now 265

 Alta has gotten 56" of snow since H skied last, with a season snowfall total of 265" (still way low).  So when he went up there Saturday, it was to the best conditions of the season. Of course, he was not alone in thinking the skiing might be okay: he picked up the first bus of the day (6 a.m.) at the first stop (Historic Sandy) and while he did score a seat, it was SRO when they left.  The driver managed to cram another twenty-five or so folks on at the second stop (where H usually picks up the bus) but it was jam-packed.

H's favorite trees to ski

The snow was definitely better than it has been all season.  H took advantage and FINALLY got off the groomers; he only had two groomer runs on the day, the first from Collins to Supreme, and the last coming back down into Collins.  Instead he got first tracks on Challenger, got into the trees he likes off 3 Bears, went down Chartreuse and also off the High T, did the very steep skier's left off the front of Wildcat and had some untracked snow in the Backside when they opened that up.  He didn't get that many vertical feet because the lift lines were long, but he skied hard and had some good runs.

Dark blue over the backside

Items of note: H noticed 5-10 other people reading books in the Goldminer's Daughter Lodge while they waited for the lifts to open; he feels like quite a trendsetter.  And a guy told him he had the best mustache on the mountain, comparing it to the one worn by a Grateful Dead guitarist.

Not pretty, still tasty

Down in the valley, A and M were productive.  We did our five mile Dimple Dell walk, did a load of laundry/put away clean laundry, swept the garage and mudroom, dusted (!), made some stuff (four quarts of lentil soup, a quart and a half of black beans and monkeybread) and tried a new recipe for dinner (broccoli steaks with white bean puree and turmeric-harissa couscous).

mind the gap

 Oops - certainly didn't mean for such a long break between posts.  We went down to Moab last weekend for a friend's mother's funeral, and then I had to work long hours to make up the time (without burning a precious vacation day), so things just got away from me here.

On the trail again

It was a little surreal, being in Moab and having to do grown-up things, like wear real clothes and be places at certain times.  The funeral was at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Moab Community Church (which amazingly didn't immediately catch fire when H and I entered), then a luncheon, and then the graveside service out in Castle Valley.  The funeral was nice, actually, very personal with folks telling stories about the decedent, plus lots of songs.  And we hadn't thought to bring beer to the graveside service, but a number of folks did, so there's that.

"Whazzat?" Milton, probably

That afternoon, we hung out with our neighbor and her dog, drinking beers and getting caught up.  That was really good too and we hadn't had the chance for a while: she is a commercial fisherman who spends her late springs/summers/early falls on her boat in Alaska.

Keep 'er movin'

We did manage a little bit of trail time, much to Milton's delight, putting together a 7+ miler on Pipe Dream.  Despite the snow earlier in the week, the trail was in good shape - mostly dry and not muddy.  It wasn't heavily trafficked either, although we did meet a couple of nice dogs out with their people.

Here come the spring flowers!

And finally, to wrap up the adulting, our hot water heater/tank needs to be replaced as it has no expansion tank (?) and is leaking directly onto the pilot light.  There were lukewarm showers all weekend, which wouldn't have been a problem if it was already summer.  It was a decent weekend but all things considered, I think I prefer not to have to adult so much.

untitled (because i've been sitting for 20 minutes unable to come up with something clever)

Ski-wise, Sunday was pretty close to Saturday, although a little less: a little less crowded, a little less sunny, the snow a little less good.  H took the 6:10 a.m. bus again and found it about as full as the day before.  In case you're wondering, that bus gets to Wildcat Base at 6:50 - which is almost 2.5 hours before the lifts open.  He sits in the Goldminer's Daughter Lodge, drinks his thermos of coffee and reads.  And that, my friends, is dedication.

Looks like they got the Backside open

Milton and A had a pretty full day.  We did our Dimple Dell walk, then got some bread dough started.  While that proofed, we did a Costco run and a load of laundry.  Then the rest of the day got fit in between stretching and shaping and resting and baking the baguettes: cleaning bathrooms, making peanut butter cupcakes (with chocolate frosting) and a tomato-chickpea stew for dinner.  Written out like that, it doesn't seem like much but the whole baguette process takes 5+ hours.  Not something that can be done on a weeknight.

First ever baguette attempt

made it to 209

Finally, we got some snow.  A decent storm rolled through Tuesday night through Thursday morning, leaving 3-5 inches in the valley and a nice 44" up at Alta.  My commute home Wednesday evening was a little gnarly: although there wasn't that much snow, the roads were icy and there were multiple slide-offs and crashes to avoid in my dependable little Subaru.  This brings the base depth at Alta to 93" and their accumulation to date to 209".  That's pretty meager for almost end-of-February, but we'll take it.

Clear and cold to start

All the skiers, of course, collectively lost their minds and it was crazy-busy up in the Cottonwood Canyons.  Snowbird had to close their parking lots - full - by 7:30 a.m. Friday morning.  And H, figuring it would be a madhouse, got up even earlier and took the first ski bus of the day, snagging the next-to-last seat at 6:10 a.m.  On the ride up the canyon, the driver of the 6:30 bus came on over the radio, saying that after the very first stop, they were completely full; over in Big Cottonwood Canyon, the bus driver reported leaving 70 people behind after filling his bus.  The Goldminer's Daughter Lodge was packed by 7:30 a.m.  Lift lines were ludicrous, with the Supreme singles line wrapping around one side of Alf's Lodge and the Sugarloaf singles line wrapping around the other side.  Best snow of the season - practically the only snow of the season.

Meanwhile, down in the valley, A and M did their five mile Dimple Dell walk; A also later walked to our local library to restock.  There were house chores (laundry, vacuuming, changing sheets), some baking (vegan hermits) and some cooking (Tuscan-style multi-bean soup, veganized arugula pesto, cashew cream and Mexican-style black beans for burrito bowls for dinner).

cuzzins

 We just got back from a long holiday weekend in Moab.  This time, we had to be social as my youngest cousin B, her boyfriend A and one of their friends P, joined us for a couple of days, out from Brooklyn.  P's parents relocated to Park City several years ago so their ultimate destination was the Wasatch Back and (hopefully) some skiing.  But they decided to come out a little early and drove down to Moab Saturday morning.

H and M finishing their trail run

While we waited for them to arrive, H and Milton did a six mile trail run and I did a 4.6 mile (random distance) walk on Pipe Dream.  It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm.  And when the kids (B is the oldest at not-quite 31) arrived, they wanted to do a hike.  We took them to Amasa Back which, surprisingly, was not that busy.  We saw a few MTBers out on the trail, and some side-by-sides in the distance, and a couple of BASE jumpers and rock climbers at the trail head.  But we largely had the Hymasa trail to ourselves.  It was fun to go with people new to the area and full of appreciation for the scenery.

After the hike and a quick parking lot beer, we went back to the house.  The kids wanted to check out Milt's Stop & Eat so after everyone got cleaned up, they walked there for an early dinner.  H and I had soup at home - Milt's, although wonderful, is not particuarly vegan-friendly.  When they came back, we all walked to Woody's for a couple of pitchers and some Olympics viewing.

Culvert Canyon view

Sunday was still warm but not nearly as pretty a day, with overcast skies.  We took the group on a Jeep Arch hike and it was clear that Milton was enjoying have a group of people around.  All three of B, A and P are dog lovers and Milton just circulated from person to person, getting all the loves.  After the hike, the kids explored downtown on foot - including Lin Ottinger's Rock Shop, Back of Beyond Books, Pagan Mountaineering and lunch at El Tapatio, which they said was really good.  (It is not at all vegan-friendly, if you're wondering, and not really vegetarian-friendly either as the refried beans are made with lard and the rice is cooked in chicken broth.)

H leads the way

Late afternoon found B and bf A explorying the Practice Loop at Sand Flats while the rest of us had some quiet time at home.  And then it was dinner at home, and early to bed: the kids were up and out the door by 6:15 a.m. on Monday, planning to hit up Arches National Park before heading back north to SLC.

H, M and I did a town walk, then H and I met a friend at Woody's for beers and more Olympics.  (During the Olympics is really the only time I miss having live t.v.)  And that was it, although we did take Tuesday off too and timed our return north around the next storm system due to hit Utah.  Will we actually get some snow?  Stay tuned ...

if all else fails, carb load

 Sunday was just like Saturday (although we did have some high, thin clouds in the morning): clear, sunny, unseasonably warm and no snow.  It was literally 61F at our house when H got home from skiing at Alta.  Where dudes were skiing in t-shirts.  On the 8th day of February.  I mean, it's awfully nice for walking but holy hell there are WEEDS ACTIVELY GROWING and Utah's reservoirs are going to be in dire straits if something doesn't change soon.  At least H did remember to put on sunscreen.

Only slightly less sunny than Saturday

All whilst bemoaning the current non-winter, A and M had a very productive Dimple Dell walk Sunday morning.  We helped a guy find his lost phone.  We saw four chonky mule deer (one buck with antlers (which, shouldn't those have shed this fall?) and three does).  We met a nine year old rez dog rescue named Snow, originally from Farmington, NM, who was lovely.  And then once we got back home, Milton once again basked in the sun in the driveway all afternoon.

Underfoot, trying to be patient, while A

mixes up cookie dough pre-walk

Meanwhile, inside the house, A made a red lentil soup, meal-prepped her breakfasts and lunches for the next two days, baked chocolate chip cookies (because H is addicted to them) and baked that olive bread that had been started the day before.  

Maybe could have stayed in a little longer?

Looks pretty good tho (especially for me)

at least there's cinnamon rolls

I really, really try to keep this blog as positive and innocuous as possible.  But I mean, the twits who say climate change isn't real should just go take a jump in a lake.  If there's even any lakes left because as of the date of this post, Alta has gotten approximately two inches of snow since New Year's Eve.  The mountains of northern Utah used to be smothered in light, fluffy snow by now.  Alta should have a base depth of well over 100 inches by now (they have 57" - and probably less by now because: melting).  Utah depends on snowpack for its water and it looks bad right now.

Not a cloud in the sky.  Unfortunately.

At any rate, H, who is determined to get the most use he can out of his season pass, went up to Alta on Saturday.  It was not crowded and the skiing was not good.  At the Wildcat base area, the grounds look like April - dirty grey, slushy snow.  When he left, midday, it was 50F and, under all those clear skies and bright sunshine, everything was melting.

I would get chucked out in the

first week on the GBBO

Down in the valley, A, who is very much feeling smug about not having bought a season pass, took the dog on a five mile walk.  Then, while Milton basked in the sunshine on the driveway, like he does in the summertime, there was laundry (always so much laundry), making of cinnamon rolls (better than expected), cashew cream and vegan parmesan, and starting a bread dough.  The cashew cream stood in for sour cream on some pretty dang tasty tacos we had for dinner that night (the "tamale-style" ones, veganized with Trader Joe's soy chorizo).  And the bread dough?  Well, we'll just have to see ...

dry february

I mean, we're all back to having a beer or a glass of wine with dinner.  But snow?  In Utah?  Not so much.  This last week, a teeny little system brough Alta about two inches, which is literally the only snow we've had since New Year's.  Greatest snow on Earth?  Not hardly.  H, because he is dedicated/foolhardy/will drive himself crazy if he doesn't go skiing, went up both days this past weekend.  On Saturday, under mostly blue skies, it was 34F at the base for his first chair lift ride of the morning and it was 49F for his last lift ride.

Lotta bare dirt there

On Sunday, it was more of the same: mostly blue skies, unseasonably warm.  Like, 50F when he left in the early afternoon.  On January 31st.  Does it count as a "January thaw" when winter hasn't even started yet?

Spring skiing on 1 February

On the homefront (and A is continuing to feel pretty good about her decision to not get a season pass again this year), A and M kept busy.  Saturday was a 4.8 mile Dimple Dell walk, then vacuuming and laundry, and making a batch of InstantPot chickpeas, running a couple of errands (too many people out and about on Saturday mornings - yeesh), and baking chocolate chip cookies.  Kind of a quiet day.  Sunday saw us doing our DD walk again - lots of people out there on a Sunday, walkers and runners and dog walkers and equestrians, all enjoying the springlike conditions - and then it was so warm that Milton got to hang out in the sun on his tie-out in the driveway, just like he likes to do.  A made a batch of vegan bolognese pasta sauce for the freezer and swiffered everything.  Not that it needed it.

Awesome firepits

And then, when H got home from skiing, the whole family went out for beers and vegan sammiches at The Watershed, where Milton made friends with everyone on the dog-friendly patio.  Just because it's not feeling like winter doesn't mean we can't take advantage of it.

diminishing returns

"Not a good day," was H's post-ski text to me as he boarded the bus heading down Little Cottonwood Canyon.  Sunday was definitely worse than Saturday: colder, cloudy (which means no passive solar warmth, plus flat light) and windy.  H even wore his face mask, to protect himself from the biting wind.  He skied a short half day, catching the 12:30 p.m. bus, because it just wasn't that much fun.

Parking lot not even full.  On a January weekend.

Down in the valley, A and M did their Dimple Dell walk and the excitement this time was: spotting an ermine!  The little stoat, in his white winter coat, ran out onto the trail, saw us and dashed back into the underbrush.  Milton thought this was quite wonderful and after sniffing around, wanted to push further into the bushes after it.  I suggested maybe not, since ermines are in the weasel family, which is known for sharp teeth and temperments.

Made with Vecinos Marketplace dried herbs

Back at the house, there was more laundry to be folded, vacuuming to be done, and puttering around in the kitchen: making cashew cream (a sour cream substitute), lentil soup, mocha cupcakes and the best focaccia to date!

dry january

 In an attempt to give her liver a break, A has been doing a dry January.  Unfortunately, it seems like the Utah ski areas have been doing so as well: there hasn't been any noticeable snow since the beginning of the month.  H will not be stopped, however, continuing to sharpen the edges of his rock skis, ride the early bus, sit in the Goldminer's Daughter lodge with his thermos of coffee and book and shooting the shit with the other locker room denizens, and doing rock-hard groomer laps until the 1:30 p.m. bus.  

Needs more snow

This past Saturday was the coldest day this season, with beginning temperatures of 11F and a midday "warm-up" to 22F.  Yikes.  It was a beautiful day up there, of course, and he snapped the above photo, capturing a ribbon of low cloud making its way up Little Cottonwood Canyon.

The chocolate chips keep them

from being entirely healthy

Down in the valley, A and M were pretty productive.  While waiting for the temperature to rise to 22F, A did a load of laundry (so much laundry) and made Instant-Pot black beans and a batch of chocolate-hazelnut-coconut breakfast cookies.  We did our Dimple Dell walk, where we got to see (a) a cute little kestrel sitting atop a spruce tree, ignoring the nearby flock of robins who were watching him very closely, and (b) our walk acquaintance Aya, the cutest, sweetest Norwegian elkhound, who was overjoyed to see Milton again.  

All fluffed up against the cold

Back at the house, we made those black beans into four quarts of soup for the freezer, turned frozen cranberries into sauce for oatmeal topping, folded and put away a metric ton of laundry (so much laundry), walked to the library (just A, no dogs allowed), changed the sheets in the guest room, and made some headway in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood (not A's usual genre but fascinating).

No snow in the forecast, by the way.