Off-Slope Fun in Park City

Continuing my recap from an early March trip to Park City, Utah.... (Check out Part One here)

Skiing wasn't the only activity pursued during my stay in Park City.  Borderline rain/snow was predicted for the final two days, so instead of shelling out big bucks to ski in the rain (I could do that back home for much less!) my friend Hollie and I decided to check out the shopping in downtown Park City.

Sloppy snowfall in downtown Park City

Many of the visitors to Park City are not hurting for money.  That became evident when Hollie and I perused Main Street.  We passed many well-heeled ladies, dressed to the nines in expensive clothing.  Lots of high-end brands had set up shops downtown.  We even counted three fur stores! 

For the man who has everything...

Speaking of fur..... one shop featured an item for the man who has everything - the fur jockstrap!  This unusual clothing article retailed for $39.95.  We asked the lady in the shop if she sold very many and were told they average 10 per day.  (Can you believe it?  That's a lot of money to spend for a gag gift!) 

The 2002 Winter Olympics held events at Park City

After walking the length of Main Street and back, Hollie and I drove over to the Park City resort, checked out some more shops, and watched a few hardy souls skiing in the rain.  Some of the 2002 Winter Olympics skiing events were held here, commemorated by a tall, artsy sign.

Ski Museum at the Olympic Park

On the topic of 2002 Winter Olympics - Hollie mentioned Park City had a museum at the old bobsled and ski jumping venue.  The following day, with more crummy weather in the forecast, we decided to drive over and have a look.

Sign for Utah Olympic Park

The old venues are still in use.  Freestyle skiers and ski jumpers still train on the 2002 facilities.  Also, the bobsled run is operational, offering rides to the public ($180 for a very quick trip).

Jump where freestyle skiers train

The freestyle skiing venue was vacant, its ramps snow-covered.  The pool below was empty, save for a thick blanket of snow.  (Obviously now a summer training facility)

Line up of neon ski wear!

The site did have a great museum, the Alf Engen Ski Museum.  It was named in honor of Alf Engen, a Norwegian-American skier who set several ski jumping world records in the 1930s.  He also helped established many ski areas in the western US, and is known as the pioneer of powder skiing.

Hollie tries out the ski jump simulator

The museum was very well done.  First, Hollie and I walked past a huge display of ski wear throughout the decades.  Lots of bright-colored garments, especially ones representing the 80s!


 

Olympic uniforms

Since neither Hollie nor I were willing to shell out 180 bucks apiece to ride the bobsled, we did the next best thing and tried the bobsled simulator.  For five bucks, it was a lot of fun.  Just around the corner was a ski jump simulation video, so of course we also had to try our hand at that.  Let's just say it wasn't very pretty.......(we'll stick to our day jobs!)

Channeling my inner freestyle skier

There were more fun things to see and do - like getting your picture taken as a freestyle skier.  Wahoo!

Hollie checks out the bobsled

Or trying to stuff yourself into a real Olympic bobsled.  (Just how do the riders get themselves in there so quickly?)

Opening ceremony costume

The upper floor had all sorts of memorabilia from the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympic games.  
From team uniforms, (USA! USA!) to opening ceremony costumes, to a full wall of the different pins exchanged.

You too can be an Olympic torch bearer!

You could even hold a replica of the Olympic torch!

Snowy bobsled track

After thoroughly exploring the museum, Hollie and I went outside to get a look at the bobsled track.  Rides weren't offered until later in the day, so there wasn't much to see.  Plus everything was covered with a thick blanket of snow.

Future Olympians in training

On a nearby hill, we watched future Olympic skiers training on a short slalom course.

Hollie models her Park City hat!

The place that we stayed had its own gondola that took visitors up to Park City, Canyons Village base.  Every time we took a ride, both Hollie and I admired the cool hats the gondola employees wore.  After looking all over town for duplicates, we learned the hats were part of the official Park City employee uniform and weren't for sale to the public.  However, that didn't stop Hollie.  She offered one of the employees 25 bucks for his hat, and to our surprise he said "okay." 

Funny bumper sticker

It's amazing how fast a week of vacation can fly by.  Before I knew it, Friday arrived, and we were packing up Hollie's car for the 13-hour journey back home.  Despite some scary icy roads in northern Utah/southern Idaho, I'm happy to report we arrived in one piece.

Super fun to experience a new ski area - thanks Hollie for inviting me! 

(This blog will now resume "52 Hike Challenge" posts)

Park City - All About the Skiing

My friend Hollie takes full advantage of her time share membership with an annual winter vacation to Utah's Park City.  This year, she invited me to join her.  Having never skied Park City before, I jumped at the chance to visit a "new to me" resort.

Smiles on my first day at Park City

So the first day of March found me sitting in the backseat of Hollie's car, speeding through the Gorge at morning's first light.  Joining us for the 13-hour drive to Park City was Hollie's friend Steve, himself an avid skier.  Having three drivers made the trip much more bearable, and the miles passed quickly.  Before I knew it, we were climbing out of Salt Lake City into the mountains.  Park City here we come!

Balcony view

Our time share condo had a nice view of the pool and hot tub area.  Plus - the gondola to Park City's Canyons base area was right outside!

I could barely make out the mountains

Park City, with 330 trails and 7,300 skiable acres, is the second largest ski resort in North America.  In 2015, Park City merged with neighboring Canyons resort to become the biggest ski area in the US.  And huge it is - the sheer number of chairlifts and runs shown on it's trail map was mind-blowing.

But the fog was cool

Large, famous ski resorts also charge big prices.  A day lift ticket at Park City cost an astronomical $180.  Trying to pick the best value for my wallet, I chose to forgo skiing the first day, which was Saturday, assuming it would be packed with weekend crowds.  (I'm not paying 180 bucks to sit in lift lines!)  Steve, who had an Epic pass, decided to check things out.  He confirmed I made the right decision, reporting that the resort was so busy it "resembled Bejing."

The place was huge!

But the following day new snowfall, and the promise of smaller crowds, had me joining Steve on the slopes.  Luckily, his Epic pass got me a "buddy discount" for a lift ticket (thanks Steve!) so I avoided paying full price.

Famous "Orange Bubble" lift

Having skied Park City many times, I was thankful to have Steve as my guide.  His knowledge of the often-confusing maze of chairlifts and ski runs was a life saver.  I just followed Steve where ever he wanted to go - and enjoyed every place he took me.  Lots of nice wide blue cruisers, all groomed to perfection.

Hollie at Deer Valley

A scant 4 inches of fluffy powder had fallen overnight, making the first few downhill trips pure heaven.  Although low-lying clouds hid much of the nearby mountains, views were still mighty nice.  Having skied hard the day before, Steve was tired by 2 pm.  He decided to head back, but wanted to do one more run, and point me towards the base area.

Tremendous views

Having stuck to Steve like glue all day, I surprisingly took a wrong turn on the last run and lost him.  But I had my trail map, and managed to navigate my way back to the Canyons base area just fine.  Once there, I took a few laps on the "Orange Bubble" lift (so named because of the orange plastic shields that protected skiers from stormy lift rides).  Then, I discovered a run that took me right to the front door of our condo building.  Ski in/ski out lodging - how awesome is that?

Huge slopeside houses

Hollie and Steve had hoped to ski at nearby Deer Valley Resort.  This ski area, with the reputation for catering to a more upscale crowd, also charged upscale prices for their passes.  But Hollie to the rescue - after learning she could score discounted Deer Valley lift tickets for sitting through a time share presentation (she said "No problem, I'm good at saying no") Hollie took one for the team, and was able to get all three of us $75 day passes to this shi-shi resort.

Hotel on nearby hill

So Monday morning, Hollie, Steve and I piled into the car and drove a short distance to Deer Valley.  The first run Steve and I accompanied Hollie, who is a beginner skier, down one of the easier trails.  She did fantastic!  As we progressed downhill, I marveled at the huge, fancy houses perched right on the edge of the ski trail.  And on a neighboring hill was an enormous luxury hotel.  Too steep to build a road to the top, this hotel was accessed by a rail track hugging the hillside.

Views from every run

Buoyed by her successful first run, Hollie was ready for round two.  But I lagged behind taking photos and missed poor Hollie take an epic wipeout.  She'd slipped backward and hit her head hard.  (Even though she was wearing a helmet, packed snow is not soft.)  Confidence shattered, and head throbbing, Hollie was done for the day.  Steve and I slowly guided her down the rest of the run and delivered her into the lodge.  After assuring Steve and I she was okay (and taking my emergency ibuprofen), she encouraged us to go and ski without her.

Accommodations lined the ski runs

Time to explore this new to us ski area!  Although we had trail maps in our pockets, Steve pointed to the nearest lift and said "let's go here."  We ended up randomly following trails, and hopping on lifts all morning.  The runs were impeccably smooth - Deer Valley has a reputation for stellar grooming.  I marveled at all the fancy homes, condos and hotels lining the trails and adjacent hillsides.  It was like someone had plopped a ski area in the middle of a very wealthy city.

Hills dotted with homes

About one o'clock, we were both famished.  Time to find a lodge to get a drink and eat our sandwiches.  But where was a lodge?  We skied up to a few gigantic houses, mistakenly thinking they were ski lodges (we really couldn't tell the difference!)

The famous Stein Ericksen Lodge!

After consulting a trail sign and hopping on a short lift, it deposited Steve and I next to another large structure.  Was it another Mcmansion?  Upon closer inspection, we discovered it was indeed a lodge.  And not just any lodge - this was Stein Ericksen's Lodge!

Stein Ericksen was a legendary downhill skier from Norway, winning gold and silver medals in the 1952 Olympics.  He was also credited with developing "aerials," a form of freestyle skiing.  After retiring from competition, Stein taught skiing in several resorts throughout the US before settling in Utah as the director of skiing at Deer Valley.

Havin' a beer at Stein's place

As Steve and I stepped inside Stein's lodge, we could tell right away it was an extremely classy place.  The restrooms had cloth towels, and the gathering rooms boasted fancy furniture and expensive carpets.  Most of the people were sporting pricey ski wear.  Boy did I feel like a country bumpkin!

The restaurant had a huge waiting list.  Steve suggested we have a beer at "Stein's Place," but there was even a line to get into the bar.  But one of the hostesses advised if we sat in one of living room areas, someone would serve us.  Luckily, Steve and I snagged a set of chairs, and as promised, a waiter materialized to take our order.

Loved the scenery

So Steve and I spent a pleasant lunch break drinking our beers, and sneaking bites from our sandwiches (we assumed sack lunches were a big no-no, thus our incognito noshing).  Once refueled, after taking one more potty break (gotta take advantage of such lavish restrooms!) we were ready to finish off our day at Deer Valley.

Hooray for Deer Valley!

Steve and I stumbled upon the furthest northerly lift that took us to Deer Valley's ski area boundary.  Standing on top of the Empire chairlift, Steve and I gazed over the adjacent peaks, wondering exactly where Park City ski area began (we'd find out tomorrow just how close we were!)  Then, navigating the many ski runs and chairlifts brought us back to Deer Valley's main base area, where Hollie was waiting.  But....before calling it a day, Steve and I skied past two runs that were used for the 2002 Olympic skiing events.  If my legs hadn't been so thrashed, I would have totally skied both of them.  Oh well, next time.....

Aspen stand

Ski day three brought Steve and I back to Park City.  This day Steve said he'd take me over to the Park City side of the resort.  Following a circuitous (to me!) pattern of trails and lifts finally brought us to the Park City gondola.  After Park City acquired the Canyons resort, this gondola was built to bridge a deep canyon between the two.  Now one big happy ski area, visitors can easily traverse between the two former resorts.

2002 Olympic events held at Deer Valley

It was a gorgeous sunny day, and the views from the Park City side were simply outstanding.  Although my legs were tired from two straight days of skiing, the scenery and terrain revived them into service.

Back at Park City

Such wonderful wide, long runs!  Such stunning scenery!  And, although there were plenty of skiers, Steve found places that weren't very crowded.  We had a great morning, skiing a different trail every time.

Gondola ride to Park City side

That afternoon, Steve took me up McConkeys Lift to see Park City's southern border.  A long, sweeping blue run followed the ridgetop, treating us to wide open views of the entire valley.  Stopping at one place, we both looked across a 20-foot gap of snow and spotted a ski run on the other side.  What trail was this?  It looked kind of familiar.  Then Steve and I realized we were looking at Deer Valley ski area - and it was the run we'd been on the day before!

Quirky mascot

The next two days brought wet, stormy weather and I wasn't about to pay big bucks to ski in the rain (I could do that at home!)  However, Hollie and I found other things to occupy our time.  I'll recap our "off day" antics in my next post.

Sunrise, Sunset

(Continuing the recap of my mid-October trip to southern Utah and Northern Arizona...)

It had been a busy first day at Bryce Canyon National Park.  My hubby and I hiked Queens Garden and Navajo Loop and then explored the Bryce Canyon scenic drive.  Now, tired and hungry, we were ready for some dinner and rest. 

Bryce Canyon, minutes before sunset

BUT.....my park map showed two lookouts on the main canyon rim, named Sunrise and Sunset Point.  Per my guidebook, experiencing the sun rising and falling at these overlooks was not to be missed.

Crowds at the overlook

So what's a photographer to do?  Of course, I wasn't about to pass up a possible opportunity for some spectacular shots!

Glowing orange hoodoos

After checking into our camper cabin, Roger worn out and suffering from scenery overload, chose a rest before dinner over experiencing the sunset.  So, I set out to Sunset Point with only my camera and tripod for company.

Another view of the orange canyon

However, I soon discovered I'd be far from alone.  The narrow overlook platform was crammed with people - photographers of all types jockeying their tripods for the prize spot.  Mixed in with the more serious camera buffs were other tourists, wiggling amongst the tripods, holding their smartphones high.  To top it off, a few tour buses full of Asian visitors unloaded at the last minute, and these people swarmed the walkways, chattering loudly in their native tongues.

Right after sunset

It was far from the peaceful scene I had imagined.  Adding to my disappointment, that night's sunset was a total dud.  Clouds obscured the skies, and the canyon's hoodoos glowed orange only briefly before darkness descended like a thick blanket.

Sunrise sky the next morning

After the sunset debacle, I wasn't too excited about waking up early to catch sunrise.  But my hubby convinced me to give it another try.

First light on the hoodoos

So I set my phone alarm for o'dark hundred.  When it first chimed, I was sorely tempted to roll back over and sleep in.  But I knew this might be my only chance to capture a sunrise over Bryce Canyon and roused myself.

Sunshine explodes over the horizon

Only a half mile down the rim trail from it's companion Sunset Point, I arrived at Sunrise Point in predawn darkness.  A half dozen sleepy photographers had staked claims along the railing and were bundled up against the morning chill.  I picked what I hoped to be a good spot and prepared to wait for daylight.

Glowing rock formations

But just like Sunset Point the previous evening, I wasn't alone for long.  Crowds of people began arriving, some setting up tripods, others hovering between the more serious photographers, clutching smartphone cameras.  I was amazed at the number of people willing to get up at such an early hour!

Day breaks

Sunrise Point was just as much of a circus as Sunset Point had been the night before.  As I patiently waited for the sun to show it's face, people crowded in front of my camera.  Although I didn't care at that moment, I shooed them away when the sun began to peep over the horizon.

Another view of the canyon

That morning's sunrise was much better than the sunset.  A few wispy clouds illuminated into a soft pink color.  And then, hearing the crowd gasp, I watched the first rays of daylight break over Bryce Canyon.

Rosy pink rocks

I concentrated on one area of the canyon, a unique formation of arches and narrow cliff edges.  A small group of photographers had set up across from these hoodoos, and in a minute I saw why.  The rising sunlight bathed this rock in a warm, pink glow.

Spectacular!  I took copious images, from many different angles and focal lengths.  Then I trained my tripod on some of the other columnar hoodoos lit up in brilliant shades of orange.

Hoodoo highlights

Totally glad I'd gotten up early, I left Sunrise Point with a memory card full of keepers.  Arriving back at the cabin, Roger informed me he wasn't feeling well.  The high altitude was bothering him, affecting his sleep.  Since we'd seen most of Bryce Canyon the previous day, there wasn't much else to do, so my hubby suggested we head home a day early. 

So long Bryce Canyon!

Under a brilliant blue sky (finally a sunny day!) we packed our car and bid Bryce Canyon National Park, and Utah, goodbye.  Despite the soggy weather changing a few plans, it had been a wonderful trip.  I'd finally been able to check a few of my "must see" national parks off the bucket list.

This ends my National Park vacation recaps!  Hope you've enjoyed them.  Now to catch up on all the other things I've been doing in the past couple of months.....  :)


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