post-season

A couple of months ago, one of our neighbors was cleaning out his gear and gave H a back-country set up.  Not wanting to appear ungrateful (indeed, he's very appreciative), H said that when we got back from Moab, he wanted to go up to Alta and try it out.  He wasn't able to adjust the ski bindings to fit his boots in time but the skins did fit his K2 telemark skis, so he was outfitted.  I don't have skins or any sort of uphill set-up, so I popped on over to rent a pair of snowshoes* so that I too was outfitted.

Ready to stomp

Leaving sad Milton behind (no dogs in Little Cottonwood Canyon), we got up to the Albion parking lot a little before 9:45 a.m.  It was a gorgeous day, clear, strong sun and about mid-50s but warming quickly.  There is little snow on the south-facing slopes but on the resort proper, there is still plenty of the goods.  There were plenty of other folks who'd had the same idea we had: touring skiers, split-boarders and snowshoers were all taking advantage of the day.

He caught me at Alf's

We didn't have a plan, nor really any idea of what to expect, so we just decided to meet back at the truck no later than 12 noon.  I got geared up first, walking across the Albion parking lot to the maintenance shed and putting my snowshoes on there; H came behind me after getting his tele boots on.  We went up the Sunnyside bunny slope to Alf's, the snow softening fast in the sun, where H caught up with me.  We kept going up Devil's Elbow from there and then our paths diverged.  I veered right, making my way over to lower Extrovert.  Fact: Extrovert is VERY steep on snowshoes.  I made a bit of a loop, trying to stay clear of the growing tree wells, and went back down the way I came up.  Total distance: 2.5 miles.  

So glad to be out on such a nice day!

Meanwhile, H continue his tour up Devil's Elbow, making it all the way to the top of the Sugarloaf chair (that in itself was 2.55 miles)!  It took him about an hour and a half to go up; he paused there for around fifteen minutes to reapply sunscreen and talk with some other skiers.  And then it took him all of fifteen minutes to make his way back down.  Not only was this his first time ever touring, it was his first time this season on telemark equipment: the heavy, sticky spring conditions weren't ideal for tele turns.  Still, he was grinning ear to ear when he got back to the truck.  We both were - it felt great to do something new, and to do it up at Alta on a spectacular spring day.

* H and I do actually have snowshoes but they are about twenty years old, long and unstable on side-hills.  Snowshoe technology has changed in the interim and so I wanted to try a newer pair out.  Despite the newer versions, I still don't love snowshoeing.  The rental pair were mostly metel and heavy, and my hips were getting sore by the end due to having to walk with a wider stance.  It's just like hiking but more work.  

paintbrush

By Saturday we were all feeling some cumulative fatigue.  A and M did a neighborhood walk, and then A and H did their road ride on the bike path.  The day was clear and a little bit warmer than the last few, but not much wind so we were psyched about that.  This day's picnic was at the Amasa Back trailhead.  Ususally when we are there, it's early in the morning to start a hike; since we were there for lunch, it was packed and we got one of the last few parking spots.  As we had our sandwiches, MTBers started rolling in after their rides.  Milton got to make some new friends, of course.

Paintbrush

This turned out to be the hottest day since the car show, so our afternoon was spent lounging around at home, reading.  We strolled to Woody's for cocktails and then came home for a firepit on a simply beautiful night (until the threat of rain rolled in).

Ambiance

And then it was Sunday and we were all sad about it.  We did a 3.5 mile family town walk, then cleaned the house and packed the truck.  The drive back to SLC was uneventful except for the fact that Milton was so tired that he actually relaxed and fell asleep with his head on H's knee.

So tired

Vacation stats:  21 miles trail running (H only); 37.25 miles hiking/walking; 131 miles road cycling.

yucca

The next few days just flew by.  Wednesday Milton was still recovering from his activities earlier in the week (running off-leash and chasing lizards is lots harder than poky ol' on-leash walks), so H did his four mile trail run solo while A went grocery shopping.  Then we repeated the 21 mile bike ride, and A did a 3.5 mile town walk, including checking out the for-sale books at the county library, and then coaxed Milton out for a stroll around the neighborhood.  H made pasta salad for dinner and finally finished his jigsaw puzzle.  We had intended another firepit but some rain moved through and we just ended up putting all the outside furniture back into the garage to keep it dry.

Yucca

Thursday morning found H back on the trail for a run (4 miles) and A and M in town for a walk (3/5 miles).  It was a simply gorgeous day and A and H enjoyed their late morning bike ride quite a lot, although we did notice that the bike path was getting busier as we approached the weekend.  When we got back from our ride, we threw picnic stuff and the dog into the truck and headed back down the river road to our favorite picnic spot above the Colorado River.  No BASE jumpers and just a few folks out on the river.  That evening we were lucky enough to catch up with our friends and former Moab neighbors, N and L, back in town for a wedding.

Canyon wall feature

On Friday, all three of us did a Millcreek Canyon hike (4 miles).  We met a couple of nice dogs and spied a raven's nest, which was cool; the creek is very low, which is not quite so.  A and H then did their by-now regular bike ride (still more bike path traffic but not too windy).  After that we grabbed sandwiches, beer and Milton and drove up to the Slickrock Trailhead for lunch, purchasing our season pass on the way.  We talked with a bunch of MTBers up there - the trailhead was the busiest we've seen in months.

Neighbor alliums

After cleaning up at home, A and H walked to Swanny Park to check out the first Arts & Ag[riculture] market of the season.  It was pretty small - not much ag is ready for sale in Utah in May - so after a quick circuit, we headed back.  H suggested that we stop in at Josie Wyatt's "for just one" so of course we ended up talking to some tourists from Mississippi and also S, an acquaintance of ours whom we hadn't seen for some time.  S was headed over to a house party and invited us; we stopped by our house for the dog and some beers first and then we tried to find said party, but the directions we had were vague and we ended up just going back home, rather than start knocking on random doors.  We consoled ourselves with a backyard firepit as the stars started coming out.

globe mallow

 By Tuesday, the weeding couldn't be put off any longer.  While A toiled away at that (making a good dent in it but with still more to do), H and Milton did a five mile trail run on Pipe Dream.  Whether from the sun or from cumulative fatigue, Milt was definitely dragging by the last half mile or so.

Globe mallow getting started

Mid-morning, while the dog rested up, the two people went out for their twenty-one mile road ride on the bicycle path.  The weather was just about perfect: clear, low 70s, sunny and not much breeze at all, for a change.

Co-op, baby

In the afternoon, A walked down to the Moonflower Community Cooperative (one of only two in Utah, apparently?  Is that true?) and signed up for a lifetime membership - something that had been on the list of things to do for quite some time.  In addition to being a grocery store, they have a bakery and prepared foods section and there were quite a few people sitting out front in the shade, noshing on some good looking eats.

Waiting to make friends

In the early evening, all three of us walked over to the Spitfire Smokehouse for beers on the dog-friendly patio.  H and A found a table right next to the door and Milton positioned himself perfectly to accost every other patron for pets.  Despite the lack of people in the photo above, he made quite a few new friends.  And that evening we all managed to stay awake for the first backyard firepit of the season.

claret cup

 On Monday, all three of us went to Pritchett Canyon for a hike, ostensibly to find a particular petroglyph (we had a trail guide and everything!).  After some discussion, we missed the side canyon and by the time we figured it out, we had gone further than we had intended.  We will go back another day and actually find it.  Maybe.  We hope.

Sandy wash

Grand County, Utah, is really dry right now - drought conditions - so it was pretty sandy, what with all the four-wheelers churning things up.  We didn't see any side-by-sides until we were nearly out, however, so it as still a nice hike.  We also saw one MTBer right around where we turned around; he grinned and said, "You must be the footprints I've been following this whole time."

Claret cup

After post-hike parking lot beers, we went home for lunch.  H did a 21 mile road ride on the bike path and the rest of the day was spent reading, puzzling, hand-washing socks and dinner.  It was a nice evening and we intended to have a fire pit but (full disclosure), H fell asleep.

Stats: H 21.14 ride, 1:31 hours; H, A and M 6.14 mile hike, 2:10 hours.

prince's plume

 For whatever reason, while thinking about our Moab week, I decided to front-load the week with hiking and then focus on road riding later on.  To that end, I decided to do my big hike on Sunday.  I knew Milton would be still be recovering from his Saturday eight-miler, and H wanted to do a road ride on the bike path, so it was a solo hike for A.

Prince's plume

I did the Hidden Valley/Moab Rim "loop," which we've done several times before.  I started from our house and walked to the Jackson Street trailhead for Pipe Dream.  We had left our hiking poles in SLC so I concentrated on keeping my hands up as much as possible to keep my fingers from swelling too much - finally ended up doing the alphabet in ASL throughout the hike.  

Typical desert scene

At the Hidden Valley trailhead, I followed the trail up to and across Hidden Valley (couple of trail runners with dogs there), then dropped over the pass to the Moab Rim trail (several side-by-sides).  After going down Sand Hill (and having to empty my shoes at the bottom) and through the wash, I texted H from the Moab valley overlook.  By the time I got down the Moab Rim trail (about ten jeeps and side-by-sides), H and Milton were there waiting for me with my clean shirt, sandals and, most importantly, snacks and beers.

Eight miles in

We had lunch at home and spent the afternoon reading and doing jigsaw puzzles.  After Woody's for beers at 5, it was dinner at home and a couple of neighborhood walks for Milton, who met his first Great Dane (exciting!).  There were also lots of buzzards in the buzzard tree (also exciting!)

Stats:  H 25 mile road ride, 1:25 hours; A 10.1 mile hike, 3:45 hours.

nothing but flowers

 Once Alta closed, there was nothing left to do but go to Moab for a week.  So we did.  And we completely lucked out on the weather - which was largely gorgeous and very pleasant and the wildflowers were just getting going - because the day after we went back to SLC, it rained in the desert for a couple of days.  

We had an uneventful drive down from SLC on Friday afternoon.  En route, we got a text from Moab friends C and F.  Once we got unloaded and partially unpacked, we walked over to Woody's and met them for a drink on the patio.

By the Youth Garden Project

On Saturday, we all went to Pipe Dream for some trail time.  A did a 7.2 mile hike while H and Milton did an eight mile trail run.  It was in the high 70s and sunny, which turned out to be a little too hot for M; he seems to be affected more by the heat as he gets older.  

Our neighbor's irises

Because M got a little hot, he didn't mind one bit when A and H wandered over to the Moab Car Show (put on by the local Rotary chapter).  We checked out all the vehicles - seemingly more hotrods and fewer Studebakers this year - and also ran into C and F and their young son H, who seemed a little overwhelmed at seeing all these "Hotwheels" cars live and in person.  On the way home, we stopped in at Josie Wyatt's (it is literally right on the way) and got overcharged for our $2 PBRs.

a story of focaccia

 In the last few years, especially since I'm not skiing or not skiing as much, I've really enjoyed doing more cooking and baking.  I'm an okay cook, I think, although I'm definitely only used to cooking for us and if it's ever for more than two people, I get squirrelly.  I really love baking but since that's more difficult than cooking, particularly when you factor in altitude and vegan, I've had mixed success.  I have a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe and my cupcakes, cakes and scones are usually decent.  

I am not good at bread.  I really want to be good at bread.  I finally found a focaccia recipe that Katie Boue shared on her IG.  She lives in SLC as well and said she makes that focaccia a couple times a week.  To me, this means that she's got the altitude factor dialed in.  So I tried it:

Attempt #1 (3/30/25)

It came out surprisingly well!  It actually rose correctly and had a pretty good texture.  The only thing was that her recipe didn't call for any salt in the dough itself, so the bread was bland unless you got a bunch of yummy herbs on the top.  

I searched for other vegan focaccia recipes and found one that was very similar, with the addition of salt.  So I tried it, but made the mistake of following that recipe for proofing times instead of my SLC-based one.  I think I over-proofed it so while it rose nicely before baking, it collapsed in the oven and was dense and crunchy.  That was okay, we just dunked it in soup.

Attempt #2 (4/6/25)

For my third attempt, I went back to my SLC-based recipe and followed it EXACTLY, with the addition of salt to the flour.  I also used the new recipe's recommendations for vegan-buttering the baking dish and how much olive oil to use (focaccia uses a lot of olive oil).

Attempt #3 (4/19/25)

Side view (please ignore 1990s vintage kitchen

cabinet hardware that we haven't replaced)

It worked!  Not only did it work, it was delicious!  The dough rose enough and didn't deflate; the bread had a good texture and had flavor.  H said that it was one of the best things I've baked (low bar, to be honest haha) and then called it "restaurant-quality!"  I don't know about that but I do know that I was very proud of that focaccia.  And then we proceeded to eat the whole darn thing.

alta closing day 2025

 Thus endeth the 2024/2025 ski season at Alta, on April 20th.  H skied 32 days this season, his most in a few years.  While an awful lot of the season was overcast, the sun came out for most of closing weekend.  And with 534 inches on the season, including that last nine days before, the closing conditions were far better than usual for this late in April - still a 125 inch base!

The crowd from above

Closing Day at Alta has always been a big deal: folks partying in the Wildcat parking lot and then a huge group of locals doing their final run, after the last 4:30 chair of the season, down High Rustler.  However, within the last five years, Closing Day has become a scene, wildly crowded and populated with people just there for the party, no doubt due to Instagram/TikTok.  The locals are squeezed out yet again, with parking scarce and crowds galore.

Parking lot scene

H rode the 994 bus up (no longer the multi-run ski bus, just one trip up LCC at 7 a.m. and one down after 5 p.m.), catching it at the Historic Sandy station (first stop) to ensure that he got on.  Traffic was heavy, with people pouring into the Wildcat lot; they were at a standstill while still in the midst of Snowbird entries.  Eventually an Alta marshal drove down and escorted the bus up to Wildcat base, driving on the wrong side of the road.  It was too crowded in the parking lot for the bus to go down and turn around, so the handful of riders, H included, got off at the top of the driveway and just walked down.

Protest on Saturday, party on Sunday

When H went out to get on the Collins lift at 9:15, there was no one in line.  In fact, his first eight chairlift rides he didn't have to share with anyone.  The snow was still really good and, because everyone was at the party, the slopes were largely skier-free.  But then, when the breakfast partying was done, the hordes left the parking lot and converged on the lifts for some runs before the next round of partying.  

Cult phenomenon Out of the Blue

Around 12:30, H decided that he'd had enough standing in line with the revelers and went down to clear his locker out.  He wasn't alone: there were a number of locals whom he knew down there doing the same thing, and every one of them was grumbling about the fact that they couldn't stand all the people just here for the scene.  I mean, I love a good parking lot tailgate as much as anyone (more than most, probably).  But when the party becomes more important than the skiing, the priorities have shifted and the locals, the folks who have been there all year, in all the weather, are not a priority.  It's disappointing but not surprising.

Instead of driving, bicycle to Alta

Grumbling aside, H grabbed a couple of PBRs and cruised the parking lot for a bit, talking to folks, appreciating the variety of grilled foods being made and consumed and checking out the costumes.  There is quite a lot of creativity out there, although it was chilly enough that there weren't as many girls in bikinis as usual. 

Locker cleaned out for another summer

At 1:20, he called to ask for a ride; I got stuck in traffic (more people trying to get to the party) but managed to scoop him up around 2, and we were back home by 2:30.  Not a bad last day, all things considered, even with the crowds.  

closing weekend, penultimate day

Alta's closing weekend was April 19-20, 2025, seemingly a little early this year.  A midweek storm brought over nine inches Thursday.  Usually this time of year the snow is in a freeze/thaw cycle: warming up to slush consistency during the warm, sunny days and then freezing solid overnight.  Because it stayed so cold on Friday, the conditions Saturday were quite good conditions.  Since parking reservations were not required on Saturday, H was able to sleep in a little bit and drove up just a little before 8 a.m., instead of having to get on the 6:30 bus.

Gorgeous day

Although the Wildcat parking lot ended up filling, H didn't think it ever seemed that crowded.  All the lifts were running and everything (except East Castle and Baldy Chutes) was open, which meant skiers could spread out.  Even with the bright sun it never got above 40 F, so the snow stayed really good.  The GMD patio was full when he left, everyone just vibing and enjoying the last lift-served days at Alta.

Meanwhile, A and M were pretty productive, down in the valley.  We did our five mile Dimple Dell walk - where we saw a rabbit, which one of us thought was QUITE exciting - and then M went onto his tie-out in the driveway, soaking up the sun and supervising our neighbors' yardwork.  Indoors, A managed to clear a shower drain without upchucking (adulting!) and then did a lot of cooking: baked curry tofu, InstantPot black beans, chocolate chip cookies, chocoloate pots de creme (with sweet potato!) and a focaccia.  There were a lot of dishes to wash.

Dozing in the afternoon sun

Milton actually ended up having the biggest day of all of us, though.  When H got home, he wanted to do a walk before we did some garage tailgating.  He and the dog went back to Dimple Dell but headed west, under 1300 East.  They ended up at a dog park that we didn't know existed, then at H's work, and then came uphill all the way back for a total of six miles (rather longer than intended).  That put Milt's mileage at eleven on the day, and won him some extra food before bed.