1) It is difficult.
2) It is exhilarating.3) It is outside.
4) It plays with chaos.
Why I like skiing in the mountains:1) Altitude makes me happy.
2) Big mountains grant big perspective.
3) The air is clean, the snow is dry, and the runs are long.
4) The majesty of the mountains testify to God's majesty.
Why I like skiing in the mountains with friends:
1) Good friends are a gift.
2) It is better to have someone with whom to share the fun.
3) Friends get you to do things you wouldn't ordinarily do.
4) It's not much fun to go après-ski hot-tubbing alone.
My good friend Billy invited. I responded.
So, I'm skiing The Canyons at Park City with my dear amigo and it is a joy!
We just finished our first day and we hammered it: 18 runs, 20328 vertical feet, 24.6 miles. My legs are tired.
A brief recap of the trip so far:
Wednesday, January 31
Woke to a blue blood lunar eclipse. A nice way to come down from my State of the Union hangover. Actually, President Trump did quite well.
In to the office for a couple of hours.
Workout at Dordt.
Home, lunch (granola, yogurt, fruit smoothie), and ablutions.
Straight to the Old Market in Omaha. After a quick stop at Drastic Plastic, I settled in at La Buvette for a lovely Michel Picard Pinot Noir, olives, cheese, and bread. I was the only customer. Jazz on the hifi. Jordan B. Peterson (12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos) was my companion. After my repast, I made quick stops at Jackson Street Books and Pretty in Patina (continuing the search for Sophie's Chanel pumps).
To Eppley Airport, I waited for my flight, and was rather ecstatic when I discover that Billy had splurged for First Class. Premium boarding. Wide comfy seat. A glass of Dewars on ice. Jordan B. Peterson.
The flight was rather long, but we landed. Not dying is always positive.
By the time I had walked to the baggage area, Billy texted me that he had arrived. Perfect timing. I walked outside, he pulled up, and we were off.
To In-N-Out Burger for a late dinner (single, fries, Coke), then on to The Summit Lodge at The Canyons. Absolutely lovely.
I unpacked and we hit the jacuzzi. Perfect.
Thursday, February 1
I slept surprisingly well. Up. Breakfast (a breakfast sandwich from First Tracks at the hotel...not good, orange juice, coffee). Devotions. New York Times. Then waiting for the ski rental company to meet me for our 8:30 a.m. appointment in the lobby. No show. I called. They got hung up. Bad news is that it delayed my time on the mountain by thirty minutes. Good news is that is gave Billy time to finish up his session AND I got one day taken off my bill. Good.
Geared up, headed out, and were on the lift by 9:30 a.m. We skied hard all morning. Hammered. I felt good: good form, confident, strong. We canvassed The Canyons, starting from the north and working our way south. We hit most of the skiable terrain on Murdoch Peak and Peak Ninety-Nine 90.
We were starting to fade around 12:30 p.m., so hit the Cloud Nine for a small ($17!!!) bowl of mediocre bean with bacon soup. Amply sated, we took off again, making our way back north.
Billy headed inside for a session a little before 3:00 p.m. I hammered on, plugging in my post-rock playlist--Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, 65daysofstatic, et al. I kept to the runs on the Orange Bubble Express, with my final foray off of the Super Condor Express, which brought me down via "Boa," and perhaps my favorite run of the day.
At the bottom, I was exhausted. The lifts were operating for another ten minutes--I could head up one more time. I assessed the situation and decided it was best to end on a great run.
Inside, I headed to the fitness center for a quick workout, then up to the room. We got (sort of) cleaned up, then headed to Deer Valley for bourbon and burgers at...Bourbon and Burgers. It was pretty spectacular. Located in the Montage Hotel at Deer Valley, it was clubby, and moneyed, and generally just pretty awesome. We had drinks (old fashions, to be precise, made with locally-made bourbon), wagyu nachos, hamburgers, and truffle parmesan fries. Very good.
Downtown Park City for Java Cow (ice cream for Billy, hot chocolate for me). Park City is pretty rad.
Home. Hot tub. Shower. Bedtime. I am exhausted.
Friday, February 2
Awake. Slept well. Breakfast (bagel, orange juice, coffee). Gear up.
I was on the lift (Orange Bubble Express) at 9:01 a.m., and on the way down (Doc's Run...a moderate blue) decided that I somehow forgot how to ski overnight. It was a disaster. My form was horrible. My legs were like jelly. I had no control. I actually went down--not hard, but enough to get my attention. Ticked, I parked it in an Adirondack chair at the base and waited for Billy.
Together, we set out to fulfill the plan--work Park City from south to north, from Payday at Park City Mountain Village to Boa at The Canyons.
We hammered. The stats:
24 runs.
29 miles total distance.
25,000 vertical feet.
Max speed: 38.7 mph
Max elevation: 9,285 feet
Longest run: 2.7 miles
The highlights were many. The lowlights weren't very low (my fatigue by the end of the day being the only thing that comes to mind).
I end on Boa at 4:01 p.m., quads burning, low light lending little visibility, cold, tired. It was awesome. Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky, and Slowdive provided the soundtrack for the last three runs.
Back at the hotel, I cleaned up, returned the skis, and headed to the hot tub for a very brief soak.
Then into Park City for dinner, and what ended up being a top-3 all-time dining experience. Fletcher's. Outstanding.
Short-rib grilled cheese. Buffalo & blue cheese fondue. 12 oz. tenderloin. Fries. Chocolate mud pie. Drinks. Truly extraordinary.
Back to hotel. Soak. Batman. Bed.
Great day!
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