Skiing Utah in 2010

It has been an active winter of skiing, or at least thinking about it. After the boat was out of the water and covered with winter tarps, we had to have something to keep our imaginations alive.

Step one in the ski season was when Perry drove Katya’s car to Salt Lake City, arriving on the December 1st. She needed her car and we had not been able to take it out when she moved to Salt Lake in August to attend the University of Utah. She is there studying chemistry, finishing the last two years of her degree. So, before the winter storms hit, Perry left Grosse Pointe and quickly (51 elapsed hours) drove the little Saturn to Utah, all 1730 miles. He stopped overnight twice and got plenty rest and rolled into Utah in good form. Fortunately he did not do the trip any later in the season because there was already a moderate snow storm moving through western Wyoming and Utah the last evening and morning of the drive.

Upon arrival in Salt Lake City, Perry stayed with Katya at her apartment until December 22nd, when they both flew home for Christmas. Being in Salt Lake with not much to do for three weeks allowed Perry to ski at Alta for a total of seven days – whenever there was some fresh snow. Katya joined him whenever she could break loose from her studies.

After Christmas, Katya returned to Utah and skied a week before her classes began in mid-January. It was a good time for her to catch up on the outdoor life. From her house she can catch a bus, about a five-minute ride, that takes her up to the University and drops her off on a major street corner. From there, she can catch a second bus that drives straight to Alta and Snowbird. It is a wonderful arrangement on days when you do not want to drive up a slippery, snowy mountain road.

On January 25th, Perry flew to Denver to see our friend Hiram Ori for a few days and then flew to Salt Lake on the 28th to remain there until March 1st. In the meantime, there really was not much to do during daylight hours in Salt Lake City, so he once again spent an inordinate amount of time at Alta. In early February, friend Roger Wilson came up from San Antonio for a few days and skied with Perry. Then on February 19th, Marilynn and grandchildren Helena and Johanna arrived and stayed until March 1st. We, Katya , Marilynn, Perry, Johanna, Helena, and friends Larry and Mariela Taddie were able to arrange some time skiing together. Finally, Marilynn and the kids and Perry left on March 1st for home. Perry went back to Denver en route to see Hiram again for a few days and got home, at last, on March 4th.

If it sounds like we just had a big blast all winter skiing – well, yes we did; however, it should be apparent that Perry did most of the skiing, having logged in 35 days total. Marilynn and the grandchildren were in Salt Lake only ten days and did not quite ski full-time. Katya, busy studying organic chemistry, physics, and differential equations, was limited to at most one day per week except for the week she spent after Christmas.

So how did we make out and do all this? First of all, Katya and Perry both bought season passes which helps a lot. Katya got hers for about half the price because she is a student. Perry was still only 64 and got no breaks, but still did well considering he skied almost the whole winter any day he chose to go. Next year at 65 he too will get the big discount. Helena and Johanna, being kids under 13 go half-price, but learned the most by far. They excelled and each attended kids’ ski school for two full days and are at level 5 and 6. That means they ski all terrain, including powder, bumps and trails through the trees. They are really champs. It was Johanna’s first year skiing Utah and Helena has already done two years there. Marilynn continues to improve each year and always takes a couple lessons. She has incredible grace and flowing movement and does intermediate slopes in good parallel form. Katya – let us just describe her as "pre-extreme." If you think you see a deer bounding through the pine forest in deep powder, it could be her. Perry: pretty much the same old stuff, trying his best to soar with elderly eagles while defying debilitation and death – a Double-A-Ranked-Skiier – Alta plus Advil. His only new thing was spending some time catching up with the Nastar Giant Slalom racing at Park City where he qualified for the Nastar National Finals in Winter Park, Colorado. They are held during the time he and Marilynn will be in the Galapagos (March 18th -- April 2nd), so that one will just have to fall into a huge crevasse. He might not have won any more medals anyway and the combined effect of the three-day bust and skiing might have put him in the hospital, so he is better off under Dr. Fairfax’s supervision on a ship in the Galapagos Islands.

Next stop will be the Galapagos. Hopefully the satellite internet will work well and you will hear from us on the scene. Until then, keep your edges sharp and do not hit rocks or trees. Check it out at www.alta.com