On Friday night I had my second experience with the Symphony. Rosey and I, along with my friends S&J, went out to see the Utah Symphony perform Gershwin's "An American in Paris". At least that's what we thought we were going to see. It turns out that the Gershwin piece was just a small part of the overall performance that evening. The first half of the evening's performance was highlighting the work of an American composer that I had never heard of before: Charles Ives.
I first suspected that something was up when the conductor of the orchestra addressed the audience before the performance and gave something of an explanation as well as a disclaimer. Ives, as it turns out, was very experimental with his music. Few, if any, of his pieces were ever performed in his lifetime. We were warned that this group of professional musicians on stage were about to plays notes off beat and out of key and a myriad of rhythms intertwined with each other. We were assured that they were indeed worthy musicians but this was in fact how Charles Ives intended his music to be performed.
I'd like to think that I'm open to new things, so I was anxious to hear this 'original' American composer. The symphony was entitled, "Four Holidays" and each of the four movements was a tribute to a different New England holiday. The first movement was really different and kind of dissonant, but not all that bad. Things went downhill from there.
The second and third movements were really strange beyond my capacity for musical appreciation. One of the things that mesmerized me when we went to the symphony a couple of months ago was watching the bows of all of the violinists moving in perfect unison. That was not so in this performance. In fact, for the entire second and third movement I don't think that there were any two instruments on stage that were playing the same rhythm on the same beat.
By the end of the third movement, celebrating the 4th of July, there was so much musical chaos, so many different beats and rhythms, so many unexplained large frightening crashes and booms, that I couldn't contain myself and just started to burst out laughing. Not just snickering, but laughing hysterically. To hear a group of professional musicians playing this music that sounded a lot like a 3 year old banging pots and pans together was just amusing to me. It was even more amusing to me that a concert hall full of a couple of thousand people paid to see this performance.
I was not alone in my hysterics. About a quarter of the audience was apparently experiencing the same thing as I was. Total disbelief at what they were hearing. The effect was so uniform that I begun to believe that maybe this was even the desired effect of the conductor as he chose to perform this piece. For even the conductor as he concluded the third movement and turned around to address the audience, chuckled a little bit with a huge smile on his face and assured us once more that the musicians were intentionally playing off beat.
The fourth movement was actually the best. It was the earliest piece of the collection. There was still dissonance in the music, but it was balanced by enough consonance that you felt like he achieved the effect of adding a little chaos to the music without overwhelming the audience.
There were apparently some people in the audience, Rosey included, who "got it". These people made comments like, "What a brave choice of music by the conductor", or, "Imagine the skill required of the musicians to play a piece like that", or "What an interesting piece of America's musical history", or even, "Wow, the dissonance of the two middle movements create a negative contrast that really allows you to appreciate the final movement. Brilliant!".
I, on the other hand, am not afraid or ashamed to admit that I just didn't "get it". In fact, I'll go one step further and postulate that there really was nothing "to get". I understand that the conductor was brave to play a piece of music like that: Of course, he was brave, he was playing a crappy piece of music in front of an audience of thousands that paid good money to hear the orchestra play. Who cares that the conductor was brave? I would rather hear a good piece of music.
I also understand that the musicians were challenged by the piece. But, again, who cares? If the piece doesn't have any aesthetic quality, what do I care how challenging it is to play?
I have talked about this with my piano teacher on several occasions. Often when I come to practice some of the other teachers, many of whom are music majors at BYU, are practicing their difficult pieces in between lessons. Most of the time they sound like ass because they are playing these pieces that are musically difficult but aesthetically displeasing. My teacher has said that he'll never understand why people will spend a lifetime studying music to be able to play crap like that when there is so much beautiful music that you could play. I tend to agree.
Anyway, the evening at the symphony wasn't a total loss. The work of Charles Ives was good for a laugh and the second half of the performance, including Gershwin's "An American in Paris" was really quite good.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Never Thought I'd See the Day
I bought a new pair of jeans last night. Size 34x30. I haven't fit into jeans that small since I graduated from high school.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Learning Russian... Finally
For years, it's been a goal of mine to learn Russian. I love Dostoevsky and thought it would be really cool to be able to read his works in their native language. Unfortunately, for the last several years I haven't been able to find any classes that were available at the local universities at a convenient time of day. The classes were always smack dab in the middle of the morning or the middle of the afternoon making it difficult to get away from work to get to class.
Spanish Fork has a community school program and I've always kept an eye out for a Russian class, but it just isn't a popular enough language. It's easy to find Spanish or French classes offered at night but not Russian.
To my surprise, Rosey was flipping through the Community School program for Spring '07 a couple of weeks ago and noticed that they actually have a Russian class being offered. So, I signed up immediately. I was a little worried that there wouldn't be enough interest in the class to keep it going because there were only two other people signed up at the time when I registered. Usually they need at least 8.
When I showed up for my first class last week and discovered that I was one of four people enrolled in the class, I was certain that the teacher was just going to send us home. But, she decided to teach the class anyway. So, now I have the next 10 weeks to learn enough Russian to read Dostoevsky :) OK, my expectations aren't really that high for a 10 week course. But at least it will get the ball rolling. If the teacher is decent I'm thinking of offering to hire her as a private tutor once the class is over.
Spanish Fork has a community school program and I've always kept an eye out for a Russian class, but it just isn't a popular enough language. It's easy to find Spanish or French classes offered at night but not Russian.
To my surprise, Rosey was flipping through the Community School program for Spring '07 a couple of weeks ago and noticed that they actually have a Russian class being offered. So, I signed up immediately. I was a little worried that there wouldn't be enough interest in the class to keep it going because there were only two other people signed up at the time when I registered. Usually they need at least 8.
When I showed up for my first class last week and discovered that I was one of four people enrolled in the class, I was certain that the teacher was just going to send us home. But, she decided to teach the class anyway. So, now I have the next 10 weeks to learn enough Russian to read Dostoevsky :) OK, my expectations aren't really that high for a 10 week course. But at least it will get the ball rolling. If the teacher is decent I'm thinking of offering to hire her as a private tutor once the class is over.
Monday, January 15, 2007
F-f-f-freezing
Utah is experiencing record low temperatures right now. It's really not a very convenient time for my heater to go out. And yet it did. When Rosey and I woke up this morning it was about 40 degrees in the house. Luckily, I've been out most of the day and haven't had to worry too much about the indoor temperature. However, I've been waiting for the heating guy to show up for the last hour and it's been pretty miserable. It's so cold that I was actually prompted to wash my dishes just to have some warm water running over my cold hands :)
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Bringing in the New Year in the Tetons
This is neglected blog post #2
So, if you spend Christmas in the middle of the desert, where do you spend New Year's? Where else but in one of the coldest and snowiest places in the country, Grand Teton National Park.
This trip actually had a little additional utility packed into it. Rosey and I both got new cross country skis for Christmas and this trip was to be our maiden voyage on our new skis. According to the National Park Service website, cross country skis are a great way to explore the park in the winter. It sounded like a good idea to us.
I really lucked out finding a place to stay. I wanted to find a little cabin actually inside the park. A quick web search came up with the Triangle X ranch. They seemed a little pricey but they were smack dab in the middle of the park, the cabins looked really nice, and the price included all of your meals while you were there. The meals were supposedly prepared by a four star chef. I guess we would see about that.
Our Near Death Experience
I took Friday off of work to give us an even longer weekend. We left Spanish Fork early in the morning and headed up Hwy 89 to the Jackson Hole. This route was much more scenic than going up I-15 or out I-80 and took about the same amount of time. The only downside was that if we were to encounter snow these roads might be more difficult to traverse. But, there was no more snow in the forecast.
It had actually snowed pretty heavily the night before we left, but there had been plenty of time for the roads to clear... or so we thought :) We were driving through Logan canyon on our way to Bear Lake when we first had some trouble. The roads actually looked totally clear in the canyon. There was no snow buildup whatsoever and the roads even looked dry. We weren't going particularly fast; at least no faster than the traffic in front of us.
We came upon a turn going through the canyon that didn't look any different than the dozen other turns that we had traversed. But I remember, as if in slow motion, the car slowly drifting forward in a straight line even through the road was turning away from us. Holy shit, we just hit a patch of ice. I let off the gas and tried to correct my steering to regain control. I was in control for a second before the car started sliding the other direction, this time into what would be oncoming traffic (thank God no one was coming).
After three or four more iterations of correction and sliding, I was finally able to re-stabilize the car. Wow, that get's the adrenaline pumping :) I wondered how it was that we lost control and that none of the other cars in front of us seemed to have any trouble going the same speed over the same spot. I pulled over to check the car and make sure that everything was alright. It also gave my nerves a chance to settle. That whole experience gave me a whole new perspective on driving through canyons in the winter. I will never again just assume that the road is dry and safe just because it looks that way.
Will There Be Snow?
We did actually hit some snow near Bear Lake, but we managed fairly well and didn't have any more near-death experiences. Instead we dealt with an emotional roller coaster as we drove through areas of varying depths of snow. I really wanted to be able to ski in the Tetons and we kept passing through areas where there was barely any snow on the ground and I would freak out. Then we would pass through areas with 3 feet of snow built up and I would feel better again. The closer we got to Jackson, the higher the emotional peaks got and the lower the valleys got.
As we pulled into Jackson itself I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. There was only an inch or two of snow on the ground in town and the park was only 20 miles away. It was beginning to look like our cross-country ski vacation might turn into a hiking vacation. I guess that it wouldn't have been the end of the world to spend the weekend hiking instead of skiing, but I had really been looking forward to skiing and had spent a good deal of money making the perfect accommodations for the weekend.
I was kind of sad as I pulled out of Jackson and headed North into the park. I just couldn't imagine that the snow conditions could be that different 20 miles away. Fortunately they were were. As we left town we gradually gained elevation as we drove into the park. The couple of inches in town, turned to six inches just outside of town and then a foot and then two feet, and then three feet of snow beside the road. All of the sudden we were staring out over a beautiful snow blanketed winter landscape. Who'da thunk it?
Living the Good Life at the Ranch
Our accommodations at the ranch were spectacular. The cabin itself was rustic; it was a far cry from luxury, it was quite cozy. It was the lodge on the ranch that really made the ranch an incredible experience. The lodge was where we ate all of our meals and just came to relax after a day out and mingle with the other guests. There was a huge fireplace and a pool table and a piano and even an outdoor jacuzzi. It was wonderful.
I really had my doubts about the food at the ranch. Sure, the website said that they had a four star chef, but lots of places stretch the truth just to get you there. I was imagining that we were going to be eating lots of country cookin': deep fried food smothered in gravy. I was kind bummed out about it, because I was still trying to watch my weight and I didn't want to have this weekend set my progress back any.
You can imagine my surprise then when we sat down to dinner on the first night and were served a pumpkin lobster soup with ginger cream that rivaled, if not surpassed anything that I've ever eaten in a fancy restaurant in my life. The menu was small but it was all gourmet food. Over the course of three days we got to try just about everything and it was all fantastic. The New Year's Eve party really took the cake though. They served a "Surf and Turf" (Lobster tail and beef tenderloin) that was unlike anything I've ever eaten in my life. Wow, this place was such an incredible find. I would recommend it to anyone.
The only thing that was a little uncomfortable for me about our stay at the ranch was that I felt like I was surrounded by truly wealthy people. Even though they were all (well, mostly) very nice, I felt like I was being measured up. I think that this is something that guys tend to worry about more than girls.
There were several couples from Georgia (I think that Rosey actually enjoyed connecting with some compratiots from the south). One of them was retired and was dropping twenty dollar bills from his wad of cash like they were going out of style. Another of them was talking about their passion for sailing and all of their expensive toys and vacations.
There was a retired test pilot for Lockheed Martin that was making comments about how people that aren't truly wealthy shouldn't bother flying because they can't afford to properly maintain their equipment and will likely just end up killing themselves. And then there was a guy from Missouri that at one point in his life owned several dozen car dealerships (that he would not shut up about). Oh and there was another group of two younger couples that were on vacation. They knew each from school... Princeton :)
All of that aside, we still had a really good time. I think that the people at the ranch thought we were a little crazy for all of the skiing that we did. I guess most people who stay with them tend to do a little more relaxing and are a little less active. Over the course of our three days we did 23 miles of skiing around the ranch and in the park.
Deep Snow Skiing
On our first afternoon, we did a quick loop around the ranch on a groomed trail to get our ski legs back. Not wanting to waste any time, we packed up the car and headed into the park to get a short ski in before dinner time. We ended up going just down the road a couple of miles and pulling into the Dead Man's Bar turnout. The road was closed for the winter and made for a perfect ski in the deep snow.
I think that we figured out at some point that the road was actually supposed to be closed to all forms of travel and not just vehicles. That would explain why we were the first ones to lay tracks in the snow. The road that descended down to the snake river was actually really steep; a 19% decline. This would have been a real problem for two novice skiers were it not for the fact that the powder was so deep that it really kept you from gaining any momentum at all. In fact, the whole experience was less like skiing and more like snow shoeing. With each step your skis would sink about a foot into the snow.
It was about 2 miles down to the river. It was really neat to be in total isolation in the park as the sun was setting over Teton peak. It was gorgeous.
But then we discovered how quickly gorgeous can turn into dangerous. As we turned back to the car, the sun was setting and the temperature was quickly dropping below zero. I hadn't thought to bring my heavy jacket since I normally keep so warm just by the motion of skiing. The water that we brought along in Rosey's hydropack had actually frozen solid in the hose preventing us from having anything to drink. All of this and we still had to climb back up that 19% incline on skis. Climbing up on skis is definitely not like snowshoeing. Although most modern skis have fish scales on them to prevent you from sliding backwards, they only work up to about a 10% incline. Any more than that you really should have climbing skins (which we didn't).
The Jenny Lake Loop
The next morning, we had a huge breakfast at the lodge and then headed back into the park for a full day of skiing. The ranch was even nice enough to pack sack lunches for us since we wouldn't be coming back for lunch. We decided to ski from the Taggart Lake trailhead (just past the Moose Visitors center) to Jenny Lake and then back. The trail actually followed a road through the park that is closed over the winter and groomed for skiing. It wasn't actually grooved like a trail would be at a Nordic center, but the snow was hard packed and several grooves had been worn by other cross country skiers.
I think that this was where we really found our stride on the skis. It was relatively flat and we were getting really good glide riding in the tracks of other skiers. And you just couldn't beat the scenery. The Teton peaks were looming over us for the entire ski.
I spent the morning taking off and putting back on layers of clothing. I get so hot once I get going that I sweat uncontrollably. I'm not even sure how it's possible to sweat when temperature is below zero, but somehow I'm able. As long as I was moving everything was OK, but slow down even for a second and all of the moisture in my shirt would freeze solid like I was wearing chest armor. It was rather uncomfortable. My beard was most amusing. It frosted over and made me look like father Christmas :)
At some point near the lake we lost the trail and just started going off on our own in the deep snow. We lunched on the boat dock at Jenny Lake. We were totally isolated. It was strange because we actually started the trail with dozens of other skiers, but everyone else must have taken a different route or decided not to go as far as we did. Either way, it was nice to have the lake all to ourselves.
The ski back to the trailhead proved to be a little more challenging. We were already a little worn down from skiing all morning, we were both dealing with blistered heals, and the terrain was much more challenging. We took a trail that winded alongside a little creek. The trail was icy and had lots of sharp ups and downs that were difficult (for novices) to traverse on skis. I did more than my share of cursing through this area, even though secretly I was having a lot of fun :)
Taggart Lake and Colter Bay
By Sunday we were bruised, beaten, sore and blistered and yet neither one of us wanted to waste any our time in the park not skiing. So we bandaged up and headed back out. This time we took a shorter trail out to Taggart Lake. It didn't take long to realize that we were on a trail that was probably meant to be for more advance skiers. We were essentially climbing up switchbacks. This were fairly trivial to negotiate on the way up, but we were both concerned about navigating them on the way down.
I figured that the worst case scenario would be that we could take our skis off and walk down if things go too bad. But, as it turns out neither of us needed to walk back down. Rosey, who had started off being more skeptical than I was, was taking the turns like a pro. I, on the other hand, had a little rougher go of things :) I discovered quickly that the best technique for guaranteeing your safety when you are getting out of control is to just fall on purpose. I tried this several times just to make sure that I could do it and then used the technique several more times on the way down to keep from plowing into people and things. There were no major wrecks, but even two weeks later, I'm still recovering from some of the bruises.
In the afternoon we did another short 4 mile loop near Colter Bay on Jackson Lake. Although this trail probably had the worst conditions, it was pretty chewed by snowshoers, it was my favorite trail that we did. We weaved in and out of the trees, went up and down hills, skied out to two smaller lakes before making our way back to the car. Awesome!
All in all I would say that the whole trip was an incredible experience. The Tetons are beautiful, skiing was a ton of fun, and the ranch was so relaxing. This could easily turn into a new New Year's tradition :)
The rest of our pictures are here.
So, if you spend Christmas in the middle of the desert, where do you spend New Year's? Where else but in one of the coldest and snowiest places in the country, Grand Teton National Park.
This trip actually had a little additional utility packed into it. Rosey and I both got new cross country skis for Christmas and this trip was to be our maiden voyage on our new skis. According to the National Park Service website, cross country skis are a great way to explore the park in the winter. It sounded like a good idea to us.
I really lucked out finding a place to stay. I wanted to find a little cabin actually inside the park. A quick web search came up with the Triangle X ranch. They seemed a little pricey but they were smack dab in the middle of the park, the cabins looked really nice, and the price included all of your meals while you were there. The meals were supposedly prepared by a four star chef. I guess we would see about that.
Our Near Death Experience
I took Friday off of work to give us an even longer weekend. We left Spanish Fork early in the morning and headed up Hwy 89 to the Jackson Hole. This route was much more scenic than going up I-15 or out I-80 and took about the same amount of time. The only downside was that if we were to encounter snow these roads might be more difficult to traverse. But, there was no more snow in the forecast.
It had actually snowed pretty heavily the night before we left, but there had been plenty of time for the roads to clear... or so we thought :) We were driving through Logan canyon on our way to Bear Lake when we first had some trouble. The roads actually looked totally clear in the canyon. There was no snow buildup whatsoever and the roads even looked dry. We weren't going particularly fast; at least no faster than the traffic in front of us.
We came upon a turn going through the canyon that didn't look any different than the dozen other turns that we had traversed. But I remember, as if in slow motion, the car slowly drifting forward in a straight line even through the road was turning away from us. Holy shit, we just hit a patch of ice. I let off the gas and tried to correct my steering to regain control. I was in control for a second before the car started sliding the other direction, this time into what would be oncoming traffic (thank God no one was coming).
After three or four more iterations of correction and sliding, I was finally able to re-stabilize the car. Wow, that get's the adrenaline pumping :) I wondered how it was that we lost control and that none of the other cars in front of us seemed to have any trouble going the same speed over the same spot. I pulled over to check the car and make sure that everything was alright. It also gave my nerves a chance to settle. That whole experience gave me a whole new perspective on driving through canyons in the winter. I will never again just assume that the road is dry and safe just because it looks that way.
Will There Be Snow?
We did actually hit some snow near Bear Lake, but we managed fairly well and didn't have any more near-death experiences. Instead we dealt with an emotional roller coaster as we drove through areas of varying depths of snow. I really wanted to be able to ski in the Tetons and we kept passing through areas where there was barely any snow on the ground and I would freak out. Then we would pass through areas with 3 feet of snow built up and I would feel better again. The closer we got to Jackson, the higher the emotional peaks got and the lower the valleys got.
As we pulled into Jackson itself I was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. There was only an inch or two of snow on the ground in town and the park was only 20 miles away. It was beginning to look like our cross-country ski vacation might turn into a hiking vacation. I guess that it wouldn't have been the end of the world to spend the weekend hiking instead of skiing, but I had really been looking forward to skiing and had spent a good deal of money making the perfect accommodations for the weekend.
I was kind of sad as I pulled out of Jackson and headed North into the park. I just couldn't imagine that the snow conditions could be that different 20 miles away. Fortunately they were were. As we left town we gradually gained elevation as we drove into the park. The couple of inches in town, turned to six inches just outside of town and then a foot and then two feet, and then three feet of snow beside the road. All of the sudden we were staring out over a beautiful snow blanketed winter landscape. Who'da thunk it?
Living the Good Life at the Ranch
Our accommodations at the ranch were spectacular. The cabin itself was rustic; it was a far cry from luxury, it was quite cozy. It was the lodge on the ranch that really made the ranch an incredible experience. The lodge was where we ate all of our meals and just came to relax after a day out and mingle with the other guests. There was a huge fireplace and a pool table and a piano and even an outdoor jacuzzi. It was wonderful.
I really had my doubts about the food at the ranch. Sure, the website said that they had a four star chef, but lots of places stretch the truth just to get you there. I was imagining that we were going to be eating lots of country cookin': deep fried food smothered in gravy. I was kind bummed out about it, because I was still trying to watch my weight and I didn't want to have this weekend set my progress back any.
You can imagine my surprise then when we sat down to dinner on the first night and were served a pumpkin lobster soup with ginger cream that rivaled, if not surpassed anything that I've ever eaten in a fancy restaurant in my life. The menu was small but it was all gourmet food. Over the course of three days we got to try just about everything and it was all fantastic. The New Year's Eve party really took the cake though. They served a "Surf and Turf" (Lobster tail and beef tenderloin) that was unlike anything I've ever eaten in my life. Wow, this place was such an incredible find. I would recommend it to anyone.
The only thing that was a little uncomfortable for me about our stay at the ranch was that I felt like I was surrounded by truly wealthy people. Even though they were all (well, mostly) very nice, I felt like I was being measured up. I think that this is something that guys tend to worry about more than girls.
There were several couples from Georgia (I think that Rosey actually enjoyed connecting with some compratiots from the south). One of them was retired and was dropping twenty dollar bills from his wad of cash like they were going out of style. Another of them was talking about their passion for sailing and all of their expensive toys and vacations.
There was a retired test pilot for Lockheed Martin that was making comments about how people that aren't truly wealthy shouldn't bother flying because they can't afford to properly maintain their equipment and will likely just end up killing themselves. And then there was a guy from Missouri that at one point in his life owned several dozen car dealerships (that he would not shut up about). Oh and there was another group of two younger couples that were on vacation. They knew each from school... Princeton :)
All of that aside, we still had a really good time. I think that the people at the ranch thought we were a little crazy for all of the skiing that we did. I guess most people who stay with them tend to do a little more relaxing and are a little less active. Over the course of our three days we did 23 miles of skiing around the ranch and in the park.
Deep Snow Skiing
On our first afternoon, we did a quick loop around the ranch on a groomed trail to get our ski legs back. Not wanting to waste any time, we packed up the car and headed into the park to get a short ski in before dinner time. We ended up going just down the road a couple of miles and pulling into the Dead Man's Bar turnout. The road was closed for the winter and made for a perfect ski in the deep snow.
I think that we figured out at some point that the road was actually supposed to be closed to all forms of travel and not just vehicles. That would explain why we were the first ones to lay tracks in the snow. The road that descended down to the snake river was actually really steep; a 19% decline. This would have been a real problem for two novice skiers were it not for the fact that the powder was so deep that it really kept you from gaining any momentum at all. In fact, the whole experience was less like skiing and more like snow shoeing. With each step your skis would sink about a foot into the snow.
It was about 2 miles down to the river. It was really neat to be in total isolation in the park as the sun was setting over Teton peak. It was gorgeous.
But then we discovered how quickly gorgeous can turn into dangerous. As we turned back to the car, the sun was setting and the temperature was quickly dropping below zero. I hadn't thought to bring my heavy jacket since I normally keep so warm just by the motion of skiing. The water that we brought along in Rosey's hydropack had actually frozen solid in the hose preventing us from having anything to drink. All of this and we still had to climb back up that 19% incline on skis. Climbing up on skis is definitely not like snowshoeing. Although most modern skis have fish scales on them to prevent you from sliding backwards, they only work up to about a 10% incline. Any more than that you really should have climbing skins (which we didn't).
The Jenny Lake Loop
The next morning, we had a huge breakfast at the lodge and then headed back into the park for a full day of skiing. The ranch was even nice enough to pack sack lunches for us since we wouldn't be coming back for lunch. We decided to ski from the Taggart Lake trailhead (just past the Moose Visitors center) to Jenny Lake and then back. The trail actually followed a road through the park that is closed over the winter and groomed for skiing. It wasn't actually grooved like a trail would be at a Nordic center, but the snow was hard packed and several grooves had been worn by other cross country skiers.
I think that this was where we really found our stride on the skis. It was relatively flat and we were getting really good glide riding in the tracks of other skiers. And you just couldn't beat the scenery. The Teton peaks were looming over us for the entire ski.
I spent the morning taking off and putting back on layers of clothing. I get so hot once I get going that I sweat uncontrollably. I'm not even sure how it's possible to sweat when temperature is below zero, but somehow I'm able. As long as I was moving everything was OK, but slow down even for a second and all of the moisture in my shirt would freeze solid like I was wearing chest armor. It was rather uncomfortable. My beard was most amusing. It frosted over and made me look like father Christmas :)
At some point near the lake we lost the trail and just started going off on our own in the deep snow. We lunched on the boat dock at Jenny Lake. We were totally isolated. It was strange because we actually started the trail with dozens of other skiers, but everyone else must have taken a different route or decided not to go as far as we did. Either way, it was nice to have the lake all to ourselves.
The ski back to the trailhead proved to be a little more challenging. We were already a little worn down from skiing all morning, we were both dealing with blistered heals, and the terrain was much more challenging. We took a trail that winded alongside a little creek. The trail was icy and had lots of sharp ups and downs that were difficult (for novices) to traverse on skis. I did more than my share of cursing through this area, even though secretly I was having a lot of fun :)
Taggart Lake and Colter Bay
By Sunday we were bruised, beaten, sore and blistered and yet neither one of us wanted to waste any our time in the park not skiing. So we bandaged up and headed back out. This time we took a shorter trail out to Taggart Lake. It didn't take long to realize that we were on a trail that was probably meant to be for more advance skiers. We were essentially climbing up switchbacks. This were fairly trivial to negotiate on the way up, but we were both concerned about navigating them on the way down.
I figured that the worst case scenario would be that we could take our skis off and walk down if things go too bad. But, as it turns out neither of us needed to walk back down. Rosey, who had started off being more skeptical than I was, was taking the turns like a pro. I, on the other hand, had a little rougher go of things :) I discovered quickly that the best technique for guaranteeing your safety when you are getting out of control is to just fall on purpose. I tried this several times just to make sure that I could do it and then used the technique several more times on the way down to keep from plowing into people and things. There were no major wrecks, but even two weeks later, I'm still recovering from some of the bruises.
In the afternoon we did another short 4 mile loop near Colter Bay on Jackson Lake. Although this trail probably had the worst conditions, it was pretty chewed by snowshoers, it was my favorite trail that we did. We weaved in and out of the trees, went up and down hills, skied out to two smaller lakes before making our way back to the car. Awesome!
All in all I would say that the whole trip was an incredible experience. The Tetons are beautiful, skiing was a ton of fun, and the ranch was so relaxing. This could easily turn into a new New Year's tradition :)
The rest of our pictures are here.
A Visit From Rosey's Mom
This is neglected blog post #1 (and it is really delinquent) :)
The second weekend in December Rosey's Mom came to visit us for a long weekend. I had met her briefly in Alabama in June but we didn't really have a whole lot of time to get to know each other before we packed up all of Rosey's stuff and drove across the country to Utah. I imagine that it must have been awkward for a mother to let her daughter move across the country with an almost complete stranger.
We actually spent an enjoyable and eventful weekend together. We kicked things off on Friday night with a trip to Capitol theatre to see the Ballet West production of "The Nutcracker". The ballet has been on my list of things that I wanted to try for a long time. The nutcracker seemed like a good show to cut my teeth on and was, of course, appropriate to the season :)
I had mixed feelings about this production of the Nutcracker. I enjoyed the dancing when there was dancing but much of the first 45 minutes of the show was just a bunch of kids running around on stage. That just wasn't really all that amusing to me. I think that I would like to try out another ballet before passing judgment on the entire activity.
On Saturday morning, we decided to pack up the car and head to Zion for the weekend. This was a particular treat for Rosey's Mom who hadn't been to scenic Southern Utah since she moved away 27 years earlier. And of course, Rosey and I are always up for a trip down into the red rock.
In Zion, I decided that all three of us would hike to observation point. It's an 8 mile hike that ascends up to the Mesa overlooking the canyon. The view from the top is spectacular and the scenery along the way through the red rock canyons is like nowhere else on earth.
Now that I've been in Utah for several years, I tend to forget what it's like to live at a lower elevation. Especially now that I'm in good shape I forget what it's like to gasp for breath when the air is so much thinner than you are used to. Rosey's Mom is actually in pretty good shape but her Alabama lungs were just no match for the climb to Observation point. Even without making it to the top, it's still a gorgeous hike.
Rosey's Mom decided to slowly meander back down the trail while Rosey and I hightailed it to the top and then back down again. Running up a trail like that is unbelievably good exercise. If you could do that every morning, you would never need to worry about your fitness again. Kinda makes me wish I was a park ranger in Zion. Hmm, maybe when I retire :)
We decided to stay in Zion Saturday night rather than drive all the way back to Spanish Fork tired from the day's activities. We found a pleasant motel just outside the park and then went to Oscars' cafe for dinner. Even though it was probably 40 degrees out, we decided to dine out on the patio beneath several gas heaters. The heat felt wonderful and, well, you know me, I'm all about the open flame :)
Sitting on the patio we were lucky enough to be serenaded by some Christmas carolers that happened by. Sure the people inside could have seen the carolers and might even have been able to hear them a little, but they didn't get to experience them like we did outside. It really is a neat experience to be in Zion at Christmas time.
On Sunday, on our way out of the park, we got another rare and perilous treat: we got to see Zion in the snow. As we ascended up to the Zion - Mt. Carmel tunnel the snow began to fall and steadily progressed as we trekked through the park to the east entrance. If you've never been to Zion before, driving through the east side of the park, is like being on another planet. The red rock is swirled and twisted gnarled in ways that you wouldn't think possible. The light blanket of snow just made it that much more incredible.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long before the light blanket of snow became a heavy blanket of snow. The thing that concerned me most was that we were on a route that was going to take us back to Spanish Fork via back roads. The interstates in Utah are usually kept pretty clear even in heavy snow, but you are really taking your chance driving on the old state highway (hwy 89). It's not traveled nearly as frequently anymore and there's no telling how long it would take before a snow plow would come through.
The drive between Zion and Bryce was formidable. I got behind a semi and just kept a slow even pace. The snow was coming down so hard that you could hardly see 20 feet in front of you. Most of the time I couldn't even see the actual semi in front of me. All I could see was the faint red glow of it's tail lights through the falling snow. Fortunately that was enough to keep me on the road.
When we got to Bryce we had a decision to make: Do we stop in the park for a minute like we originally planned or do we just keep pressing forward? On the one hand, stopping for a minute could give the plows a chance to come through and clean up the roads. On the other hand, stopping for a minute could just give things a chance to get really bad. In the end we decided to stop. If nothing else, I could use the break from the tension of driving in those conditions.
Ironically, there wasn't much to see in Bryce. We drove out to Sunset point and did the short hike up to one of the overlooks. The snow was coming down so hard and the wind was blowing so strong that it was difficult to see anything even when you could manage to hold your gaze long enough to take something in. Nonetheless, it was a fun little detour and I think that the roads did improve slightly on the way home.
Before leaving, Rosey's Mom gave us a really nice Christmas gift. She printed off several black and white photos that Rosey and I had taken over the summer (and some one's that I had taken over the years), and framed them for us. It took several weeks after she left for us to actually get them up on the wall, but they are up now and look wonderful.
The rest of our pictures are here.
The second weekend in December Rosey's Mom came to visit us for a long weekend. I had met her briefly in Alabama in June but we didn't really have a whole lot of time to get to know each other before we packed up all of Rosey's stuff and drove across the country to Utah. I imagine that it must have been awkward for a mother to let her daughter move across the country with an almost complete stranger.
We actually spent an enjoyable and eventful weekend together. We kicked things off on Friday night with a trip to Capitol theatre to see the Ballet West production of "The Nutcracker". The ballet has been on my list of things that I wanted to try for a long time. The nutcracker seemed like a good show to cut my teeth on and was, of course, appropriate to the season :)
I had mixed feelings about this production of the Nutcracker. I enjoyed the dancing when there was dancing but much of the first 45 minutes of the show was just a bunch of kids running around on stage. That just wasn't really all that amusing to me. I think that I would like to try out another ballet before passing judgment on the entire activity.
On Saturday morning, we decided to pack up the car and head to Zion for the weekend. This was a particular treat for Rosey's Mom who hadn't been to scenic Southern Utah since she moved away 27 years earlier. And of course, Rosey and I are always up for a trip down into the red rock.
In Zion, I decided that all three of us would hike to observation point. It's an 8 mile hike that ascends up to the Mesa overlooking the canyon. The view from the top is spectacular and the scenery along the way through the red rock canyons is like nowhere else on earth.
Now that I've been in Utah for several years, I tend to forget what it's like to live at a lower elevation. Especially now that I'm in good shape I forget what it's like to gasp for breath when the air is so much thinner than you are used to. Rosey's Mom is actually in pretty good shape but her Alabama lungs were just no match for the climb to Observation point. Even without making it to the top, it's still a gorgeous hike.
Rosey's Mom decided to slowly meander back down the trail while Rosey and I hightailed it to the top and then back down again. Running up a trail like that is unbelievably good exercise. If you could do that every morning, you would never need to worry about your fitness again. Kinda makes me wish I was a park ranger in Zion. Hmm, maybe when I retire :)
We decided to stay in Zion Saturday night rather than drive all the way back to Spanish Fork tired from the day's activities. We found a pleasant motel just outside the park and then went to Oscars' cafe for dinner. Even though it was probably 40 degrees out, we decided to dine out on the patio beneath several gas heaters. The heat felt wonderful and, well, you know me, I'm all about the open flame :)
Sitting on the patio we were lucky enough to be serenaded by some Christmas carolers that happened by. Sure the people inside could have seen the carolers and might even have been able to hear them a little, but they didn't get to experience them like we did outside. It really is a neat experience to be in Zion at Christmas time.
On Sunday, on our way out of the park, we got another rare and perilous treat: we got to see Zion in the snow. As we ascended up to the Zion - Mt. Carmel tunnel the snow began to fall and steadily progressed as we trekked through the park to the east entrance. If you've never been to Zion before, driving through the east side of the park, is like being on another planet. The red rock is swirled and twisted gnarled in ways that you wouldn't think possible. The light blanket of snow just made it that much more incredible.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long before the light blanket of snow became a heavy blanket of snow. The thing that concerned me most was that we were on a route that was going to take us back to Spanish Fork via back roads. The interstates in Utah are usually kept pretty clear even in heavy snow, but you are really taking your chance driving on the old state highway (hwy 89). It's not traveled nearly as frequently anymore and there's no telling how long it would take before a snow plow would come through.
The drive between Zion and Bryce was formidable. I got behind a semi and just kept a slow even pace. The snow was coming down so hard that you could hardly see 20 feet in front of you. Most of the time I couldn't even see the actual semi in front of me. All I could see was the faint red glow of it's tail lights through the falling snow. Fortunately that was enough to keep me on the road.
When we got to Bryce we had a decision to make: Do we stop in the park for a minute like we originally planned or do we just keep pressing forward? On the one hand, stopping for a minute could give the plows a chance to come through and clean up the roads. On the other hand, stopping for a minute could just give things a chance to get really bad. In the end we decided to stop. If nothing else, I could use the break from the tension of driving in those conditions.
Ironically, there wasn't much to see in Bryce. We drove out to Sunset point and did the short hike up to one of the overlooks. The snow was coming down so hard and the wind was blowing so strong that it was difficult to see anything even when you could manage to hold your gaze long enough to take something in. Nonetheless, it was a fun little detour and I think that the roads did improve slightly on the way home.
Before leaving, Rosey's Mom gave us a really nice Christmas gift. She printed off several black and white photos that Rosey and I had taken over the summer (and some one's that I had taken over the years), and framed them for us. It took several weeks after she left for us to actually get them up on the wall, but they are up now and look wonderful.
The rest of our pictures are here.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Blog Neglect
I have been horrible about posting to my blog lately. It's not that nothing interesting has happened in the last 3 weeks, but rather that too much interesting stuff has happened. I have several lengthy blog posts that I've been meaning to write about my New Years trip to the Tetons, my 2006 year in review and my goals for 2007. Unfortunately, the very fact that the posts are so lengthy in my head has frightened me from finding the time to sit down and write them. In the meantime, I've avoided writing several shorter posts because I didn't want to get ahead of myself chronologically. Maybe I'll find some time this weekend to write.
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