Blue Sky Winter Days in Park City

I spent a lovely week in Park City with Wendy. Wendy introduced me to cross country skiing which was great - once I got the skis on. It took us ten minutes or so to make this happen. In the end I was standing in the snow in my socks examining the boot and ski trying to figure out how they work. (They were Bob's skis so perhaps it would have been sensible for me to ask him how to put them on before borrowing but why be sensible?) Turns out we didn't realise that there was this little clip that needed to be attended to prior to putting the skis on. After we got over this hurdle taking the skis on and off was much easier.

I especially like when you can slide through powder. I was lucky to get eight days of warm (ish) blue sky days while there and went cc skiing most days. It was like hiking in the snow but with a few more falls. Oh yes, I fell once or twice each day and hurt nothing except my pride. One of the funnier falls was when while skiing along my ski went under a branch at ground level stopping my skis but not my body as I tumbled head over heels forward.

We also went hiking in the snow. It was beautiful as well. Wendy went in her trail runners using yaktrax. It was the first time that I had seen them. They are stretchy metal things that attach to the bottom of shoes to provide traction. They are different from crampons in that they are not spiky but rather coiled metal bands.

I went to an old friend's house to watch the Super Bowl. It was perhaps the first Super Bowl that I actually watched. It was either because the AZ Cardinals were in it or more likely that Rich (my old friend) had a 127in TV. You really couldn't ignore it.

I caught up with Rich and another old friend a couple nights before I left. We went out to eat. It was a great time - lots of laughs except when we fed a five year old child some Indian food. Danger, danger Will Robinson - Nothing stopped her crying until the really nice waiter went out to his car and got her a piece of gum.

On the not so good side, Sage - Wendy's dog - had quite an ordeal while I was there. Sage was attacked and bitten by a dog. Within 24 hours she was so sick she had to be carried to the vet. Even after seeing the vet and being treated for antibiotics poor Sage didn't turn the corner until after midnight that night. We were all so worried but she is a strong dog and pulled through. Unfortunately, we were unable to track down the offender so it and its owner got off scott free while poor Sage continues bleeding and pusing all over the place as her wound drains. Luckily, her owner, Wendy, is a nurse who cleans and drains her wound daily.

You can see my full size photos here or check out the slide show below.