Not What You Thought Utah
Nelly and I just got back from our trip to Utah. We went with a group of NYU Law students. I think everyone really enjoyed the trip.
Skiing was really fun and skiing in Utah was really excellent. Apparently, the weather in Utah has been really excellent and that was certainly born out by our trip.
We flew in to Salt Lake City on Wednesday night and headed for the condo we had rented. It was a cute little place, nothing too exorbitant, but plenty of beds and plenty of room for everyone. And a hot tub!
Thursday was our first opportunity to get out on the slopes. The morning started off with an avalanche shutting down the only road up the mountain. So although most of our group set out before 8am, nobody got on the mountain before 11.
We started at Snowbird because it was close to our condos and allowed both snowboarders and skiers (and had a good rental deal). Little did we realize that Snowbird skews towards more difficult trails. Their beginner runs were very challenging, especially for the people in our group who were actually beginners. And, because of the avalanche, they canceled all the lessons.
Due to the danger of another avalanche on the road, they closed down the lifts early. So we only got in two runs on Thursday. A meager showing, to be sure, but we still had Friday through Sunday to make up for it.
Friday was a better day for most everyone. We headed back to Snowbird, undaunted by their intimidating trails. While the beginners made their way along the easier slopes, I went up to the top of the mountain for some blue runs. The first couple times through I had a pretty good time. But the last run of the day was torturous. I was just not in good enough shape to take the pounding Snowbird was intent on laying on me.
Boy was I glad for the hot tub on Friday night. Oy!
By Saturday, we'd learned our lesson. We headed further up the mountain to Alta. Alta not only had a better selection of green and blue trails, but it was also really groomed. All the greens and most of the blues were set up to offer a smooth and exhilarating ride.
It was a revolution for the beginners and intermediates on the trip (myself included) to be able to angle down the hill and just ride. By the end of Saturday, the beginners were trying blues and I was challenging myself with some black diamond runs!
The only flaw on Saturday was the fog that had settled over the peaks of the mountains. So while the rides were fun and challenging, there was a layer of nervousness added by the fact that you could barely see 10 feet in front of you. But once we dropped down below the clouds, it was just pure enjoyment all the way down.
Sunday we headed back to Alta. The day started off beautiful and stayed that way. With the sun shining down and the sky free of clouds, I felt even more confident. And headed all over the mountain, taking on some long and challenging runs. It was really perfect!
Utah is a beautiful place.
3 comments:
Are you now married to 4 other people? Did you have to marry everyone else on the ski hill?
Speaking of Mormons, Nelly noticed, when we were waiting for our flight in JFK, that there were a couple people on our flight that were clearly Mormons on "missions". When we got off there was a huge welcoming party for those guys, including giant sign.
There did seem to be a very small minority of polygamists there. I myself didn't identify any, but apparently some people on our trip did meet some polygamists.
I am really pretty sure I saw polygamists there. One of the missionaries was greeted by one older man, two older women, and i counted at least 12 younger children. And they all took a picture together. So I am jumping to some conclusions. Also, in addition to the sign the welcome party included balloons and flashing cameras. They were pretty stone faced when we came down the stairs--surprisingly, not at all happy to see us in Utah.
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