Merry Christmas
There are those pristine evenings when the sun melts into the horizon. The last of the light reflecting off the snow in a hazy, blue fantasy world. Like something from a dream.
Will You Be Baptized?
I think it’s time for you to start attending church services. The Church of the Blue Dome* meets everyday, at various times and locations. Membership requires a stout heart and an unbridled spirit. In fact, I think many of you are already worshiping at the altar of the Blue Dome, so formal membership would seem […]
Avalanche Level 1 Certified
Cardiac Ridge, from Cardiff Pass I spent the last 3 days in an avalanche certification class. Mark and Aaron were with me. We spent a lot of time indoors looking at statistics, photos and going over avalanche facts. It was very useful. But the real value came when we set out into the “classroom”. That […]
Dawn on Patrol
There are few moments as reassuring as sunrise. In mountain bike events that start sometime in the night, like the Kokopelli Trail Race or the Vapor Trail 125, dawn brings new life and energy after the long and lonesome dark. There is a natural quiet and calm to this time of day. Like a long, […]
Avalanches Are Scary
Avalanches are scary. There are obvious reasons why that is, but the photo below (taken 12/15), from the Utah Avalanche Center’s Brett Kobernik shows exactly why: There are two very compelling and observable reasons why this slope was thought to be stable. Can you spot them? First is the large number of spooned tracks, and […]
Turn Based Strategy
I skied yesterday. It was nice to get the ski legs under me on some groomers and knee deep fluff at Sundance Resort. But the reality of avalanches was always in the back of my mind, and at times, front and center with a large cat-triggered failure right down the heart of Bishop’s Bowl. The […]
Snow. At Last.
And then it snowed. And snowed. It’s about time. Let’s get right to the storm totals. The Ogden area mountains: 27-30” with the Ben Lomond station boasting 6.5” of snow-water-equivalent. The Park City areas picked up roughly 24”…the Provo mountains roughly 42” with 5.4” of snow-water-equivalent….and the Cottonwoods 40-50” of snow. Winds are now westerly […]
Well of Words
My well of words is empty. I watch dutifully the peaks above me. I wait with patience. Brooding, surly, wondering. The sun will rise. But my well of words is empty.
