winter desert sojourn

This January there has been an ugly little virus going around and both H and A caught it.  Don't know if it was a weird flu, a COVID variant or some other virus, but we were both sick as dogs for a while.  (Conversely, the dog has never been healthier.)  Mostly it's been congestion and a deep, lingering cough, but A also had a delightful twelve-hour interlude of chills - no fever, just chills - and even called in sick to work for a day, which never happens.

We're all better now, but when we went to Moab for the MLK Jr. holiday weekend, we were only mostly better.  We drove down Friday afternoon, with little traffic and no snow; the no snow situation had brought a lingering inversion to the Salt Lake Valley, with nasty smog, so we were glad to get out of that.  We were glad to see some snow in the La Sals, but it's up pretty high and not nearly enough.  Just like everywhere else in the state.

Happy little goofball

In our not-entirely-back-to-normal states, the outdoors activities were limited, although we did get outside each day.  On Saturday, while H did a town walk and errands, A and M did 5.5 miles on the Pipe Dream trail.  This time of year, with the sun so low, that trail stays pretty shaded and icy, if there's any snow.  Milton was super happy to get some off-leash time; A had to take a nap that afternoon before venturing over to Woody's with H.

Needs more snow

There was some improvement by Sunday, so A and M put together 7.2 miles: from Jackson Street, south on Pipe Dream to the Hidden Valley trailhead (some ten cars there, in the bright January sunshine), then back along the Pipeline jeep road.  It was quite pleasant in the sun and chilly in the shade as temperatures were low 30s.  After an afternoon nap, A and H went to our friends' house to watch the Bears football game.  

Country roads

Monday and Tuesday were pretty chill: long town walks with the whole family (5.2 miles and 4.7 miles, respectively), reading and a Woody's session on Monday, housecleaning and driving back to SLC on Tuesday.  By the time we arrived in Sandy, we were mostly feeling back to ourselves again.  Maybe getting out of the SLC smog to the desert sunshine was all we needed?