big easy

 I can't really believe it but it has been multiple years since we've been MTBing at Park City.  We got out of the habit when gas prices got so high.  It's not like they've gone down all that much but I really, really wanted to go.  Both H and I had Wednesday off and that seemed like the perfect time to go to Round Valley: even though we had to wait until noon for it to warm up (it had been in the 30s F when we woke up), it was still far less busy than it ever is on the weekends.

A crummy screenshot of my new favorite trail

We parked at Quinn's Trailhead and headed out on the doubletrack as we always used to do.  The trails were dry but in good shape and it was clear that a lot of trail maintenance had taken place since our last visit.  We dropped down the renamed Badger, which had been rerouted and de-rocked nicely, picking up Cove (what I used to call "My Nemesis") and Cammy's.  Then we connected over to do the P-Dog loop: climbing Porc-U-Climb and descending Downward Dog back to Matt's Flat.  Then it was back up to the Porc-U-Climb/Rambler intersection and down Rambler (our "Sagebrush Switchbacks") to Round Valley Express.  Here we saw that they had extended Big Easy: last time we'd ridden at Round Valley, it was a short, flowy new trail on the eastern edge of the park.  Now it has been extended as a long (5.83 mile), flowy new trail that circles most of Round Valley.  We did the new part counterclockwise, surprising some MTBers who were very much enjoying the downhill ride - it is NOT a one-way trail, however.  It was a great climb, steady but never too steep, not at all rocky, and an excellent alternative to the Rademan Ridge route which I dislike immensely.  From the top of that climb, it was a fun descent back to the Practice Loop and out.

Dusty

We rode about thirteen miles and I felt pretty good about it.  We can't wait another couple years to go back, though, as now I want to do the whole Big Easy loop and give that great climb a try in the opposite direction.

for planning purposes

We're now in shoulder season, where lift-served skiing has ended for us but there's still too much snow in northern Utah to hike much above the bench.  We did hardly any hiking last year and are determined to do better this season.  Note to self: try not to sprain your ankle again because that messes everything up.

For the record

To get ourselves back in the groove, we put together a list of potential hikes for all the weekends that we'll be around.  Now, we've done similar lists the last couple of springs as well but haven't done any of the listed hikes (although we did do ones that weren't on the list).  The bar is therefore set low: if we cross off just one of these this year, we'll be ahead of the game.

twelve years

Happy move-iversary to us!  We arrived in Salt Lake City on October 3, 2009 - starting the clock on our October to September personal calendar.  In keeping with tradition, here's what we've been doing for our past year.  Like last year, this one seems a little thin: the pandemic sticking around, me not skiing, the summer's excessive heat and wildfire smoke curtailing our usual routine of hiking and biking.  As you will see (or have seen, if you're a regular reader of this little blog), we've been in Moab a LOT.  No complaints about that, though.

October 2020: Hiking at Alta; new MTB helmets; MTBing at Alta; a week in Moab, including MTBing (Moab Brand trails, Dead Horse Point State Park, Navajo Rocks), hiking (Amasa Back, Pritchett Canyon, Jeep Arch) and catching up with friends (Erica, Kylie and Mo); hiking Mt. Wire with Ted; more Moab hikes: Steelbender, Hells Revenge and the Slickrock trail.

November 2020:  Last Park City MTB with Ted; Saltfire Brewing; windy MTBing in Moab; change in the weather; homebodying and trying new recipes; ski areas slow to open up (no/low snow); Thanksgiving in Moab.

December 2020: Alta finally opens with low snow and pandemic precautions, A decides to cash in her pass and H learns that he doesn't love skiing by himself; baking projects: three kinds of bread (with varying success), scratch brownies, dog cookies and pineapple upside-down cake; Christmas in Moab.

January 2021: H drives to ski instead of taking the bus; Alta's lift lines are very l o n g; baking projects: gingerbread cake, multiple bread attempts, wholemeal muffins, applesauce bread; Baldy's Main Chute opens; no snow but bluebird ski days; long weekend in Moab with hikes on 7-Up and the Slickrock trail.

February 2021: Moab hiking: Amasa Back, Moab Brand trails (and H on his MTB), Poison Spider; baking projects: golden milk cake with vanilla frosting and a chocolate bundt cake with chocolate ganache; major snowstorm bringing nine feet of snow and putting Alta into "maximum interlodge" for sixty hours; H has a great ski day at Deer Valley with a couple of buddies.

March 2021:  Devil's Castle opens for the first time all season; Moab hiking: Four Arch Canyon, Moab Brand trails (H on his MTB), Pipedream, Moab Rim trail; baking projects: banana-nut muffins, scratch brownies, golden milk cake with vanilla frosting (two layers this time!) and a chocolate bundt cake with chocolate ganache; beers at the Hog Wallow.

April 2021: Starting to look like spring; Moab hiking: Jackson/Cliffhanger loop, Day Canyon, Moab Brand trails (with H on his MTB); spring skiing; outside beers at Campfire Lounge with Milton and inside beers at Grid City; baking: scratch brownies, pumpkin-raisin-walnut muffins; wildflowers in Moab; Alta closes for the season.

May 2021: Beers at Hog Wallow and Campfire Lounge (with Milton); afternoon with friends; week in Moab, MTBing (Moab Brand trails, Dead Horse Point State Park, Klondike Bluffs and Navajo Rocks) and hiking (Oowah Lake, Pipedream, Alcove Spring, Pritchett Canyon, Jackson's Hole); SLC hike to Avenues Twin Peaks.

June 2021: Mulching Moab; also hiking (Mary Jane slot canyon, Millcreek Canyon, Moab Rim trail) and MTBing (Moab Brand trails, Dead Horse Point State Park) Moab; beers at the Spitfire Smokehouse with Milton; MTBing with Ted (Jordanelle State Park, Round Valley); Pack Creek fire in the La Sals; beers with Milton at the Brickyard Bar.

July 2021: Hiking the Alta "ridge run;" MTBing with Ted at Round Valley; July 4th in Moab with MTBing in the usual spots and a couple of Millcreek hikes with the dog; Alta wildflowers; A goes to Maine and H rides his legs off in Moab for the week.

August 2021:  Flash floods; really bad blown-in wildfire smoke from California and Oregon; Moab MTBing and hiking (Amasa Back, Jeep Arch, Millcreek Canyon); Clementine Ranch; 20th anniversary and a hike to Ibantik Lake in the Uintas.

September 2021: Emma Ridge hike; Labor Day long weekend in Moab with hiking and MTBing; MTBing with Ted at Round Valley; Grid City roof deck with Milton, Erica and Kylie; beers with Milton at the Garage Grill; baking: rustic apple galette.

Happy twelfth move-iversary and here's to the start of a new year!

blustery

Another SLC weekend, this time with slightly gnarlier (although not actually gnarly) weather.  Saturday was cool and cloudy, and it had actually rained some Friday night/Saturday morning.  H waited for the roads to dry up and Milton and I did our 3+ mile loop through Dimple Dell.  It was cool, humid and breezy and we didn't see many people; the skies overhead were ominous but we only got sprinkled on just a little right as we were starting out.

The rest of the day was spent at home: although the sun peaked out from time to time, it stayed cool-ish and breezy as a cold front was moving our way.  I made an apple galette (pretty good but also pretty small; will make again though because it's easy and you can use any kind of fruit) and finally succeeded with vegan yachae jeon (Korean vegetable pancakes).  These were really tasty , fairly simple and are good for cleaning out your fridge's veggie drawer.  H liked them too so they'll definitely be made again - the pancake batter helps make them filling and they're packed with veg.  No photos: I am an appallingly bad food photographer.

Moody, broody skies

On Sunday, H and I went to Round Valley and did a 15+ mile MTB ride.  It was quite windy with that dry cold front moving ever closer so there weren't that many other riders out there.  Lots of dog walkers and a number of hikers and trail runners, though, as winds don't impact them quite so much.  It was actually a great morning of riding, blustery gusts notwithstanding.  The much cooler temperatures were fantastic but the [at that point, still] clear skies meant the sun was warm.  Both H and I thought we rode pretty well.  We did Quinn's trailhead double track to Matt's Flat, to Ramble On, to Bourbon Street and Big Easy, to the backside (we haven't been there all summer and they've paved the trail head parking lot AND put in an outhouse!) to Happy Gilmor and Tin Man, down Rambler and then up Rambler, then up PorcUClimb and all the way down Down Dog, then Matt's Flat to the Practice Loop and out.  I really prefer climbing but I thought I rode Down Dog pretty well this time.  

English Pale Ale

It was wicked windy but still sunny when we got home so, after walking Milton and having a quick sandwich, we drove south to Draper to check out the Garage Grill's dog-friendly patio.  Milton wanted to go to a bar, you see.  Unfortunately, by the time we got there, the dry cold front was really moving through: temperatures dropped over 15 degrees in an hour, winds were gusting to 40 m.p.h. and the air in the Salt Lake Valley was full of dust.  Not ideal for patio drinking.  But we each had a beer - Salt Flats Brewing Company NEIPA and an English pale - and Milton got to say hi to another dog so we made the best of it.  We'll go back for sure: their patio is perfect for sunsets (although their menu isn't particularly vegan-friendly AND you do need to order some food if you're drinking).

 

weekend things

 Ever since we adopted Milton, we just haven't been doing as much hiking in the Wasatch Front as we used to do.  Part of this is absolutely because you can't take dogs into Little Cottonwood Canyon or Big Cottonwood Canyon, so that reduces the hiking opportunities if we want to take him with us.  Part of it, however, is because Utah's population has exploded in the last few years and the trailheads are just crazy-crowded on the weekends.  Of course, we're part of the problem, having relocated here ourselves.  But we've been here twelve years and feel slightly superior to all the more recent relocatees. 

Dimple Dell sunflowers

When we don't go hiking, H likes to get out on his road bike and I like to take Milt on long, 3+ mile walks from our house.  A recent loop through Dimple Dell showed us that the sunflowers are flourishing - as are all the little songbirds who feed off the sunflower seeds.

Another thing that Milton likes to do (us too, of course), is go to bars so he can meet people.  H and I really just go for the beers.  Grid City finally has its dog-friendly roof deck - with terrific views of the Wasatch Front - staffed and open during the day on the weekends.  We took our boy up to check it out (he very much did not like the metal stairs but relaxed into baking himself in the sunshine once up there).  Our friends E and K met us there, bringing along two other friends, and we had a great afternoon drinking pale ales and stuffing our faces with bomb vegan bar food.  Milton decided that those scary stairs were worth it because four different people came over to pat him, plus the bartender brought him a bowl of water before we got our beers.

No dogs on the other side of those kegs tho'

We also stopped by E and K's house on the way home so (1) Milton could see all their dogs and (2) K could load us up with a bagful of gorgeous homegrown scotch bonnet peppers.  They're in the freezer now (you can freeze fleshy peppers like scotch bonnets) while I research hot sauce recipes.  H and I tried one and HOLY MOLY THOSE ARE CRAZY HOT.  The heat fades quickly but while it lasts WOW.

Equal parts beautiful and terrifying

On Sunday, we met up with Ted for a Round Valley MTB session.  It was a really nice morning, with good temperatures, blue skies and not much wind.  There weren't very many people out first thing either, which was delightful.  No photos - too busy enjoying the ride.

hard to beat

 Sunday we hooked up with our buddy Ted for a MTB session over at Round Valley.  No photos were taken but here are some highlights:

• It was an absolutely spectacular day: sunny, clear, not windy and never hot, pretty much perfect for MTBing.
• Because it was a little cooler, there were lots of dogs out with their people including, but not limited to, a 16-week old rez dog puppy, a white-blond golden retriever who was very proud of the stick he was carrying, an enormous 9 month old brindle mastiff puppy named Fergus and two Great Danes even taller than the mastiff.
• We did over fifteen miles, one of the longer rides we've done this season.  I can't recall the route exactly but it involved Matt's Flat to the switchbacks that replaced My Nemesis (my personal name for a formerly gruelling climb straight up a narrow drainage), to Rademan Ridge (which is still rocky and not that much fun) and down Rambler, then up the sagebrush switchbacks of Rambler, then up further on PorcUClimb, then down Rusty Shovel.  At this point, Ted mentioned he'd like to do Big Easy again (the trail with the piano) so we went out on Ramble On (which is still awfully rocky and reminded H and me why we don't ride it very often) and then doubling back on Big Easy and then out.
• I started out riding okay but didn't have good focus - look, sego lilies!  look, a dog! - and ended up feeling like I was doing a lot of flailing.  H, on the other hand, had a great day: strong, fast, good bike handling.

Not as much as a highlight: weeding the rockscape on the north side of the house when we got home.  The post chores patio G&Ts were a good reward though.

dog days come early this year

 After a couple of delightfully cool (in the 70s!) days, the heat rushed into Utah with a vengeance.  Saturday wasn't terrible - topping out in the low 90s - so in the morning, H got out for a road ride while Milt and I did our 4-ish mile loop up through the neighborhood and down through Dimple Dell.  Then it was yard work - mowing and edging and sweeping and weeding - until we couldn't take it anymore.  We'd obviously earned our beers so we checked out the dog-friendly patios list on DogfriendlySLC and headed off to the Brickyard Bar, formerly known as Lumpy's.

Desert dog likes the heat I

It's been completely renovated since the Lumpy's days and the patio has been tripled.  While H and Milton waited outside, I popped in to the inside bar and let a server know that we had a dog with us.  She came around to the gate to let us in and, before she had even taken our order was showing us photos of her dog, Winston.  Everyone was very nice, constantly checking to see if Milton needed more ice cubes in his water dish.  For his part, Milt alternated cooking himself in the sun and then cooling off under our table.  He also got to meet a tiny bichon frise (or similar) puppy named Tank.  Tank couldn't have weighed more than a box of kleenex.

Ted in motion

We had made arrangements to meet up with Ted for MTBing Sunday morning at 9 a.m. It's hard to believe that we didn't get to Round Valley until mid-June this year; last year, even with more snow and pandemic restrictions, we did our first MTB there a full month earlier.  It wasn't even that busy when we started out.  We warmed up on the double track, then headed to PorcUClimb and Down Dog.  Ted and I are pretty closely matched MTB-wise: he's fitter (and possibly lighter) than I am right now, and he's a good bike handler, catching H on the downhills, but I'm a stronger climber and have better endurance.  H kicks both our butts.

A in motion

From there, we took Matt's Flat to Kari's to High Side (maybe High Line? I dunno) to the top of Rambler, then descended Rambler through the sagebrush switchbacks.  That's where we found all the people; we need to remember to do Rambler early.  After coming out on Round Valley Express, we jumped on the new Big Easy trail.  I really like that one: it's wide for singletrack and not rocky, and the climbing is steady but not steep.  We connected back up with Ramble On and Rambler, making it back to the truck that way.  We only did about twelve miles but it was already heating up.

Desert dog likes the heat II

Back on the SLC side, we waited out the midday heat, then braved the partially shaded driveway to wash the bikes (making sure to capture any usable water we could to help the trees and shrubs) and drink beers (probably slightly scandalous to the neighbors but it was so hot no one else was outside).  Milton made up for the fact that he'd been locked in the house all morning by sunbathing: 99 F in the sun with the cement driveway not quite hot enough to burn.  I guess summer is here, y'all.

jordanelle state park

We finally reconnected with our friend Ted for a MTB ride, after having had to cancel on him for sprinkler issues.  The last time H had seen him was skiing at Deer Valley this February; the last time I had seen him was MTBing last fall.  He asked us if we'd ever ridden at Jordanelle State Park, which he lives near.  We hadn't and were eager to try something new, so we loaded up the MTBs and drove to, and just past, Park City, picking Ted up at his place and then driving to the Ross Creek trailhead.

The park's Hailstone Recreation Area is where all the action is: boat ramp, wet slips, dry storage, picnic cabanas, pro shop, marina store, campground, restrooms and showers, pavilions ... it's a zoo.  Rock Cliff has boardwalks, interpretive trails, a boat ramp, walk-in campsites and a nature center.  Ross Creek, where we were on the northwest shore, has pit toilets, a big parking lot and non-motorized day-use access and is the least-frequented area of the park.  It also has access to the Perimeter Trail - for hikers, runners, dog-walkers, MTBers and equestrian use only - which follows the shoreline around the north end of the reservoir to the eastern side.

Ted took us out along the Perimeter Trail and we did around thirteen miles round trip (out and back because it doesn't appear to go all the way around, at least not without some road riding).  This is a very friendly trail: mostly double-track, some short single-track sections, dirt and gravel with undulating ups and downs and just a couple very steep hills.  For being a state park, we were surprised that there were so few people out on the trail.  We saw four other MTBers and two runners, which was a nice change from the hordes at Round Valley just up the road (that said, RV has much more fun terrain for MTBing) - obviously people come to Jordanelle State Park for the water sports, not the trails.  The water is awfully, terribly low right now, though.

After our ride, we took Ted home, pausing for a beer and to catch up.  It's nice to have a friend over there on the Park City side, doing the leg work to find new trails for us.  

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!

what a great day

Even though it's November and it has to start getting cold and wet soon, this past weekend was just glorious.  Completely cloudless skies and temperatures comfortably in the 60s, we couldn't stop exclaiming about how nice it was.

Saturday was sort of a down-shift for us.  H wanted to do a road ride so Milton and I walked/jogged a 3.25 mile loop from our house; it's very nice to have him keep me company (since I don't like running very much) but he's a pain on the leash so it's never the easiest run, even with a downhill finish.  After getting cleaned up, we did some town errands, like dropping off ice cream for a friend who was scheduled to have her tonsils removed on Monday and getting a skateboarding helmet for H.  We tried a couple of different places but most of the shops are skate/board shops and are gearing up for the snowboard season, which means supply was low.  We finally found one that fit at Salty Peaks: we'd never been in that shop before and it was amazing, with tons of old skate- and snowboards in their museum - the ceiling and upper walls are covered with boards.  Very cool.

Of course there's a piano on the Big Easy

Sunday we convinced Ted to go MTBing with us at Round Valley, meeting him at 11 a.m. so as to take advantage of the warmest part of the day.  We decided to give our original loop a go, with some small variations: Matt's Flat/Cammy's to Seventy-101, to PorcUClimb and the top half of Down Dog, to Valderoad to Matt's Flat to Rambler (up the "Sweet Sixteen" side and down the "Sagebrush Switchbacks" side, which was busier than we have ever seen it), out Round Valley Express to the paved bike trail.  It was here that we discovered new trails!  We had no idea they were there but took Bourbon Street up and then left onto Big Easy, which brought us back to Rambler (near the Rambler/Ramble On intersection), which took us back to Ability Way and the trailhead.  Bourbon Street and Big Easy are terrific: easy climbing, nice smooth dirt, not rocky and - best of all - no one on them.  Super-nice.

Such a great day

On our way back through SLC, we stopped by a new-to-us brewery: Saltfire Brewing Co., not too far from Grid City on West Temple.  Their beer is available to go or to drink on site; it's only in cans because it's higher point, which meant we had to choose carefully.  Luckily, their Lupulin Dew pale ale is very, very tasty.  They have a nice, west-facing patio, which would be too hot in the summer but was perfect this late fall day.  We enjoyed our beer and enjoyed talking with the table of girls sitting next to us, all fairly recent transplants to SLC from the east coast who had hiked to Lake Blanche earlier.  Best part: the patio is dog-friendly so we will definitely be going back and bringing Milton along to work the crowd.

new helmet sunday

You should probably buy a new helmet every 2-4 years, depending on how much you ride (i.e., are out in the sun).  It's been about nine years since I bought my current helmet and H's is even older than that, not to mention that he rides a LOT.  Suffice it to say that we were overdue for new helmets.  On Saturday, after our respective road ride/Alta hike, we cleaned up and drove into Sugarhouse (a hip Salt Lake City neighborhood) to our favorite bike shop, Fishers Cyclery.  We chatted with Wayne for a while and then both decided on Giro Radix helmets in bright colors.  Mission accomplished!  And then we went to Grid City Beerworks for beers and lunch.  Mission accomplished!

Sunday was the clearest day we've had in weeks - it was breezy and the wind's direction must have cleared out all the local and blown-in wildfire smoke we've had.  We waited a little while for things to warm up (it was 36 F in Park City at 8:30) and then we hied ourselves on over to Round Valley.  As we were getting our things ready, we had a long discussion about whether we should take Milton with us.  He wanted to go (obviously) and it was cool enough now; the real problem, aside from his tendency to overdo it, is that he's still pretty oblivious on the trails and we didn't want him to run into a MTBer or a MTBer to run into him.  In the end we decided to leave him behind, pouting on the bed; H noted that because we decided to leave him home, it probably wouldn't be busy.

Terrible photo of me but NEW HELMETS

As it turned out, it wasn't that busy and we could have brought him, especially since I was SO SLOW because my legs were still fatigued from the prior day's hike (because I am not in particularly good shape).  There were lots of trail runners, and lots of dogs, but we only saw a few MTBers out on the trail, except for one section of Matt's Flat where H had to navigate eight MTBers and six dogs all together.

Action shot (note pink gloves lol)

I had been hoping that my fabulous new helmet would magically make me a better MTBer.  Alas, no, but I think I looked marginally cooler and I will totally take that.  We climbed from Quinn's Trailhead to PorcUClimb, then down Rusty Shovel.  From there, I headed back to the front side via Rambler to Matt's Flat while H did a longer climb up the first eight turns of the sixteen Rambler switchbacks, then doubled back on Kari's Trail, to Matt's Flat, to meet me at the bottom of Down Dog.  We then climbed back up and did the whole P-Dog loop, and I actually rode the bottom half of Down Dog better than I ever have (magic helmet).  My puny legs were tired at that point so I rode out via the double track and H went back on Matt's Flat, giving him about fourteen miles on the day, with some good climbs.  I was just happy that I didn't have to break in my new helmet with a crash, so thumbs up all around.

eleven years

We arrived in Utah on October 3, 2009.  Because of that, our own year starts in October and ends in September.  And, as is traditional, here is a recap of our past year's activities.  It's a little weird, this time around, because of the COVID-19 pandemic and all that has entailed: our ski season ended abruptly mid-and we then went to Moab for eight weekends in a row, just to get away and get outside.  Since then, we've been mostly alternating weekends - SLC and Moab - and know how fortunate we are to be able to do that.  Like everyone else, any actual trips have been canceled/put on hold, so it's been a lot of the same going on.  But we are so far healthy, relatively sane and continuing to be outside as much as we can be.  Here's to the next year!

October 2019:  A week in Moab, with H's folks joining us for some of it, and Milton stays in his first hotel (and doesn't like the elevator); MTBing and hiking in Park City; another Moab weekend and a brand new (to us) arch.

November 2019:  H's last MTB of the season at Round Valley (and A and M take a hike); a couple of weekends in Moab, including Thanksgiving (stormy weather, hike to Delicate Arch, Hell's Revenge); hiking in Park City.

December 2019:  Skiing begins with good snow on day #2; a couple of weekends in Moab (Porcupine Rim and Fins N' Things hikes); good snow around Christmas.

January 2020:  Great ski conditions with lots of storms; a couple of weekends in Moab (with hikes in Grandstaff Canyon, return to Fins N' Things).

February 2020:  Skiing with our friend Will (great conditions); huge snowstorms with historic interlodge closure in Little Cottonwood Canyon; long weekend in Moab (Metal Masher, Amasa Back, attempt to find Pocket Arch).

March 2020:  Skiing; the pandemic arrives; every weekend spent in Moab (Uranium Arch, Pocket Arch attempt); first MTB of the season.

April 2020:  Every weekend in Moab (Jackass Canyon, Jackson's Trail, Steelbender, Behind the Rocks, Sovereign trail systems, Grandstaff from the other end, Hidden Valley, Fins N' Things; MTBing); wheel trouble on one trip home.

May 2020:  A couple weekend in Moab, including Memorial Day holiday; Woody's reopens; hiking and MTBing in Park City.

June 2020:  Every other weekend in Moab with MTBing (new trails include Horsethief and Chisholm; and hiking (Grandstaff Canyon, Hell's Revenge, Amasa Back, Seven Mile Canyon, Upheaval Dome, Millcreek); MTBing in Park City; Grandeur Peak and Lookout Peak hikes.

July 2020:  Back to Alta for the first time since March 8 to do a hike; MTBing and hiking in Park City with friend Ted; two long weekends in Moab (Day Canyon hike, Moab Rim hike, Navajo Rocks hike where Milton wicked overdoes it chasing rabbits.); we discover Grid City Beer Works.

August 2020:  "Pleasanting" at Round Valley; Moab long weekend; MTBing in Park City with Ted; flowers at Alta.

September 2020:  Snowbird hike; "new" cruiser bike for A; Labor Day weekend in Moab (very hot); MTBing with Ted.

Happy eleventh move-iversary and happy new year to you all!

three's company

 We reached out to our friend Ted towards the end of the week to see if he was interested in MTBing with us again.  He was, and so we all met at the Round Valley Quinn's Trailhead at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday.  It was busy - with kids' lacrosse games and several adult exercise classes all happening - but there weren't too many MTBers out on the trails.  With the last of the cool temperatures lingering, the air was a little cool.  But the sun was warm and as soon as we started riding, and climbing, because the trailheads are all located in low spots, we warmed right up.

Ted on the trail

We started out on some doubletrack to get our legs going, then hopped onto PorcUClimb for a nice climb, and the top half of Down Dog for a nice descent.  From there, we took Matt's Flat out northwest-ish to the hill that I used to call "My Nemesis."  It has since been rerouted and is a much nicer climb.  We had intended to take the Round Valley Express to the backside of Rambler, but there was a horse and rider and accompanying corgi heading that way; rather than spook them, we rode along Rademan Ridge (not my preferred trails as it is quite rocky) to the saddle, then descended Rambler, crossed Round Valley Express - where we said hi to the horse and rider and corgi who had just arrived - and climbed the sagebrush switchbacks of Rambler.

Me, finally catching up

I got passed by three people on the climb (including one guy who had a baby with him on his bike) but my pride wasn't injured because I managed to ride this one short, steep, loose pitch near the top that often/usually gives me trouble.  From there, we continued up Rambler to the Rusty Shovel intersection, and then descended that trail.  Ted doesn't complain but he doesn't like to climb quite as much as H and I do.  We rode out from there, taking our time on the winding switchbacks of the Practice Loop; that's such a nice section that it always makes me feel like I'm a decent MTBer.

Sugarloaf is everywhere

After a brief recap of the morning as we all put our bikes on their racks, we parted ways with Ted.  Once in the truck we noted the time - 12 noon - which is just when Grid City Beer Works opens.  By the time we got there, there were already a number of other patrons who also thought some good food and beer were a good idea.  It was nice to see word getting around and the bartender told us, with a smile on his face, that Friday night there had been a 30+ minute wait for people to get in.  That is encouraging news!

trails with friends

 Our friend Ted texted H to say that he'd gotten a new MTB - he'd been riding his gravel bike but realized that Park City has lots of different kinds of trails; plus he likes gear - and that he'd love to ride with us if we were going to be in the area.  We told him we'd meet him at the Quinn's Trailhead at Round Valley at 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning.  Despite northern Utah going through a heat event right now, it was super pleasant in Park City, cool even.  We were a little surprised to see so few cars in the parking lot - we scarcely saw anyone all morning - but weren't about to complain about it.  After duly admiring Ted's new wheels, we hit the trails.

I think Ted was a little apprehensive about riding with us after our longer than planned hike last time, so H kept that in mind.  We rode up to PorcUClimb (which I was pleased to only be climbing once) to do the P-Dog loop, then I suggested Matt's Flat to Round Valley Express so we could climb Rambler.  Amazingly, we didn't see a single other person the whole way up; even more amazingly, I stayed calm and rode this one short, steep, loose section that often gives me fits.  Fist pump!  From the top of the ride, we descended on Rusty Shovel, then climbed the three steep steps on Rambler.  To finish things out, we swooped through the sagebrush of the practice loop by the National Ability Center, some fun corners that make you feel like a MTB hero.

Ted invited us back to his place for a post-ride coffee/water/Gatorade and, to be honest, it was nice to be in some A/C for a change, instead of standing on hot asphalt.  Unfortunately, we had finished a little too early for beer - but H and I remedied that by stopping by Fishers Cyclery to get H's brakes worked on when we got back to the Salt Lake City side.  It was after noon by then, so we stopped by Grid City Beer Works to put some cash into the local economy.  Buy local/drink local!

We didn't take any pictures this time so here's one from H's ride on Falcon Flow: his bike is right on the edge of a cliff, so that's exciting for riding!

pleasanting

There's this thing called "Everesting" that cyclists are doing these days: pick any hill, anywhere, and do repeats of it until you've climbed the equivalent height of Mt. Everest (8,848 meters; 29,029 feet).  With most of the summer's cycling events canceled due to the pandemic, this challenge has been very popular, giving people a goal to try for which they can do socially distanced.  

Top of 4 (we had snacks at 4 and 7)

Let's be clear: we did not climb the height of Mt. Everest - wasn't even a possibility.  But there's this one climb out at Round Valley, PorcUClimb, that I love; every time we ride it, I say, "I could ride this all day!"  So we decided to see just how many times I could ride it, connecting with the upper part of Down Dog to make the 2.43 mile P-Dog loop.

Top of 7

Spoiler alert: I did it ten times.  Now, this climb has only 182 feet of elevation - so if I had actually wanted to Everest I would still be riding.  I had hoped to do ten at a minimum and I think if it hadn't been so hot, I might have been able to knock out one or two more laps.  But we were out there for nearly four hours and even though we had started around 8 a.m., it was pushing noon at the start of August in Utah - even in Park City it's hot.

Top of 9

My best lap was #2: my legs had warmed up so I wasn't wobbly; I didn't have anyone in front of me so I could climb at my own pace; and I actually felt like I descended pretty well.  That lap took me eighteen minutes, which would be my fastest on the day.  By lap #5, my legs were starting to tire.  Laps 7 and 8 were brutal but by #9, the end was in sight and I felt pretty good.  I was toast by the final climb, however: my feet swollen in the heat, the tendons behind my left knee were creaking and I was saddle-sore.  

Top of 10

I don't usually ride for four hours and I hadn't taken a whole lot of rest.  H, who is so much stronger and faster than I am, waited for me at the top of PorcUClimb and the bottom of Down Dog each time.  This meant his riding time was three hours and he had an hour of rest.  In that same four hour period, I only had twenty minutes of rest because sometimes I would get to the top and want to keep going, just to try to stay ahead of the other riders out on the trail.  Being a Saturday morning, it was pretty busy until about 11 a.m. - but since both trails are one-way only, we never had to deal with oncoming traffic and that was a treat.

Done!  Where's the beer?!?

It took me about twenty minutes to feel like myself again once the ride was done, stretching to relax my back and legs, taking those dang biking shoes off, etc.  By then I was ravenous and very thirsty.  Stopping by Grid City Beerworks for vegan wings and nachos, and some tasty pale ales, seemed like the right thing to do at that point.

Our total elevation gain, including the 208' from the parking lot to the start line, was 2,028'.  That means that although we didn't climb Everest, we did climb Pleasant Mountain, southern Maine's tallest mountain (2,006' feet, and basically starting at sea level) and home of Shawnee Peak ski area.

Ride stats: 27.82 miles; moving (H) 2:51 (A) 3:40 / 9.7 m.p.h.; overall 4:01 / 6.9 m.p.h.; H's max speed 23.3 m.p.h.

10 laps @ 2.43 = 24.30 miles + distance from truck to start line

10 laps @ 182' = 1,820' + 208' from truck to start line = 2,028'

easiest ten miles ever

On Sunday we met up with our friend Ted, who is a very recent transplant to Utah.  He had a condo at Canyons for years - but now lives in Kamas - so he suggested a hike on Rob's Trail in the general Canyons area.  We thought that sounded like a great idea: we had last been there in July 2018 and we knew Milton was allowed on the trails there.

 Nicely shaded for much of the hike

We all convened at the busy trailhead around 9 a.m.; although this was a later start than we usually aim for, most of the trail is shaded, at least until you get up on the ridge, so we weren't too worried about the heat.  And I cannot say enough about the Park City trails - they are so wonderful to walk on, mostly rock-free packed dirt.  It was dusty because there's been no rain but the ground is very comfortable under foot.

 A veritable bouquet (columbine, paintbrush, asters and more)

The sign at the trailhead said dogs needed to be leashed but once we were several switchbacks up, and had met about a dozen unleashed dogs, we let Milton run free.  He seems to stick closer to the trail in wooded areas (as opposed to how far-ranging he'll go out in the desert where he can more easily see us), occasionally charging off into the underbrush after the cheeky squirrels.  These are multi-use trails - meaning hikers and MTBers must share - and Milt did much better about staying out of the way of the MTBers we met.  He was his usual charming self, garnering several compliments ("That's a great-looking dog!") and pats throughout the day.  Everyone loves Milton.

 Don't recognize this one

The wildflowers were phenomenal out there: lupine, fireweed, horsemint, columbine, paintbrush, scarlet gilia, purple asters and more whose names I forget.  Seeing those flowers put an urge in me to get up to Little Cottonwood Canyon to see the blooms there before they fade.

 Horsemint (or maybe catmint)

At the first intersection, we turned right, heading to the ridge above the drainage we'd just come out of.  Our plan had been to make a loop, either via Yeti's Trail or Moose Puddle, but we didn't have good maps; as we descended Yeti's towards the Utah Olympic Park, we really seemed to be going further out of our way than we wanted.  After some discussion, we decided to just go back the way we came, because it was a known quantity and also mostly shaded.  This proved to be a good idea because Milton finished his water just as we finished climbing back up to the ridge.

The sun was strong out from under the trees

We got back to the cars around 1:00 p.m., having done 10+ miles - rather more than we thought we would do when we started out.  But with those cushy Park City trails underfoot, it was definitely one of the easiest ten-milers we've ever done.

Hike stats: to be updated but we did over 10 miles

bikes and beer

It has been so hot and parched lately - the trails in Park City are bone-dry and dusty.  But that didn't stop us from going out on Saturday and laying some miles down.  We got to Round Valley early-ish, getting on the trails before 8:30 a.m.  The trailheads were fairly busy but the trails themselves were not.  That's how we like it.

For some reason, my bike gets way dirtier than H's

We made our way from Quinn's to do a P-Dog loop (up PorcUClimb and down Down Dog - I feel like I could ride that loop forever), then went across on Matt's Flat to Rambler/Ramble On to tackle Rusty Shovel from the bottom up.  Afterwards, both H and I thought we'd ridden it well, getting up faster than before, plus I even rode two corners that I had dabbed before.  Once at the top, we immediately went down the sixteen switchbacks of Rambler, then crossed over to the paved bike path to get to the far side.  We rode up Happy Gilmor and Tin Man to Rademan Ridge.  My legs were pretty beat by then so I went down Rambler to Round Valley Express, and up to Valderoad and out; H climbed Rambler and did the P-Dog Loop again.  I only beat him back to the truck by four minutes.

Brown on cask; pale ale on CO2

On our way back, we stopped at A. Fisher Brewing Co. to pick up a gift card for a friend.  Their taproom is still closed (stupid pandemic) and we wanted beers, so we tried a new place: Grid City Beer Works, SLC's 34th and newest brewery.  They really are brand-new - their grand opening was mid-March, and they had to quickly address the COVID-19 issue by putting their roof deck on hold and buying a canning machine so they could sell to-go beers.

Beer menu

They are open for dine-in and to-go, with half their seating available and sanitation procedures in place.  We really liked it.  They only do a few beers (cream ale, pale ale and brown ale, plus a couple of pilsners and a couple of hard seltzers) but each beer can be poured three ways (cask, nitro and regular CO2).  They also have a fairly comprehensive pub food menu, with wings, burgers, salads, bowls, etc., and the amazing thing is that the base menu is vegan.  Animal protein is available as an add-in.  H and I devoured an order of seitan buffalo wings and then had a nice conversation with the brewery's owner when he sought us out to see how we liked them.

Grid City is located at 333 West 2100 South in Salt Lake City.  You better believe we'll be going back.

Look at that!  All those peaks and valleys!  We earned our beers

Ride stats (H): 20.77 miles (I probably did 18+); 2:09 hours; 9.0 H's avg. speed; 1,600 feet of climbing

all the ups

Those days of moderate temperatures have fled - it is hot-hot-hot in Utah right now!  We lucked out Friday overnight, however, and things cooled off enough that it was very pleasant MTBing in Park City Saturday morning.  We got a medium-early start and were on the trails a little after 8 a.m.  The Quinn's Trailhead parking was full-ish due to the Salt Lake Running Company's Park City Trail Series, doing their 10K race on the Round Valley trails.  Attendance looked to be down a bit from prior years due to COVID-19 but it was great to see all the runners out there.

Dry and dusty out there

Feeling emboldened by our last time, we headed straight to Rusty Shovel.  I started out wobbly but finished the climb stronger than I started it; it is steeper towards the top but not rocky, so I don't panic so much.  H did the climb in fifteen minutes and I apparently did it in twenty, my time a minute less than last time.  From there, we had to do a last-second reroute because of the runners coming up Rambler so we went across Matt's Flat to climb what we call "My Nemesis," even though it isn't anymore, then went down Round Valley Express all the way to the paved bike path.  After getting to the far trailhead, we climbed Happy Gilmor and Tin Man - much more fun to ride up than ride down, in our opinion - then went down Rambler, crossed the RVE and climbed back up Rambler via the sagebrush switchbacks.  Then, because we hadn't had quite enough climbing, we did the P-Dog loop: up PorcUClimb and down Down Dog. 

I don't know whether it was due to the not-yet-hot temperatures or my legs are finally getting into shape or I was just able to focus better, but that ended up being one of my best rides yet this year.  I felt good on the climbs and I did some of my best descending on Down Dog.  It was a good ride.

Ride stats: 16.82 miles; 1:52 hours; 9.0 avg. m.p.h. (H); around 1,300' elevation

reversal

We got up and out early Sunday morning, despite slightly fatigued legs from the Alta/Snowbird hike the day before, and got to the Round Valley trails around 8 a.m., the thought being that we would both avoid the crowds and get a decent ride in before the weather changed.  A cold front was due in the afternoon, with winds forecasted to pick up around 10 a.m.; we hoped there would be rain to help the plethora of wildfires that had sprung up (most human-caused, grrrr) nearby.

As luck (or our timing) would have it, there were very few people on the trails, right up until the witching hour of 10:30 a.m.  Even better, the people we did see - most with dogs, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures - had very good trail etiquette.  It's more fun when everyone follows the rules!

Coming up Rambler to Rademan Ridge

To mix things up a bit, H suggested that we ride reverse on a couple of trails: we'd go UP Rusty Shovel, which we'd only ever ridden down; and we'd do DOWN Tin Man and Happy Gilmor, which we'd only ever ridden up.  I was apprehensive about climbing Rusty Shovel since it's a fairly long climb that seems steep at the top, but I've never shied away from hike-a-bike. 

To my surprise, Rusty Shovel was a lot of fun to ride up!  And I rode a lot more of it than I thought it would, including the last few switchbacks towards the top.  It's not a particularly rocky trail, and for me that makes all the difference in my confidence.  The same cannot be said for doing Tin Man/Happy Gilmor downhill - both H and I found it more fun to climb, in large part because of all the chunks.  Lesson learned: we like to climb.

We split up for the last bit of our ride, with me beelining back to the truck via Round Valley Express and Matt's Flat with tired legs, and with H climbing Rambler and PorcUClimb and then racing a strong female MTBer down Down Dog.  We got back to SLC just in time for the cold front to arrive and after liberating poor Milton, sat in the garage while the thunder and lightning crashed dramatically over the Wasatch range.  No need to run the lawn sprinklers that night!

Ride stats:  16.88 miles; 1:55 hours; 8.8 m.p.h. average speed

something old

Utah has been experiencing some below normal temperatures and although it can't last and we'll soon enough be at 100 F, it's been refreshing to have to dig socks out for after-dinner TV watching.  When we went MTBing at Round Valley last Saturday, it was sunny and windy but the cooler temperatures were lovely: not too cold, just right.  We got over there right around the same time as the last time only this time it wasn't nearly as crowded.  We couldn't figure out why.  Despite the prior weekend's wet, wintry weather the trails were bone-dry but also slightly less dusty - win-win!

It wasn't much of a win for me biking-wise, however.  I haven't been able to figure out why I've been struggling so on these trails that I have ridden so many times over the last ten years.  I know I can ride them, I'm comfortable on them ... I think it's more than just being slightly out of shape, I think I haven't been able to get out of my head and focus while I'm riding.  The fact that my rear brake was SHRIEKING at me didn't help my concentration any.  It started making noise at the very end of our ride last time but we just couldn't figure it out.  After about a half hour, at H's suggestion, I tried slamming on the brakes as hard as I could but that didn't do anything.  So we picked up the back of my bike, I held the brakes tightly and he pulled my wheel through the brakes with his hand.  Amazingly, thankfully, that did it and the remainder of the ride was quiet.

 Speedwell (a/k/a Veronica).  Maybe.

We didn't ride very far this time because my head just wasn't in the game.  But we did a PorcUClimb/Rusty Shovel combo, and then climbed old-school back up the "sweet sixteen" switchbacks of Rambler, and then did P-Dog loop (PorcUClimb to Down Dog), so we did get some solid climbs in.

And then we went home and hung out on the patio and I figured out what the sole mystery plant that had popped up in our front "garden" was - must have blown in from a neighbor's yard but we think it's pretty so it gets to stay.

So you see: some climbing

Ride stats: 11:58 miles (our shortest in recent memory); 1:19 hours; 8.7 m.p.h. average/20.8 m.p.h. H's top speed