So Cold Outside!

It's been so cold.  High's all week haven't been much over 20 degrees.  Low's are 0 or below.  It's just not appealing to get outside and ride my bike in temps like this.  But I wish I could because I miss it.  I've been trying to stay somewhat healthy riding the rollers down in the basement but even that seems miserably cold in the mornings.  I don't know how Jen runs outside but she does.  No matter what, she does.  I thought that getting her a trainer would encourage her to stay inside on the worst days but it hasn't.  She's crazy.

We did get to ski last Friday.  It snowed hard the night before but it was a weird kind of storm without very much lift so the snow was much better on the lower/mid section of the mountain vs. the upper mountain.  Jen wasn't feeling so good but she muscled her way through it like any true skier would do on a powder day.

As a side note, while putting away the Christmas decorations it motivated us to clean-up the basement too.  It's now functional as far as basements go.  I've got the workout area on one end and the band area on the other.  If only it weren't so cold.

Band Side.  

Work-out side.  The heavy punching bag is a new addition.

Christmas!

The past couple of weeks have been full of snowstorms.  So much so, I haven't been outside on my bike in a long time.  Instead I endure the rollers and with it, complete and utter boredom.  I try watching t.v. or replays of the Tour all the while listening to music but still, I can't stand it.  But I do it anyway, in an attempt to stay somewhat fit.

The skiing has been fun.  During the Christmas season, with everything that's going on, it's hard to get up but I took the kids by myself one day and then we went up on Christmas Eve on a total powder day.  So much so, that we ended up skipping the torchlight parade and fireworks because we feared they'd close the road.  In fact, the drive up was so harry we considered turning around and going back while we still could but thankfully, we decided to ski and it was so much fun.  Hendrix is skiing from the top with no problems and Lily is still a natural ripper.  The only problems come when one of them decides to explore through the trees and once in a while they'll get stuck.  I try not to discourage them in their adventures but it's hard to get them out on occasion.

Now that life is returning to normal I hope to be able to get up there more often, maybe without the kids, and I pray the snow continues.

At Least the Skiing is Getting Better.

This past week has been a good one for skiing, not so good for biking. It did warm up a bit on Thursday so I tried to get out on the bike for some outside riding but just a few miles into my ride I got a rear flat tire and being completely unprepared had to abandon.

I snapped a few pics as I waited for my ride to bail me out.  As you can see, I wasn't too happy about having to abandon.

I have to admit, I live in a very pretty state.

Me about to drop in near the Bookends.

Like I said, at least the skiing is getting better.  Jen and I got up there on Friday morning and hit Mineral Basin which skied very nice as long as you hit the right aspects of the mountain.  The east facing slopes were the best.  The Bookends were my favorite.

Mineral Basin taken from the ski lift.

Saturday was a full on powder day.  We had Christmas parties both in the morning and in the evening but we were able to squeeze in an afternoon on the slopes.  We had our kids and they skied so well.  They are becoming little rippers.  Hendrix led us through some tight trees that were hard for Jen and I to get through but it was no problem for him and Lily.  I can tell it won't be long before they out ski us.

Packing up after the ski day is over.  So beautiful and as you can see, we were one of the last ones to leave.

This week is the last before Christmas and we are all excited for the holiday.  My kids are at the perfect age for it.  They make it so much fun.  Plus, it's suppose to snow most of the week so we'll enjoy that too!

A Quick & Cold Ride Up & Down South Mountain

Self portrait from the top, with mouth hanging open. 

Utah Lake as seen from the top after ascending the north side.

It was a dark day today.  Not in the metaphoric sense but in the literal sense.  Low hanging clouds and an on again, off again drizzle made for an eerie feeling as I road South Mountain.  Still, it was a fun ride.  A bit cold on the decent and the wind was howling on the way up but still fun.  I figure any day I'm able to get out vs. staying in on the rollers is a good day.   Also, if I'm having fun on a day like today then I still must love riding my bike.  The snow is still scarce so I'll ride my bike as long as I can, just like last year.  But I plan to take it a bit easier in an attempt at timing my cycling season a bit better.

A quick shout out to my wife, Jen.  She's been running a lot lately and biking less.  She is a natural runner and Saturday she proved it by running a half marathon  (13.1 miles) by herself on Saturday just to see if she could.  She is one that has run most of her life but never taken it too seriously.  She did it with no problems and in just over 2 hrs.  She felt just fine after with little soreness.  She amazes me as a runner.   Good job Honey!

Early Season Fun!

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend.  We stayed overnight at the resort on Wednesday night and skied on Thanksgiving morning.  It was a fun, warm day with the kids and we made it back to Jen's family dinner by 1:30 p.m.

Here we are atop the Little Cloud Bowl.  A paraglider had just flown overhead and we stopped to watch.  You can see it going down canyon.

Then, on Sunday night, is was just Jen and I who stayed up there and enjoyed another warm, sunny ski day the next day.  It was our first day on the snow without the kids this season.  We enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the clear skies, as the valley was socked in the haze.

I forgot to mention...I lost my new iphone while up at the resort.  I used the "find my phone" app on Jen's phone and it worked perfectly.  That's the second time I've used it to perfection to find my lost phone.

First Day of the Season.

We made it up to Snowbird on Saturday for our first day of the season as a family.  As planned we left later in the day and then skied until the lifts closed.  We find this to be the most fun if we aren't expecting powder because we have the slopes almost to ourselves for most of the time.  When we arrived at the base it was raining and it didn't look fun at all.  Jen wanted to bail right then and there but I kept a positive outlook and made her wait a few minutes because I could tell the rain was just about to turn to snow and sure enough it did.  It was a wet snow but still much better than skiing in rain.  It turned out to be such a fun first day.  Both kids ripped it up on the slopes.  It's amazing how they don't forget over the long summer, like riding a bike I guess.  Below are a few pictures.  We're now getting excited for Thanksgiving!

Jen in her new coat.

 
Hendrix had been hitting this jump all day and he crashed about every time.  Still, he kept trying but as you can see he was a little apprehensive in the end.  Lily never had any problems with it.

We Got Dumped On!

This storm was good one.  I always hope for an early season storm like this, as it builds up a nice base.  The danger is if we don't get additional storms to follow-up then the surface of the snow will rot and cause an unstable layer for future storms which builds the avalanche danger in the future.  But still, 50" over 3 days up at Snowbird is cause to celebrate.

Courtesy of Snowbird's Website

The only thing that would have made it better was if the resorts were already open.  I guess I could have gone up anyway and hiked for my turns but I had a lazy weekend with my family.  Instead, I've been impatiently checking to see if they will open early but it looks like they are sticking to this Saturday which has been the planned opening date all along. (Update:  Snowbird just announced they will now open Thursday.) I think Brighton is opening tomorrow and others maybe midweek but I'll wait until Saturday and go with the family.

My daughter and I did get out and enjoy some sledding at the local park.  That's something I haven't done in a long time.