Early Snow 10/11

Mother Nature treated us to a little early snow today. Not quite enough to open the resorts, but not bad for October. Just enough to get everyone excited. It's a sure sign that winter's on its way.




(Early snow in Park City.)

Get your skis and snowboards ready!

'til later,
- Jeff

Deer Valley #1

The readers of SKI Magazine* have once again selected Deer Valley as the #1 resort in North America. This is the second year in a row and fourth time since 2002 that Deer Valley has received this honor. Deer Valley is renowned for setting the standard of service in the ski industry and has been adding more and more expert terrain recently. As someone who skis there regularly (44 days in the last two seasons) I can vouch for the high ranking. And the excellent carrot cake. Congratulations to Deer Valley for being #1.

Deer Valley wasn't the only high ranked resort in the area -- Park City Mountain Resort was #5. Park City gets high marks for it's diverse terrain and killer terrain parks. The new Crescent high-speed quad should ease some of the congestion at the base area this year.

The Canyons was voted #13 due to it's easy access from the airport and the sheer size of the mountain. With Talisker as the new owner, expect to see many improvements in the near future.

The Park City area resorts also did well on the Top 10 Lists. Deer Valley scored #1 for SERVICE, GROOMING, ON-MOUNTAIN-FOOD, and WEATHER. Park City Mountain Resort was #1 for ACCESS. In fact, all three Park City resorts were in the top four for access thanks to being 40 minutes from a major international airport. Where else can you fly in from New York in the morning, and be skiing 350+ inches of snow in the afternoon?

In all, it make Park City a pretty great place to vacation (or live :) ). If you haven't already, now is the perfect time to plan your Utah ski trip. Hope to see you on the slopes this winter.

'til later,
- Jeff
Keller Williams Park City Real Estate

*Source: SKI Magazine, October 2008.

Mirror Lake Highway 8/9

We're lucky to have Mirror Lake Highway (Utah SR-150) just a short drive away. This scenic byway winds through miles of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest and the Uinta mountains connecting Kamas, UT to Evanston, WY. There are numerous campsites, lakes for fishing, and trails for hiking.


(The gang.)

I went up for an night in August to join some friends.


(Stoking the campfire.)

Unfortunately. Mother Nature "treated" us to some much needed rain that day, and it left the ground a little soggy. Still, we had a roaring campfire that kept us warm. And a sturdy groundcloth kept the tent from getting wet.


(Relaxing.)

In the morning, we had a campfire breakfast. Did you know you can cook waffles over a campfire? I never quite got the hang of the iron tho and mine turned out mostly well-done. But enough spray-on butter still made them taste ok. :)


(Campfires are mesmorizing.)

We're lucky to have something so nice as the Mirror Lake Highway so close to home. A day pass is $6 for 3 days and well worth it if you need to get away for a weekend.

'til later,
- Jeff

Jordanelle 8/3

Everyone knows Utah for the great skiing. But the water's pretty nice even when it's not frozen. The Park City area has a few reservoirs that are great for boating in the summer.


(The gang.)

Closest to Park City is the Jordanelle Reservoir. It can get busy but is still pretty nice if you time it right and know where on the lake to go. I've got friends with a boat (that we don't use nearly enough -- hint hint) and we get out when we can.

We mostly enjoy water skiing and wake boarding. But it can be nice just hanging out on the boat and enjoying the sun.


(Me getting a little air.)

If Jordanelle is too busy for you, there are several more reservoirs in the area. Rockport is also close. Deer Creek if you are coming from the south. Echo to the east. And East to the north (don't ask). Little Dell doesn't allow power boats but is great for fishing or paddling.


(Gear.)

If you go, take your sunscreen and be safe.

'til later,
- Jeff

Utah Symphony @ Deer Valley 7/19

On July 19 I had the opportunity to see the Utah Symphony perform at the outdoor amphitheater at Deer Valley. I've seen plenty of the free Wednesday concerts there before and always enjoyed them. But this was something way more awesome. I'd never seen the symphony play before. And I can't imagine a better venue.


(Concert goers early in the evening.)

While there is some premium reserved seating, I recommend going for general admission. You can take your blanket and picnic basket and spread out with friends. And viewing from anywhere on the hillside is still excellent.

Early in the evening they played some patriotic favorites and well as a few crowd pleasers. I'd never seen any symphony play Billy Joel or Elvis but it was fun to hear.


(Live canons brought in for the performance.)

The main event was Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. I didn't know this one by name, but recognized some of the music. It was pretty cool when they fired the live canons near the end. It caught a few of us by surprise but it was a pleasant surprise.


(As the sun went down.)

If you ever get the chance, be sure to check out one of the evening concerts at Deer Valley. As I mentioned, there's quite a variety from the free concerts on Wednesday nights to some big name concerts throughout the summer. And definitely check out the Utah Symphony performing there sometime too.

'til later,
- Jeff

Independence Day Parade 7/4

The Fourth of July is always a fun day in Park City.

It starts with a 5k run at the Park City Mountain Resort. You can't believe how many people show up for a local race. It's a great time whether you're competing to win or just out for a jog.

Next up is the pancake breakfast at City Park. Great way to refuel after the race.

Then comes the military flyover. If that doesn't make you feel patriotic, I don't know what will.


(An old fire truck.)

Then comes the parade. It's pretty impressive for a little town. Lots of float but most with a pretty local feel. And tons and tons of spectators. It's really a fun day to be out on the town.


(Street luge.)


(That's *real* snow!!! In July!!!)


(Anyone need a beer?)

Finally, there's a BBQ and live music at City Park. This is a great place to go relax for a bit after the parade. Take a blanket and lay out with friends and just enjoy the day.



And, of course, there are fireworks later in the evening at Park City Mountain Resort.

If you ever get the chance, head up to Park City some year on the 4th of July. You'll enjoy it.

'til later,
- Jeff

Snowbird 6/20

[updated 6/22 with photos]

OK -- maybe *one* more day! :)

So I was pretty sure that my season was over after snowboarding on May 3. But Snowbird kept extending their season and I couldn't resist the urge to get in just one more day. So, with the a/c cranked in the car, I headed up to the 'bird for a few runs.

You know it's going to be a good day when you need the a/c for the drive to the ski hill!


(View from the top of Mineral Basin Express.)

Snowbird still has the tram, Mineral Basin Express, and Little Cloud lifts open. And it wasn't crowded at all -- there were more sight-seers in the tram than skiers.


(Me.)

The snow is about what you'd expect for late spring skiing -- very soft and sticky. Pretty dirty. Definitely a day for the rock skis. Not "good skiing" but rather "good to be skiing". But you can't complain when skiing in June.


(Don't forget your rock skis!)

And it was pretty nice to ski in just a t-shirt.


(On the top.)

I gave up about 1:30. As I headed to the parking lot, it was 73 degrees! And it was 94 as I drove through Salt Lake City on my way home. Crazy! Days like this you should be water skiing, not snow skiing.

With today, that brings my total to 54 days of skiing this season (a record for me). It's also the longest lift-served season I've ever had -- my first day was October 15 at A-Basin and my last June 20. That's over eight months! I've actually hiked in July and September making August the only month I've not been on snow. Maybe I shouldn't put my skis away yet... :)


(Salt Lake viewed from the top of the tram.)

Sunday 6/22 is officially closing day at Snowbird. If you go, don't forget the sunscreen and drink plenty of water. Enjoy!

'til later,
- Jeff

Trail Run - Jeremy Ranch 5/31

Got out for a nice trail run in the Jeremy Ranch area today. I started at the elementary school and headed up the Graduate to Fink Again. That's a nice little climb to get your legs warmed up! From there I went east on 24-7 to Bob's Basin Freestyle Trails and came down Ant Farm.

According to Garmin, it was a little over 4 miles with 594 ft. of vertical. I'm not in great shape yet, so it wasn't super fast (46:05) but it's all about enjoying the scenery. Right? :)

Good news -- the trails are nice and dry. And I think the snow may be done for the year. (Let's hope!) So get out and enjoy!

'til later,
- Jeff

Mountain Bike - Jeremy Ranch 5/20

Mountain bike season is upon us! Well, for the most part. Mother Nature can't seem to make up her mind as to what season it really is. So, while it was nice today, it's supposed to snow later this week....


(My trusty steed.)

Unfortunately, my trusty steed is losing a bit of trusty-ness. It's a Gary Fisher Sugar 2 from a few years ago and it's been an awesome bike -- trouble free up until last year when it developed a bit of a leak in the rear shock. The shop has looked at it three times and can't figure out what's wrong so I just carry a pump with me. :)


(24-7 Jeremy Connector trail.)

Anyhow, got out for my first real bike ride of the season today. I have to admit, I cheated and rode up through the roads of Jeremy Ranch to get to the trailhead. But then I picked up the 24-7 Jeremy Connector trail for a nice ride. I went out to the Glenwild trails and did the loop on the front side, stopping to take in the nice views (and a bit of water).


(Deer Valley and Park City from the Glenwild trails.)

Today at least, the trails were bone dry and in great shape. But the weather seems to be changing quickly, so be sure to consider trail conditions before you set out. Riding through mud leaves ruts that will be there the rest of the year. That sucks!

'til later,
- Jeff

Season Wrap-Up 5/19

So, I think I'm finally ready to admit that my 2007-2008 ski season is over! Not that I couldn't ski more if I still wanted to -- Snowbird is still open weekends through June 1 -- but I think I've had enough.


(Powder at Deer Valley.)

What a great season it was! It got off to a slow start with little snow in November. But December and January were huge! So much snow! At one point, we got over 90" or snow in 10 days. Powder day after powder day. Incredible!


(Dual moguls under the lights at the Freestyle World Cup at Deer Valley.)

And the spring skiing was pretty good too. There were a few warm sunny days, but also still a lot of powder days. I was in Colorado at Beaver Creek and they got 2' of snow 2 days before they closed. In fact, I had 9 powder days out there in the two weeks before closing weekend.


(With Bryan at Deer Valley.)

And mother nature is still toying with us. May 1 Snowbird reported 23". Then it was sunny and warm. Then snowed again. So, if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes. It over 80 degrees today yet I hear it might snow on Wednesday. :)


(Me at Deer Valley.)

Anyhow.

As for numbers, I finished up the season with a record 53 days (beating last season by one day)! Most were at the Park City resorts (Deer Valley (19 days), Park City Mountain Resort (15), and a few days at the Canyons). And I did more skiing (34 days) than snowboarding (19 days), as usual.


(Me at Keystone.)

How can I ski that many days at that many different places you ask? Thanks go to the good folks at Ski Utah. I'm lucky enough to have a Ski Utah Silver Pass that allows me to ski up to 30 days at each resort in the state of Utah. Combine that with a flexible job (I'm a REALTOR in Park City) and I'm able to ski a lot.


(Jeff, Kyle, and me at Breckenridge.)

Now, with the skis put away for summer, it's time to focus on selling some houses. If you have any real estate needs in the Park City area, let me know. Otherwise, enjoy the outdoors and we'll talk to you again soon when I get out the mountain bike and trail shoes.

'til later,
- Jeff

Snowbird 5/3

Winter just refuses to go away! Thursday May 1 Snowbird received 23" of snow! That's a lot for May!

Saturday I headed up for one last day of spring skiing. Conditions were awesome. It sounded a little icy on the front side, so we headed straight for the tunnel and Mineral Basin. The snow back there was a little crunchy but softened up quickly.


(Salt Lake City from Snowbird.)

After a bunch of runs on the back side, we stopped for a quick snack, then decided to ski the front. By the afternoon, things were nice and soft everywhere, but not too slow or sticky. Just about perfect.


(The ridge over to the tram.)

Later in the afternoon, we hiked up Baldy but were greeted by a rope telling us the chutes were closed. Shoot! Oh well, I'll have to hike up sometime this summer and ski them then. :)


(Bummer.)

Anyhow. Not bad at all for skiing in May. The coverage was incredible -- no bare spots at all. And most of the mountain was still open. It looks like they will go to weekends only but be open into June if you want to go. Check out www.snowbird.com.

'til later,
- Jeff

Park City Mountain Resort 3/24

Another day of spring skiing. Overnight temps were in the mid-twenties. But it warmed up quickly and hit a high near 50. The snow was a little firm at first, but softened up nicely.

I don't get down to the Town Lift very often, so decided to check it out today. Both Quittin' Time and Creole runs were in great shape and there was no line at all for the lift -- that couldn't be said for most other lifts on the mountain.


(Old Town (foreground) from Quittin' Time run.)


(The old and the new.)

I'm surprised at how crowded things still are. I thought the crowds might die down after Easter. But there must be enough schools still on spring break. I guess Park City is just that popular. :)


(Beautiful slopeside living.)

I made a couple of runs off Thaynes (Double Jack and Comstock) and McConkey's (Tycoon and Sunrise) before finishing up on Silver Skis. A short day, but fun nonetheless.

If you go, remember it's a bit firm in the mornings. Maybe better to wait a bit and let the sun soften things up. But keep in mind that those runs that get the sun all morning will be slushy by the afternoon. Move around the mountain and find something you like.

' til later,
- Jeff

Deer Valley 3/23

Happy Easter!

I spent the day chasing the Easter Bunny around Deer Valley. It was yet another beautiful, sunny day -- great spring skiing.

Expecting crowds in the lodges at lunchtime, we stopped for an early lunch at 11. We had no trouble finding a table that early and the carrot cake was (again) excellent. Easter / Easter Bunny / Bunny Carrots / Carrots Carrot Cake. Therefore Easter == Carrot Cake. :)


(Lunch.)

We started the afternoon on Wasatch but quickly headed over to Northside and eventually Empire. Lots of people on Supreme so we headed down to Lady Morgan. The slopes that had gotten the sun all morning (say Magnet) were pretty slushy. But the snow in Centennial Trees was still pretty firm -- soft enough to get an edge in but not much softer than that.


(Bryan atop Empire.)

After a quick water break at Empire -- gotta stay hydrated when it's warm out -- we worked our way back across the mountain: Ruby, Silver Strike, Quincy, Crown Point -- to get over to Deer Crest. The groomers there were excellent as always, even if the snow on Jordanelle was quite soft.


(Jordanelle gondola.)

We finished the day with apres ski at the Snow Park lodge. Beer and music on the deck in the sun while watching others make their last runs of the day. Not a bad way to spend Easter.

'til later,
- Jeff

Deer Valley 3/19

The forecast was for cloudy skies with rain in the afternoon. Luckily, they were wrong! It turned out to be a perfect spring skiing day. Wonderful blue skies and moderate temperatures. A perfect day to be on the slopes.


(Skiers on "the beach" at Silver Lake.)

Unfortunately, a lot of other people had the same idea. I guess it's Spring Break for a lot of schools. Combine that with the upcoming Easter weekend, and there are tons of people in town. Fortunately though, the mountain at Deer Valley spreads people out fairly well so the lines weren't very long. And skiing the singles lines helps.


(Starting my afternoon on Sterling.)

I spent the morning on Wasatch and Sultan enjoying the groomers. The snow is a little hard because of the warm days and cold nights we've had. But, with a decent edge, you can still make some nice turns. I left my Rossis at Rennstall for a tune overnight and will leave my Volkls there soon for the same.


(View from top of Silver Strike -- Timp in the distance.)

In the afternoon, I made some runs on Silver Strike, Ruby, and Quincy just for variety. I even made a quick trip over to Deer Crest to enjoy some of those runs that I don't get to very often.

If you go, get there early -- the parking lot has been filling up by mid-morning even on week days. Plus, you'll be able to enjoy the corduroy before everyone else tracks it up.

' til later,
- Jeff

Park City Mountain Resort 3/17

After a shaky start -- gotta watch out for that sun-baked powder! -- things turned out pretty ok. Scott and I quickly made a beeline for McConkey's to get away from the crowds. I was surprised how many people were on the hill -- on a Monday no less. But the line at McConkey's wasn't too bad -- it never is.

The Black Forest trees weren't all that great so we decided to hike Jupiter Peak. I'd never been to the top before. I'd hiked up the shoulder a few times and had some great runs, but never gone all the way to the summit. Today it was well worth it. Great view from the top. And some nice snow on the face.

We repeated a few times, dropping in a bit sooner each time. But the snow almost seemed to get better. Maybe it had gotten less wind. Anyhow, the snow was great. The skies were blue. And overall it was a great day.

I'm learning that the picture quality of the iPhone isn't always so great -- it sometimes gets tripped up by too much bright light and sometimes the color balance seems off. But it's nice just carrying one device - phone, iPod, and camera in one. So you'll just have to deal with it. :) All pictures have been "enhanced" in iPhoto -- i.e. I hit the enhance button instead of tweaking the image manually. I'm just too lazy. But you can still see that it was a really, really nice day.


(Scott.)


(Yours truly resting on the hike up Jupiter.)


(Flagpole at the top of Jupiter.)


(Tree.)


(Scott ripping it up on the east face.)

If you go (and are an expert skier) don't be afraid of the hike from McConkey's. The snow can be well worth it.

'til later,
- Jeff

Deer Valley 3/15

A weekend storm brought a few inches of snow on Friday and again Saturday making for a nice day of skiing. Some friends were skiing at Deer Valley, so I met them on the hill.


(A beautiful mistake -- not sure what went wrong with this photo.)

There was some nice new snow in the trees, but I had more fun on the groomers. I spent the morning on Sterling, Wasatch, and Sultan -- as usual :) I think Legal Tender in the morning was my favorite run of the day.


(Your host.)

Unfortunately, I wasn't having a great day -- not sure if it was a migraine headache or a cold coming on, but I definitely wasn't on top of my game. So about lunch time I called it a day and headed home for a nap.


(A gorgeous morning.)


(Guests coming up Wasatch Express.)

It's nice having a pass and being able to make as many or as few runs as you feel like without feeling like you wasted a day.

If you go, remember to shoot for an early (before 11am) or a late lunch (after 1:30) if you want to find a place to sit.

'til later,
- Jeff