And yes, it's Utah but it's still hotter than it should be for June. Alta's snow is melting quickly, although not quite enough to make hiking anything but sloppy. And down in the valley, it's dry - unless you're like most of our neighbors who water every day. (Seriously, stop watering so much.)
Here's the week's forecast. Juneteenth is going to be brutal, but then maybe more temperate for the weekend.
We've now had some time at home in SLC and, if I'm honest, things have been rather on repeat there too. There's still too much snow up at Alta to make hiking much fun* (and not really enough snow anymore for skiing), so exercise has consisted of early morning walks for A and Milton (3.2 mile weekday neighborhood loops and 5 mile weekend Dimple Dell loops) and runs/bike rides for H (various lengths, times and locations).
Late weekend mornings have been spent battling the yard. It seems as though perhaps we need to get started on before skiing ends. That's always been my mantra - no yardwork during ski season because it just seems too early - but it gets ahead of us if we wait that long. Maybe a little earlier in the spring would be a good idea. I guarantee that I will have forgotten I said that by next year.
Weekend afternoons have been pretty chill. It's too hot to bake anymore so there's been a lot of going to the library and then reading library books, while Milton hangs out in the driveway, staring at the neighbors' house and hoping for treats.
We did go to our lovely friends' annual Pride Party. They have an adorable 1910ish bungalow in Sugar House with a double lot, and their backyard - which they put so much effort into - is perfect for entertaining. That Pride Party is the big blow out that kicks off summer season. H and I go on the early side (this year it went until 4 a.m. the next day!!!!!!!) and we always go if we're in town. It's a lot [gestures wildly at everything] to be living in this country these days and so going to that party, to hang out, drinking and laughing, talking with a group of diverse, kind, interesting, supportive, inclusive and well-tattooed people, right here in Utah, was just really, really nice.
* But maybe some Millcreek Canyon hikes, particularly south-facing trails like Grandeur Peak, could be in our near future.
The second half of our long holiday weekend looked quite a lot like the first half. Again, Milton and A did the Millcreek hike first thing in the morning, although on Sunday we went a little further upstream, crossing over by the beaver trees (former trees felled by beavers) and coming back down on the other side. It had been a while since we'd been on that side and the trail has not seen nearly as much foot traffic, even fading out in a couple of places.
There was certainly plenty of foot traffic in the left hand fork of the canyon, where the waterfalls are. Sunday was apparently the busiest day: on Monday, we talked with a guy who was housesitting in one of the homes near the entrance to the canyon and he said that cars were parking all the way out to the main road and three separate ambulances came in Sunday to rescue people. Sorry we missed that (sarcasm).
H and A's late morning bike rides were similar too: A did the 21 mile version while H went a little further, starting up the hill past the Arches NP entrance a ways to put together a 24 mile ride. On Monday, the ranger hanging out at the Arches entrance told A that they only had to have one ambulance on Sunday, so Arches for the win!
The Moab Arts Fest was going on all weekend, and they lucked out on the weather, as after Friday high temperatures didn't even get to 90 - a gift for this time of year. And we lucked out too, as we were able to keep windows and doors open a lot of the time and the A/C didn't even come on. Pretty sure at least that will be diffferent the next time we get down there.
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We go to Moab a lot (obviously). And sometimes when we're there, we just don't feel like driving to go do stuff. There are trailheads for hiking and MTBing everywhere and some of them require a lot of driving from town; going to the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands requires 45 minutes in the car, for example. So when we don't feel like driving, we tend to repeat the same trails, like Pipe Dream or Millcreek (which, yes, technically requires driving but only five minutes). When we were down in Moab over Memorial Day weekend, we did not feel like driving and fighting the crowds.
Thus, the first two days of the long weekend looked very similar. First thing in the morning, Amanda and Milton did a four mile Millcreek Canyon hike, getting there early before the hordes. We went out along the rim trail, then dropped down to the creek for the return. We only saw a couple of people out on the trail but by the time we got back to the parking lot, the cars were starting to roll in. Temperatures were super nice, especially in the shade.
After the hike, H and A switched gears (literally haha) and went for a 21 mile road ride along the bike path. This entails going north out of town, then out and back along the Colorado River, then across the pedestrian bridge over the river and up to the Arches National Park entrance, then going back across the bridge, out and back along the river stretch and then back home. The traffic on the bike path definitely increased from Friday to Saturday as more tourists rolled into town.
Our Friday and Saturday evenings did differ slightly. Friday found us at Woody's and then with a backyard firepit, watching the stars come out. But on Saturday we went to C and F's house for a BBQ with several of their friends. They've got a great backyard, cool and shady, and as it was a little cooler than Friday, the afternoon/evening was quite pleasant.
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.
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.
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.
* 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.
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.
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).
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.
Vacation stats: 21 miles trail running (H only); 37.25 miles hiking/walking; 131 miles road cycling.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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).
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In addition to Real Salt Lake, we also have a women's professional soccer team, the Utah Royals. Both teams play at the America First field (formerly Rio Tinto Stadium) which is located in Sandy, Utah, not all that far from our house. It's been quite a while since we've been to see a game there - since the rugby game, I think - so when my work offered up some free tickets to a Friday night Royals game, we were all in.
We parked (for free) at the far northwest corner of the expo center's parking lot. When we got out of the car, we immediately noticed that almost everyone else was carrying blankets of some sort. That would have been a great idea: it was in the 40s, with a light but cold wind, and even though we were dressed in lots of layers (I managed to fit a pair of thin longjohns under my jeans) and winter parkas, blankets would have been welcome.
Our seats were pretty good and we had a great view of the action as the Royals took the field against the Chicago Stars. I say "action" but in all honesty, it seemed pretty slow even though the ball was in front of the Chicago net for most of the first half. Utah had a lot of corner kicks and a couple of shots but nothing that came close.
For the second half, we went down to the north end zone and sat with our friends E and K, who have season tickets. They were smart enough to bring blankets. And they also shared their beers with us - the pricing for which seemed outrageous ($16!) to us who haven't been to a professional sports game in years. The second half was a little rougher, with some injury time that resulted in 9+ minutes of stoppage time. Amazingly, the Royals scored on a penalty kick in the last minute of stoppage time, a much-needed 1-0 win.
We didn't stick around for the post-game drone show and had to put the seat-heaters on for the drive home.
On Saturday, we were all back on the Pipe Dream trail. We had briefly considered going out to the MOAB Brand trails for our hikes/runs but ultimately decided that we just didn't want to drive anywhere. The plan was that A and M would start first, heading south on Pipe Dream. H would follow, running, and scoop up M when he caught us. H wanted to do eight miles total; A was aiming for around seven, figuring to do the return trip along the Pipeline 4x4 road, which is slightly shorter than sticking with Pipe Dream as it doesn't go in and out of all the drainages.
Surprisingly, A and M got to the Hidden Valley trailhead before H caught us, so instead of dropping down to the 4x4 road, we just turned around and went back north on the trail. H, heading south, caught us just about a quarter mile from our turnaround, and M immediately turned and followed him while A kept going north. When they passed me again on their way north/home, I handed off M's leash to H. All told, H ran eight miles (his longest run this year), A hiked eight miles and M probably did more like ten because of the doubling back and also chasing critters.
With that distance, H and A opted not to do a road ride, settling in to recover with reading and puzzles. We did rally in the late afternoon to meet a friend at Woody's. Gotta stay hydrated.
On Sunday, the three of us did an almost 4.5 mile town walk. Moab is absolutely into high season now: the jeeps were rolling into town, the newly-revamped food truck park looked great and there were lots of tourists on Main Street.
Another sign of spring is the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab. We were down there for the opening weekend and, to be honest, it seemed to be starting slowly. There really didn't seem to be any more jeeps around than on any other given weekend. They were rolling into town, however, so things were definitely about to ramp up.
It's always nice to see the jeepers but that's not what we were there for. It had been five weeks (!) since A had been down there and we were all ready for some desert time. Friday we double-sessioned, with A and Milton doing a four mile walk and H doing a four mile run on Pipe Dream. The wildflowers are just starting to come out although the flowering trees in town are past prime-bloom.
Mid-morning, A and H got onto their road bikes and did a 16.5 ride on the bike path: from the house to the river, out and back along the river, up to the Arches National Park entrance and then home. I'm afraid it's going to be a slow start for me on the bike: last winter I rode the stationery bike at the gym which at least got me a little bit in biking shape; this winter, I have been walking 3+ miles with the dog every day after work - good exercise but does nothing for bicycling readiness. I also didn't plan my nutrition all that well and will have to recalibrate that going forward.
The afternoon was spent weeding and reading - and H has a diabolical new jigsaw puzzle - and then we strolled over to Josie Wyatt's for an evening beer. It was pretty frickin' pleasant: they had the windows wide open and everyone just seemed happy to be there. We had a nice conversation with Paul, a local guy we recognized but hadn't talked with before.
After cashing out, we swung by Back of Beyond Books so I could pick up a desert wildflower reference book (even with which I still haven't been able to identify most of the flowers I photographed along Pipe Dream). And then we popped into Woody's for one drink and a quick hello to our favorite bartenders.
Spring is probably my least favorite season, harkening back to growing up in Maine where spring really isn't a thing (late winter, more late winter, mud season, blackflies). Even out here, where it is an actual season, it is so variable and seems to pass so quickly, jumping from 50s to 90 in the span of a week. This year it is not rushing to get to summer, which is nice, although we did go from mid-70s to snowing (again) within the span of a week.
Still, the sun is coming out more, neighbors are already watering their lawns (grrrrr...) and the flowering trees are truly in full flower. Just ask everyone's allergies. Here's a sampling from the last week throughout our neighborhood.
