Escaping the Everyday

I can’t believe next week is Thanksgiving! This just means we’ll be heading to Salt Lake City in less than a week. Over the past few weeks, Jake has been surveying the mountains in the area to determine which one will have the most trails available. We’ve never been skiing out west, so doing some research is definitely needed!

Alta is a unique mountain that caters exclusively to skiers, a concept that may come as a surprise to many! Additionally, there are mountains that offer more challenging terrain, having mostly blue and black trails for advanced skiers.

If you’re not acquainted with the ski trail classifications, they start with the bunny slope located at the mountain’s base, ideal for lessons and beginners. Next are the green trails, designed for novices. Following these are the blue trails, which are slightly steeper and may be narrower. The most challenging are the black diamond trails, known for their extreme steepness and narrowness. Beyond these, there are double black diamonds and, on rare occasions, triple black diamonds.

In the out-of-bounds areas where skiing is permitted, carrying an avalanche kit is mandatory because these areas are not closely monitored by ski patrol. Most mountains employ an avalanche team tasked with surveying the ski areas to manage avalanche risks. They proactively trigger controlled avalanches to maintain the safety of skiers and snowboarders.

Jake is willing to tackle nearly any challenge on the mountain, except for icy black diamond runs. He steers clear of those because they’re more difficult for snowboarders to handle, especially when steep and icy. I’m not quite at Jake’s level; I usually stick to blue and green trails. However, I’ve recently ventured into black diamond trails through the woods, which has been quite enjoyable. They aren’t particularly steep, but the black diamond rating comes from the need to navigate through trees, which requires technical skill. It’s been a great way to improve my turning skills.

Brighton Ski Resort

Brighton, perched at 10,750 feet, averages 500 inches of snowfall each season. Impressively, it offers 30 trails for night skiing, which is quite unique. With a total of 77 trails and 8 lifts, Brighton spans nearly 1000 acres of skiable terrain, making it one of the more intimate ski mountains in the Rockies.

During my research on the mountain to share with everyone, I discovered that on some days, it’s necessary to reserve a parking spot or use the shuttle service. It’s just wild the difference out here compared to the east coast, but it also understandable why skiing is so much more popular out here.

Brighton also provides a Thanksgiving dinner at the resort for those skiing on Thanksgiving, which I found pretty special!

Snowbird

Snowbird is set to open in just four days! The resort has 149 trails and 14 lifts, indicating a significantly larger mountain compared to Brighton. To date, Snowbird has accumulated 59 inches of snow this season.

When driving through the canyon to reach the mountain, traction laws are enforced, and conditions are regularly updated in the mountain report. Fortunately, we’re getting our snow tires installed soon, and it’s early enough in the season that we shouldn’t be too concerned about bad weather. However, taking the shuttle remains a great alternative as well.

The first day of the season always brings a bit of nerves, but I typically find myself quickly settling back into the rhythm. We’re both thrilled to have our first day on the slopes and kick off the ski season!

Another great aspect of Salt Lake City and skiing is the availability of a bus service that transports you from the city to nearly any ski resort. If you have an Ikon pass, you can use this shuttle service at no cost. This means you don’t have to concern yourself with navigating through the canyon during snowy conditions.

Sunday Goodies

Crockpot Sunday was a bust this week! I overlooked the essential step of defrosting the chicken from the freezer as well. Such a beginner’s error.

I thawed the packaged chicken in water before preparing a honey garlic chicken and broccoli crockpot dish. I’ve really enjoyed experimenting with new dinner recipes, and even Jake has noticed a significant improvement in my cooking skills. When we first met, I was not skilled in cooking many dishes, and I consistently overcooked my chicken!

Although many of the recipes I’ve attempted have turned out to be delicious, this particular one was a huge disappointment. The taste wasn’t appealing, and the flavors didn’t blend well.

Despite my crockpot dish not turning out as expected, it hasn’t deterred me from cooking other dishes. I’m close to perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe. This weekend, I decided to add a twist by including peppermint chocolates, and they were a huge hit. Both Jake and I loved them!

I’m excited to share our upcoming weekend trip to Salt Lake City and our skiing adventures! We’ve arranged two days of daycare for Cassie, so she’ll have a great time while we hit the slopes.