.  Dessert was from all-vegan restaurant and bakery Sweet Hazel: key lime pielette, German chocolate cakelette and a giant frosted sugar cookie.  It was a really nice evening for which we are thankful.

thanksgiving recap

 Another Thanksgiving in Moab has come and gone.  We didn't break any new ground but we did cover a fair bit of ground, so that's good.  We drove down Tuesday night and the weather was ... not great.  It was raining and spitting snow basically from Spanish Fork to Moab but we really lucked out in that there wasn't any snow accumulation - not even slush - on the roads.  And because we drove down Tuesday, the traffic wasn't that bad.  When we got to Moab, we caught up with our neighbor over beers while the house warmed up: she confirmed that it had rained all day.  The puddles and the wet trails throughout the weekend confirmed that.

Delightful weather outside of Green River

But then the storm system moved out, faster than expected - it was supposed to have dropped 2-3 feet of snow in the Utah mountains but hit Colorado instead - and we had gorgeous (and cold) weather for the holiday.  On Wednesday, we had trail time on Pipedream (3.4 miles for A; 4.15 miles for H and M) and bar time at Woody's, where it was a very local crowd.  Thursday, H and M did another six miles on Pipedream and then we all did a Middle Earth hike, away from the holiday crowds.

Good job, little 2016 Crosstrek!

By Friday we were up for triple sessioning: a return to Delicate Arch for A and H (3.7 miles), then up to Sand Flats so Milton could get some trail time too (3.1 miles), then over to Josie Wyatt's ($2/PBRs).  Saturday morning we braved the mid 20s F cold and did an early morning Moab Rim hike, stomping up the "Moab Stairmaster" trail and then out to the overhead arch off the jeep road.  We went back down the 4x4 road, pausing to watch a couple of Jeeps navigating the Devil's Crack obstacle - nerve-wracking, that.

The overhead arch

And that was about it.  Unsure about the holiday traffic, we left early Sunday morning.  The sun was out, the roads were clear and the traffic was actually light, so we made good time getting back to SLC.  And now it's December - how is that even possible?

mixed bag

On Saturday, H went back up to ski.  It was really windy and overcast - a system is moving in - and spitting snow all morning.  The light was very flat.  But despite the less than ideal (and still early-season) conditions, he wanted to go: with the ski bus not yet running, and without snow tires on the truck, he knew that he probably wouldn't be able to get up to Alta on Sunday, once the snow started.  On the plus side, he had two different lifties separately comment on his mustache: one saying "that's a wicked good 'stache" and the other declaring it the "best mustache on the mountain."  

Down in the valley, Milton and I did a warm but windy morning walk in Dimple Dell.  I am once again watching too much Great British Baking Show and decided to bake a loaf of bread.  With yeast.  With the usual results: I think I overproofed it (I've read that when baking at elevation, you should decrease the amount of yeast - which I didn't do) so even though it rose, the loaf collapsed and was quite dense.  Still really good for dunking into mulligatawny soup though.

By Sunday morning the little storm system had moved in.  We got a couple of wet inches of snow in the valley (Alta got six inches) which dripped off the trees onto our heads when Milton and I went for a morning walk.  The clouds broke up a bit by early afternoon, revealing the Wasatch mountains with their new coat of white.  Once the sun was shining, H had a momentary "I could have gone skiing" moment.  But we had already determined to hunker down for the day, however, for laundry, vacuuming and reading.  I also did more, and more successful, baking: dark chocolate oat scones (recipe from The Full Helping's The Vegan Week) and pumpkin-peanut butter dog cookies (PETA's recipe).  The scones turned out well!  It's yeast I struggle with the most, apparently.

See? I can bake (sometimes)

opening day 2024

 With a season total (so far) of 59" and a base depth of 21", Alta opened for the 2024/2025 season on Friday, November 22, 2024.  They had posted that they would open the Collins and Wildcat lifts at 10 and that the skiing was for "expert skiers" only.  Twenty-one inches is barely anything at Alta: the terrain is so rocky that they really need to have a five foot base before you can leave your rock skis at home.  They've been making snow but that only goes so far.

While Milton and I went to work, H went skiing.  He got his pass and a really good parking spot (the ski bus doesn't start until a couple weeks into December), and reacquainted himself with the Goldminer's Daughter locals locker room.  He texted me throughout the day, reporting on all the regulars he saw - the usual cohort.  There was at least one monoski guy and one ski-blades guy in attendance, as well as lots of 20-somethings skiing way too fast for the limited runs and thin conditions.

Looking towards Devil's Castle

from the top of the Collins chair

It was a gorgeous day, though, in the 40s and mostly sunny - good for softening the snow a little.  He skied until 12:45 and then called it good.  Here's hoping for a safe and snowy (in the mountains) ski season.

posting up at home

 Ah, a pre-ski season November weekend in SLC - the very definition of shoulder season.  Alta is expected to open on Friday 11/22/24, however, so we'll get some skiing stuff to post about.  For full disclosure, I did not get a ski pass this season.  I just barely got in all ten days for my ten-pack last year, begrudgingly going up on cold and stormy days (although I had a couple of sunny spring days that were just so much fun).  And for some reason, Milton is having some separation anxiety issues - after six years of absolutely no problems at all - and we've started to crate him while we're at work.  He doesn't seem to mind it too much, and it is safer for him and the window blinds, but I am glad that I will be with him on the weekends while H is skiing.

Meanwhile, shoulder season.  Friday night, H and I went out to a new (to us) bar, The Midway, to see a friend's band.  (Milton hung out in the car.) We'd never been there before: it's got a mixed vibe, part sports bar, part working class dive, and a huge outdoor patio with firepits.  The band was fun, doing 70s and 80s covers.  The bar staff were all super friendly (nothing vegan on the menu except fries and chips and salsa) and we'll have to find out if the patio is dog-friendly.

It started precipitating as we drove home, continuing overnight and into the morning, leaving a couple inches of snow.  Saturday stayed pretty gloomy and cold, with snow showers off and on.  Milton made out like a bandit on walks: a four-miler with A in the morning, a 3.2 miler with H early afternoon, and then another mile or so later in the afternoon.  It seemed like a good day to bake (chocolate chip cookies and a chocolate-zucchini bundt cake) and braise (tomato-fennel braised chickpeas for dinner).

The weather system moved out and Sunday was chilly and gorgeous: 25F and bright sun when A and Milton headed out for their walk.  H had hoped to go for a bike ride but, given the temperature and all the downed and damp leaves on the road, opted for a trail run instead.  Clouds moved back in starting around noon, which led to more cooking: pumpkin muffins, homemade vegetable stock and a Thai green curry soup for dinner.

holiday weekend, in summation

Oh hey.  So, in real life ("IRL," as the kids say) we are reeling a bit in the aftermath of the election.  We are worried and concerned for our friends and family, as well as the environment and public lands we love.  But that (for now, never say never, I guess) is not what this blog is about so we will compartmentalize as best we can and keep sharing our experiences.

Pipedream

For example, we just got back from a long weekend in Moab.  We looked at the weather report - mostly sunny, chilly overnight, mid-50s during the day - and said tra la la we won't pack our raincoats!  And so Friday it was cold and rainy, with a couple of snowflakes, at least until mid-morning.  Saturday morning was chilly and overcast too, but the system - which was lingering after a bunch of rain on Wednesday and Thursday, apparently - finally moved on, leaving us with sunshine in the desert and snow-capped mountain peaks for Sunday and Monday.

Also Pipedream

We didn't do anything extraordinary.  There were a couple of days of trail time on Pipedream (all stats listed below); on Sunday, Milton and A scored a Jeep Arch hike with our neighbor, her dog and one of her friends, while H did an eight mile trail run out at Moab Brand Trails; and on the Monday holiday, we three did a town walk before heading back to SLC.  We are pleased to report that, at least for the time being, the PBR tap is fixed at Josie Wyatt's.  And we did stop in at Woody's Saturday afternoon whilst the bar was being decorated in advance of an evening wedding.  Not just a wedding reception: one of the Meandercat band members was getting married right there.

Spire

The drive north Monday was about as easy as that drive can be: clear skies, dry roads and not too much traffic.  It was sunny and windy back in SLC as a weather system moved in ... and then Tuesday, it snowed enough to stick.  In case we weren't sure: summer is over.

Culvert Canyon wash

Trail time stats: Friday: A/3.2 mile hike and H&M/4.0 mile trail run, Pipedream; Saturday: A/4.0 mile hike and H&M/5.0 mile trail run, Pipedream; Sunday: A&M/4ish mile hike, Jeep Arch and H/8.36 mile trail run, Moab Brand Trails; Monday: A&H&M/4.64 mile town walk

wrapping things up

While H and Milton did a five mile trail run on Pipedream Saturday morning, A did quick grocery store/bike shop errands and chopped down our past-their-prime sunflowers.  After that, H and A did the 31 mile road ride again, and timed A's climbing of that long hill: thirteen straight minutes.  Despite how long/slow that portion was, the ride was overall faster than Thursday's version.  Our afternoon including picking up Heidi Redd's new book, A Cowgirl's Conservation Journey, at Back of Beyond Books.

They're repainting the mural along

the creek under Main Street

On Sunday, we three went to Millcreek to do the regular loop.  We rigged Milton's harness up with our old handheld GPS (double-wrapping it in ziploc bags because he likes to run through the creek) to see just how much further he would go than us humans.  But he must have had some cumulative fatigue because he really didn't range that far afield.  We'll have to try it again when he's well-rested, maybe at Sand Flats where he likes to run so much.  H hadn't been up Millcreek for a couple of years and he was shocked at the damage from two summers' of floods.

Summer's end

In the late morning, after H fixed A's second flat tire of the week, the humans did a 21 mile road ride.  A's legs felt a little heavy - my own cumulative fatigue.  It was busy on the bike path with families, runners, walkers, dog walkers, e-bikers, cyclists and photo shoots.  We had afternoon beers at Woody's, obsessively checking the live updates of our Moab 240 runners.  The evening brought us a firepit in the backyard with our neighbors.  When the propane ran out at 8 p.m., it felt like vacation was over.  Nothing left to do but clean up, pack up and drive up to SLC.

Vacation stats: 204 miles on the bike; 33.3 miles running (H); 31.6 miles hiking

rest day (for some)

 On Friday, all three of us went up to Sand Flats for a quick 2.27 mile Practice Loop loop.  Milton loves it up there and covers a lot of ground: he can run way out but, because of the terrain (sandstone domes) he can keep an eye on us.  It was a gorgeous morning and we were early enough that it was really just starting to get busy as we were finishing up.  The campground seemed pretty full, at least the first couple of site groups.

Sandflats selfie

Then, after H fixed A's flat tire, H and A did a 23 mile road ride, with a pause on the way back to watch the start of the Moab 240: 240 miles, most of them trails, on foot, in under 117 hours across some of the Moab area's gnarliest terrain.  We chatted with some racers and spectators at the start and then cheered the racers on as they started.  With GPS and social media, it was very easy to follow the racers' progress, even as they were in such remote locations.  So we picked five racers - our Dutch buddy from the Moab Rim parking lot and four women (one we talked with, two we stood next to and one we had seen running on the bike path earlier in the week) - to follow, in addition to the two men's leaders and the two women's leaders.  We must have picked well because four out of our five selected runners finished and, strangely enough, those four spent most of the event within a couple of miles of each other.  The men's winner - Max Jolliffe finished in 69 hours 22 minutes; the final finisher came in just under the 117 hour cutoff.  It is amazing what humans can do.

And they're off!

We, however, figured we had done enough with our 25.27 mile day (23 on wheels), and later that afternoon, picked up our friend Chris on our way over to Woody's for beers.  It really is amazing what humans can do.

We bought a sticker.  We like the fox.

paths and trails

By Wednesday, H was ready to do his first post-marathon run, taking Milton for a short two miles on Pipedream.  He reported that neither of them was moving super-fast, with Milton recovering from his ten-milers the previous day with A.  After that, H and A hopped on the road bikes for a 25 mile road ride, going a little past Arches National Park to where the hill really begins to climb (gonna save that bit for later).  Late afternoon found us at Woody's, where H and the bartender traded war stories about Saturday's trail race; the bartender had done the 15K.  Consensus: very sandy course.

Road riding goofballs

The next morning, all three of us did a short (just under 3.5 mile) hike on Pipedream, going north this time.  We met two friendly Underdog rescue dogs and saw a Grand County work crew rebuilding a washout.  We also saw the pink and blue flags marking the Moab 240 course.  

Need new handlebar tape

We dropped Milton back at home - it was so nice all week that we were able to keep the back door open, so he could be inside or out in the courtyard at his choosing, even if we weren't there - and headed out on the road bikes.  This time we did 30.5 miles, going all the way up that long (1.6 mile), steep (7% grade) climb to the kiosk at the Moab Brand trails road.  For A, climbing is way preferable to descending, but with the new brakes and new tires, descending was much less scary than before.

Not that tall this fall

not even half a marathon

A wanted to do at least one longer hike, so Tuesday was the Hidden Valley/Moab Rim loop with Milton (10.1 miles; 3:42 moving time with 18 minutes of stoppage).  There were no coyote sightings along Pipedream this time - no sightings of anyone or anything at all, except a rabbit or two.  It's been several months since we've been to the Hidden Valley trail head and when we got there after finishing the Pipedream stretch, we could see that it had gotten hammered again by the August floods.  The drainage that had washed out a couple of years ago had washed out again in the same place, cutting a deeper channel across the trail.

Huge washout

We didn't see anyone or anything in Hidden Valley or once we crossed over the pass to the jeep trails.  The day was bright and I made Milton wear his white t-shirt (now really more dirt-colored than white) to try to keep some of the sun off.  It was warm - all week was highs in the low 80s and overnight lows in the low 50s - but not too hot, and he even found one pothole still with some clean water to wade in.  We texted H from the top of the final descent and when we'd gotten down, past the jeeps and side-by-sides heading up the Moab Rim trail, he was there waiting for us with snacks and beverages.

Nearing the top of the HV climb

During our parking lot sojourn, we talked for a while with Roel, a Dutch runner who was scouting out portions of the upcoming Moab 240.  He seemed psyched about it, in a good head space, and more concerned about nutrition than the distance (240 miles), the elevation gain/loss (+31,000 feet) or the sleep deprivation.  We got his bib number to keep track of him.

In other activities, H finished his "recovery" period and did a 25 mile road ride (1:24 hours) on the bike path whilst A and M were hiking.  And the afternoon and evening were spent at home, reading and hanging out with our neighbor.

Town deer

recovery

 After the big race, H was supposed to recover for 72 hours.  So Sunday morning, A and Milton did 4.7 miles out and back on Pipedream (1:38 hours).  We had to re-route a little bit to give a wide berth to a coyote who was being very vocal about our presence.  (Milton didn't seem to care but A was nervous.)  

Pipedream

When we safely returned, A and H did a 21 mile road ride on the bike path (1:30 hours) because obviously a 21 mile bike ride is "recovery."  And later that evening, we "recovered" further, catching up with our neighbor and her dog.  Milton even chewed on a tennis ball!  (He only does dog things like that when he's with another dog.  Never when he's alone.)

Dog things

On Monday, A and Milton did their usual Millcreek loop (just under 4 miles - I was sure that it was longer than that).  H and A did a repeat of the 21 mile road ride since H was still recovering.  We attempted beers at Josie Wyatt's but the $2 draft PBRs are still flat.  Bleh.

Millcreek

marathon man

 For our vacation, we left a little early on Friday afternoon, to get down to Moab in time for H to pick up his race packet.  Because on day 1 of vacation, H ran a trail marathon.  Let us pause to appreciate that.

Pre race (note Milton 

making new friends)

It was his first trail race and his first marathon: the Mad Moose Events Arches Marathon and Half.  There were actually four possible distances: 50K, the marathon, the half-marathon and a 15K, with about 650 total racers and 100 marathoners specifically.  The well-run event took place out on BLM land in the area known as "Behind the Rocks," starting and finishing in a pretty valley that we'd never been to before.  The road in/out was rough, although 2WD cars could make it.  It was super cool back in there and we would like to go back some time to explore/camp/hike. But not until we have a younger truck that will handle that road better.

Heading out

On Saturday morning, we three got there early - before the sun came up - and although the race organizers offered a 6:30 start to the longer distance runners, so they could maybe get ahead of the heat of the day, H decided to stick to his planned-upon 7 a.m. start.  Which was a good idea since the sun didn't come up until after 7 and the rocky trail would have been treacherous in the dark for anyone without a headlamp.  He was hoping for a 6.5 hour finish, which would get him back around 1:30 p.m. 

Mid-race photo 

A and Milton watched H take off, and then stuck around to watch several of the later starts.  Around 8:30, we did some hiking: up along the cliff behind the start/finish line and then, after all the runners had left, out and back on the first hill of the race course.  That was a long hill!  And a heck of a way to start a race.

Overhead

At 11, we got snacks and then hung around the finish line, talking with finished racers (including a woman from Wiscasset, Maine - the next town over from where A grew up!).  Around noon, A had a feeling to start watching the finishers come in ... and THERE WAS H, finishing well ahead of schedule at 5 hours 9 minutes and 19 seconds!!!!!!!

Almost done

We were so proud of him!!! He reported that the course was really sandy (which had been confirmed by all the runners A had talked to earlier) and had way more elevation gain than he'd trained for.  His hips and calves were stiff, and his stomach was a bit upset from all the sloshing around for 26 miles.  But overall H felt pretty good and recovered quickly enough for us to walk to Woody's for a celebratory beer in the early evening.  Walking over was a good idea too as it helped loosen his legs up.

Race results: H won his age group and was 14th out of 100 for the marathon.  He hasn't gone right out and signed up for another one yet, but he was very pleased with his achievement.  Damn right!!!

csa summer: fourteenth and fifteenth boxes

Before we dive into the desert, here's the final two CSA boxes from our CSA summer.  Since we weren't going to be in town to pick up the last box, I requested an extra box to pick up on the penultimate week.  And since we are at our LIMIT on squash, I requested that the last box be apples and not a double CSA share, which was the other option.  So in addition to a whole box of apples (multiple varieties), we got corn, peaches, two acorn squashes and one butternut squash*, potatoes, onions, a tomato, a couple of apples and some bell pepper.

We ate the corn right away, of course, and while it wasn't the best we'd had all summer, we both thought it was surprisingly good for October corn.  The peppers and an onion went into a tofu tikka masala (sauce from Trader Joe); we ate the peaches and tomato and some apples whilst on vacation, and the rest of the apples will be peeled, cored and cooked down with cinnamon into pie filling.  And, obviously, all that squash will be roasted and mashed for Milton.

*  See - if we'd just gotten a double share, that would have been FOUR acorn squashes and TWO butternuts.  It's just too much.

getting out from under it

 This photo is a literal depiction of Milton "helping" us with the three tons of laundry after our fall Moab vacation.  It is also a figurative depiction of us getting out from under said laundry (which we had to do at the laundromat the day we got back to SLC because our washing machine is kaput), as well as work and weeding and all the other real life nonsense that stacked up whilst we were romping in the desert.  Fear not!  Posting will begin soon ...

fall colors

 I'm sorry, but Utah cannot hold a candle to the northeast when it comes to foliage colors.  New England has it in the bag for vibrant reds and oranges.  That said, the west does yellow very well because of all the aspens.  We've got reds and oranges too but they are usually muted, softer shades.

Crispy

On a recent weekend in SLC, A double-sessioned on Sunday, heading up to Alta after a 3.2 mile walk with H and M.  It was 64F at 9:15 a.m., with clouds moving through.  I did the usual loop I like to do for exercise: park above Albion base area, walk up the summer road a little bit, continue up through the meadows to the Catherine's Pass trailhead, go up to Catherine's Pass, across the top of Catherine's Area and then back down through the campground.

Coming down on Rock N Roll

It is definitely fall up at Alta.  The wildflowers are brown and crispy and the hikers up there are looking for foliage now, not flowers.  I only saw a handful of people out on the trail, which was a welcome change from the summertime hordes.  The upper parking lots were all full, though, so I guess most everyone was hiking to Cecret Lake.  Aspens must not like to grow much above 9,000 feet because that's where the best colors were, a gorgeous variety of yellows and pale oranges.

Summer road

As I drove back down the canyon to the 90 F valley heat (that is far too hot for this time of year). I was astonished at all the traffic heading up the canyon.  Oktoberfest is still going on at Snowbird and I guess people were heading up there to enjoy the nice day.  There was a solid line of cars from Snowbird entry 2 all the way down to the mouth of the canyon and beyond, all along Wasatch Boulevard - almost as bad as on a powder day.

Not pictured: the four times it rained

on me on the way up

segue out of summer

 When we went to Moab for a long weekend towards the end of September, we definitely noticed an uptick in how many people were there.  Labor Day weekend was still quiet but three weeks later, there was lots more traffic, both vehicular and foot varieties.  This is good for local businesses, many of whom have said that this summer was really slow.  Well, it's busy season now and not slow anymore.

Last of the flowers

On Friday, while H did a four mile trail run, A and Milton did their now-patented Millcreek loop.  We didn't quite as early a start as we have been, mostly because the sun isn't coming up until after 7 a.m.  We were still early enough to be ahead of the heat - which wasn't all that hot, relatively speaking, only in the low 90s - and the people, and there's still a good amount of water for the dogs to splash and wade in.  After everyone's trail time, H and A did a 20.85 mile road ride from the house: out along the river and back, up to Arches National Park and back to the river, out along the river again and back home.  We noticed more traffic on the bike path too.

Oh, no, maybe this is the last of the flowers

When we had arrived Thursday evening, we popped over to our neighbor's house.  She mentioned that she wanted to do the Grandstaff canyon top-down hike and was getting a small group together for Saturday morning.  Did we want to go?  We did!  At least, A and M did as H had a twelve mile trail run planned.  So Saturday at 6:45, A and Milton piled into her truck with her dog and met the crew at the Grandstaff trailhead, after a quick stop at the Love Muffin Cafe (where A got a vegan apple/cinnamon muffin).  We arranged to shuttle vehicles and then drove up to Sand Flats where six people and five dogs commenced the hike.

Most of the crew

Funnily enough, for a group where five of the six are fulltime Moabites, A was the only one who'd done this hike before.  We opted to walk in the wash the whole way instead of the bench trail; this was because there's so much water for the dogs.  The canyon creek is spring-fed and everyone was amazed at how much water there was.  We were also amazed at how quickly the one golden retriever got completely covered in burrs.  There was a little bushwhacking and a little scrambling, and we found a little pool of quicksand and a little snake (non-rattling).  But everyone got out safely, aside from a few scratches and burrs, and it was a great hike with the canyon to ourselves until we rejoined the main Grandstaff/Morning Glory Arch trail.

Snek

On Sunday, Milton only got an extra long neighborhood walk so that H and A could do another road ride (duplicate of Friday's) before heading back to Salt Lake.  

csa summer: twelfth and thirteenth boxes

Box #12 had multiple kinds of peppers, apples, a cucumber, several varieties of peaches, pears, plums, some winter squahes and, not to be outdone, zucchini and summer squash.  If I'm honest, this box seemed a little light.  It's been so hot in Utah, I wonder if crops struggled more than usual.  I mean, we are in a desert.  I made up for it by buying fifty pounds of red Idaho potatoes, which at $22 seemed like a pretty good deal.

Four separate squashes in one photo

The thirteenth box had corn!  And also raspberries!  At the end of September!  We also got acorn squash, butternut squash, apples, onions, potatoes, carrots and tomatoes.  The carrot tops were looking both limp and crispy so I didn't bother to pesto-ize them this time.  The corn was, amazingly, really good - better than the last time we had corn - even though the ears were huge.

Holy moly corn on the cob

What did we make of our bounty?  I snuck the summer squash into a chana masala (chickpea curry) and hid the zucchini in a tofu scramble (also put some jalepeno in there) and burrito bowls.  The burrito bowls also took care of more chilies, green pepper, onions and tomato.  I roasted a bunch of winter squash to put in the freezer for Milton; I also chopped up the carrots and the remaining onions with some celery, sauteed it and then froze it in icecube trays to use for soup starters when we don't have time to chop.  The apples all got turned into apple pie filling for the freezer (also quite tasty on oatmeal).  And I made a smoothie with the cucumber, lime juice and some frozen watermelon - surprisingly refreshing.

fifteen years

Happy moveiversary to us: we moved to Utah FIFTEEN YEARS AGO!!!!  On every moveiversary, I like to do a year-end summary post; like last year, this year has seemed a little diminished.  I didn't sprain my ankle this time, but it was very, very hot this summer, plus H was really focusing on developing his trail running, so we hardly did any hiking.  I only got a ten-pack pass for the 2023/2024 ski season so my ski days were far below the 40+ days I used to have when we first moved here.  Of course, our ski days are down because we are able to go to Moab whenever we want to, and there really shouldn't be any complaining about missing days at Alta because we're instead in Moab.  We are very lucky people.  And we are lucky to be able to continue to be active.  Here's what we did this past year, in broad strokes, for everyone who didn't read through the actual posts.  (Hi, Linda and Perry!  We know you read them!)

October - We had our fall break week (ten days, really) in Moab, with hiking and MTBing and A's first road ride on her "new" (1990s vintage) Cannondale; our CSA winds down (we learned that Milton likes squash so that's good); Dimple Dell walks.

November - An early first snow and then beautiful weather for the first part of the month, and then it got very November-y towards the end; Thanksgiving in Moab, with a T'giving morning hike with our neighbors and separate hike with other friends; Alta opens over T'giving weekend.

December - Skiing starts but not much snow to start; we sublet a ski locker in the Goldminer's Daughter basement and it is awesome; A starts cooking a lot and skis once; Christmas in Moab.

January - H takes the week between Christmas and New Year's off to ski; A actually makes a real loaf of bread, with yeast; MLK Jr. long weekend in Moab; H starts trail running; Alta gets 87" of snow in one storm cycle; skiing.

February - A does the ME/FL family thing and H and Milton go to Moab; Vertical Diner (so good) and RoHa Brewing with friends E and K; more snowstorms; it begins to get busier in Moab; skiing.

March - A goes to her first drag show (so good); more snowstorms; Alta hits 500 inches; H does an eight mile trail run (his longest); farewell to L and N (two of our Moab neighbors, heading off to new adventures); A plays hooky to ski midweek; H has some deep powder days.

April - We catch the last weekend of Jeep Safari in Moab and say safe travels to neighbor A (heading off to Alaska to fish for the summer); skiing, including gnarly canyon ski bus rides, A playing hooky again, gorgeous spring ski days, tailgating, closing weekend and 621 inches at closing.

May - We make our list of proposed hikes (hahahaha); spring break week in Moab (and snow in the yard in Sandy upon our return); shoulder season; backyard beers with E and K; Memorial Day weekend in Moab.

June - Slow start to hiking because of so much snow in the mountains; poppies growing in our Sandy yard; Gherkin at Josie Wyatt's; road riding in Moab; A goes to Maine for a week, and H and M go to Moab; backyard BBQ with E and K; MTB in Park City; A hikes Grandeur Peak; H does a 9 mile trail run (longest to date).

July - CSA starts; July 4 holiday in Moab; A hikes Elbow Fork/Terraces and her Alta "exercise loop" multiple times; H goes to NY; Moab flooding; road riding and creek hiking in Moab.

August - H does a 12 mile trail run (longest to date); wildflowers go off (Alta and Snowbird hikes); CSA; road riding and creek hiking in Moab; H does 13.1 mile trail run (longest to date); watermelon margaritas.

September - H does 15 mile trail run (longest to date); A hikes Alta; road riding and creek hiking in Moab; more flooding in Moab; A gets a tattoo; CSA; H does 20 mile trail run (!!!); something new to close the month: City of Rocks camping trip.

And here we go - the next year commences now!

twenty on trail

 We haven't been doing as much hiking this summer*, and H hasn't been doing as much road riding (Moab bike path rides with A notwithstanding), because H has been focusing on trail running.  He's been doing it for ten months now and is on his second pair of shoes.  And, mid-September, he did his highest mileage yet: twenty miles.  Twenty!  I'm so proud of him (and wondering how far he's fixing to go before this is over ...).

That note is what he left for me so I would know how long he thought he might be gone - and at what point I should start worrying about him.  I didn't even get the chance to think about worrying as he finished ten minutes ahead of his best-case scenario time.  The route was a mix of surfaces: wood chips in Dimple Dell, a little bit of asphalt along Wasatch Boulevard and then hard pack dirt up on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.  And the morning temperatures were nice and cool in the shade along the base of the mountains.

* Gosh, I feel like I say that a lot the last few years.  First, we cut back when we got Milton because a lot of the hiking along the Wasatch Front is not dog-friendly and we didn't want to always leave him alone on the weekends.  Then, the trails just got SO crowded because so many people have moved to SLC (yes, I know we're part of that problem).  And last summer, I was recovering from my ankle sprain which was a slow recovery.  And then now, this.  Maybe next summer we'll get out there more.

csa summer: eleventh box

 Summer is winding down - we're already at CSA box #11.  This one wasn't the most vibrantly colored but still had the good stuff: green beans; plums, nectarines, peaches, apples and a pear; spaghetti squash and a white acorn squash (so Milton-the-squash-eating-dog is stoked); kale; a couple of cucumbers; green bell peppers and a couple of pasilla peppers.  

Two kinds of squash!

We ate the green beans on the first night (long past their prime, I'm afraid).  All the peppers went into a gochujang noodle dish that we're fans of.  The kale went to a tofu scramble that is in our regular rotation.  The peaches I cooked down into a peach-ginger jam that I'll freeze for mid-winter oatmeal topping and the rest of the fruit got eaten as-is.  H is a big apple fan but I think my favorite fruits are stone fruits, like plums, peaches and nectarines.  They're just so summery.

reruns but the desert so it's okay

We were back in Moab for Labor Day weekend, and delighted that it was slightly cooler, as in highs only in the mid 90s.  The fact that we were "delighted" by those temperatures means we have truly given up our east coast cards.  Truly, though, the weather was great with mostly clear skies, which allowed it to cool off overnight.  Good stuff.

A Millcreek morning

Also good stuff: our neighbor is home from her summer commercial fishing in Alaska!  She bought a new boat this year, so it was a bit of a learning curve with the engine and mechanics and new fishing gear.  But she learned a lot, is set up for next spring, and both she and her sweet dog made it all safely.  We spent several hours over the course of the weekend in her shady backyard, drinking beers and hearing her stories while Milton and Moscow did dog stuff.

This is where Millcreek flooded by the Youth Garden Project

Outdoors/exercise-wise, our activities looked a lot like they have all summer.  On Friday morning, while H did a five mile trail run, A and M went to Millcreek.  The monsoonal floods have made a mess from the confluence on down, dropping lots of sand and actually making the lower creekside trail pretty flat to walk on.  Later that morning, A and H did a sixteen mile bike path road ride - H was on his MTB because we hadn't brought his road bike with us, planning for him to use his cruiser for bike path rids, but his cruiser had a flat tire so MTB it was.  Unfortunately, the flooding has completely taken out the part of the path by the vet's office - and if I were the owner of the house next door, I would be getting very, very nervous.

Circle O morning

Saturday H had planned for a longer trail run, so we all piled into the car and drove out to Moab Brand Trails.  H and M did eight+ miles while A did her Circle O loop (across the parking lot cutover to Bar M, to Circle O (counterclockwise), back to Bar M, back to the cutover).  A then did a solo bike path ride (21 miles) because H didn't feel like lugging his heavy MTB all that way.  Can't blame him.

Nervous but festive

For Sunday, while H recovered with a 4.7 mile trail run on Pipe Dream, A and M went up to Sandflats Recreation Area for a quick practice loop walk.  We met a couple of nice dogs and found a very interesting (if you find scat interesting haha) poop out on the rocks.  It was full of prickly pear fruits and too big to be coyote ... could it have been a bear?!!?  There are definitely bears in the La Sal mountains so it's not out of the realm of possibility that a bear wandered down towards town.  Later, A did another 21 mile solo road ride.  Sure do like that little Cannondale - super glad that I bought it.

Moody Sandflats morning

Finally, on Monday, H did a short three miler while A and M went back for the Millcreek loop.  Then, after much debate about avoiding traffic (leaving before noon on Monday or leaving at 4 a.m. on Tuesday so H didn't miss an early meeting), we opted to leave early to hopefully get ahead of the holiday traffic.  We got held up less than half an hour coming down into Spanish Fork, so I guess we did get ahead of most of it, and were back in Sandy with enough time for a long holiday weekend beer perched on the tailgate of the truck.  As one does.

Scat photo below.  Apologies for those who think it's gross - just keep scrolling.