http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/ News, Skiing, Travel and Hiking Content en-us News Skiing Travel Hiking Articles Copyright 1999-2008 by Mike Sandy http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=349 (coming soon) 27 Feb 2010 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=349 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=348 (coming soon) 06 Feb 2010 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=348 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=347 coming soon 09 Jan 2010 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=347 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=346 After 1,589 of, perhaps, the best days of my life so far, today I am moving back east to take a job in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The process to come to this decision was difficult, but, ultimately, I have decided to explore an intriguing opportunity back east. 02 Dec 2009 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=346 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=345 I had planned a ski day for my last full day in Utah before I move to Boston. Although very little of the mountain is open (still), I looked forward to just taking a few runs, taking a few photos, and leaving Snowbird (and Utah) on my own terms. 02 Dec 2009 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=345 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=344 I guess it's fitting that I'm moving back to the east coast in less than a week and the conditions at Snowbird are decidedly east coast. By east coast, I mean the conditions were hardpacked with thin coverage. 28 Nov 2009 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=344 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=343 After a one-day foray into skiing at Brighton last week, Snowbird opened and so I'm back to skiing at Snowbird, my ski area of choice. 22 Nov 2009 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=343 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=342 Somehow, the Big Cottonwood Canyons resorts (Brighton and Solitude) opened on November 7, 2009, while the Little Cottonwood resorts (Alta and Snowbird) remained closed. Without a season pass commitment on account of a possible move to back east, I was more than willing to ski at Brighton or Solitude to get the ski season started. 15 Nov 2009 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=342 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=341 After the valley and the mountains got socked with snow on Tuesday, I suggested that we skip a trip to the snow hut and instead ski at Alta so that Steve could get his October ski day in on his quest to ski every month consecutively. (With this October ski day, he completed his quest.) 29 Oct 2009 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=341 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=340 Steve and I started hiking Mount Olympus at about 3:30 PM. We had planned on starting at 3:00 PM, but I was late because I discovered on my way to the trailhead that I had forgotten my water bottles in the refrigerator at home. My return trip home to retrieve my water made me about 20 minutes late. 03 Oct 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=340 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=335 Westley asked me at work on Friday if I wanted to join him and his brother on a hike of Mount Timpanogos. I decided to join him even though I had to be back for the Utah Utes football game that evening. 26 Sep 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=335 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=334 On Mount Raymond, I certainly didn't reach my limit--after all, I pushed through and made it to the top--but I could sense my limit as I clung to various fins of rock along the sometimes knife-edge summit ridge. My tolerance for adventure is greater than some, but not as high as I'd like it to be sometimes. Given my decidedly risk averse family lineage, however, it's somewhat amazing I get outside to test my limits at all. 13 Sep 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=334 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=338 Mindy and I did the hike to Lake Blanche, one of the more popular hikes in the Salt Lake City area on what turned out to be one of the hottest days of the summer. The trail wasn't too long or too difficult, aside from a few steep spots; however, I didn't find the destination lake all that scenic. 22 Aug 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=338 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=333 - Another good breakfast at the Bunnery 16 Aug 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=333 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=332 - Hiked up to the Paintbrush Divide 15 Aug 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=332 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=331 We woke early in the morning, quickly packed up, and drove towards the Grand Teton National Park visitor center to scure a camping permit for the night. 14 Aug 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=331 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=330 After work, I rushed home, packed up the car, stopped at REI to buy a pack cover (since the weather forecast indicated wet weather on Saturday), and picked up Steve at his house. (Steve's friend, Bob, lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He would meet us in Jackson on Friday.) 13 Aug 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=330 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=329 Steve plans to ski every month this year. With that goal of his, and a sliver of snow still left on Gunsight at Alta Ski Area, he invited me to join him on another summer ski day. 02 Aug 2009 00:03:11 MST Skiing News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=329 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=328 - Visited the town of Jackson 14 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=328 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=327 - Woke up in the car at about 8:00 AM, got some breakfast and waited out another thunderstorm in the gift shop 13 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=327 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=326 - Packed up the car fairly quickly in the morning and left for Yellowstone 12 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=326 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=339 After a lazy day boating on Lake McDonald and relaxing on the beach near Apgar Village, Jen, Mindy and I hiked to Avalanche Lake in the evening. 11 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=339 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=325 - Rented a boat at Lake McDonald Lodge and toured the lake for a couple hours 11 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=325 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=336 Mindy's cousin Jen decided to go on a full-day horseback riding trip, so Mindy and I had the day to ourselves. I had proposed doing a hike (of course) and I was glad that Mindy agreed to join me. 10 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=336 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=324 - Jen went on an all-day horseback ride to Cracker Lake 10 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=324 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=323 - Stopped off at Lake McDonald Lodge for lunch 09 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=323 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=322 Jen, Mindy and I left Salt Lake City at around 8:30 AM. We stopped in Pocatello for some lunch at McDonald's, but other than stops for gas and a stop for groceries in Kalispell, we drove pretty much straight there. 08 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=322 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=337 During a Fourth of July party, I texted Steve to see if he was up for a hike the next morning. He was. I invited Paul to join us and he accepted the invitation. So, early Sunday morning, Paul met me at my place, we picked up Steve, and headed up Millcreek Canyon. We had decided to hike Mount Aire. 05 Jul 2009 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=337 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=321 Today, 311 released Uplifter, their ninth studio album. I suggest you pick up a copy. I think it's their best effort since 2001's From Chaos. If you buy the Deluxe CD/DVD version of the album, you'll receive two bonus tracks and a "Road to 311 Day" DVD. My only criticism about the album is that, because there is such a breadth of styles on the album, it doesn't flow very well song-to-song. Other than that minor complaint, it's a ridiculously solid album. 02 Jun 2009 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=321 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=320 After my awesome ski day earlier in the season, I had high hopes for this one, which was only my second ski day of the season and my first since stopping my blood thinning medication (long story). Unfortunately, with my long layoff from skiing, my legs were not in good enough condition to handle the variable spring snow conditions. My legs got very tired during every run. 23 May 2009 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=320 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=313 I'm back from my second trip to Belgium to visit Mindy, who is attending graduate school in Brussels. I had a great time, again. 17 Mar 2009 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=313 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=312 The flight back to the United States was easy enough. The flight was fairly empty so, at check-in, they offered to move me to a seat with no one sitting next to me. On the Boeing 767s the seat groupings go 2-3-2, with aisles in between. I got the middle 3 seats of my row, which gave me enough room to lay down and sleep a bit. 17 Mar 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=312 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=311 (coming soon) 16 Mar 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=311 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=310 (coming soon) 15 Mar 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=310 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=309 (coming soon) 14 Mar 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=309 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=308 I arrived in Belgium in the early morning and met up with Mindy at the airport. It was so nice to see her! 13 Mar 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=308 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=307 I took basically the same flights to Belgium that I took for my October 2008 trip. The only downside of those flights is the long layover in Chicago going there and coming back. All told, I spent about 12 hours milling around O'Hare International Airport for this trip. 12 Mar 2009 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=307 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=305 After a long layoff from skiing on account of the blood thinning medication I have to take, I heard that Mark Deaver would be in Salt Lake City for the weekend so I decided to ignore my doctor's orders and go skiing for the first time this season. 08 Mar 2009 00:03:11 MST Skiing News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=305 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=306 I headed off to Philadelphia this weekend to attend my friends' wedding and to visit one of my other friends who is also living in Philly. 16 Nov 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=306 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=303 A few weeks earlier, Sheldon had invited me to join him and his friends from Los Angeles on a trip to Las Vegas. When the weekend came, I busted out of work early on Friday and had an enjoyable drive through Utah, Arizona and Nevada to Las Vegas. 26 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=303 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=302 I'm back from my first trip to Belgium to visit Mindy. Quite simply, I had a great time. Here I will just post some impressions of the places we visited. 13 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=302 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=300 I woke up in the morning, packed the rest of my stuff, and headed off to the airport via the same tram and bus routes I took when I arrived. 13 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=300 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=299 From the North Station, we took the subway to the center of Paris. We first walked to Notre Dame, which was dimly lit, but fairly impressive nonetheless. 12 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=299 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=298 After the long day yesterday, we slept in until about 11:00 AM. With nothing much on the agenda for most of the day, we joined her roommates on a trip downtown. 11 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=298 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=297 After a well-deserved, long night of deep sleep, Mindy and I got ready to spend the day in Brugge, Belgium, which is a small, old city in northern Belgium. 10 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=297 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=296 The flight to Belgium was not too bad. It lasted about eight hours, but I slept as much as I could--about three hours. The in-flight movies, however... Those were bad. 09 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=296 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=293 I traveled to Belgium yesterday/today to visit Mindy, who is going to graduate school in Brussels. I'll be here 4 days. 09 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=293 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=295 After packing a few things and talking to Mindy on the phone, I left for the airport very early in the morning to catch my flight to Chicago. 08 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=295 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=301 It rained all day yesterday, so when I woke up late in the morning today, I was pleased to see that it was clear. Although I hadn't planned on hiking today, I quickly decided to attempt Mount Olympus again. 05 Oct 2008 00:03:11 MST Hiking News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=301 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=294 After 3+ years living in Salt Lake City, I finally decided to make an attempt on Mount Olympus. The weather had been unseasonably warm, and I didn't start hiking until around 2:00 p.m., so it was viciously hot. 28 Sep 2008 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=294 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=292 I decided to hike some of Mount Olympus this evening to get some good sunset photos. I wanted to hike up as far as I could to get the shots, but when the trail turned a corner and headed east up Tolcat Canyon--away from the setting sun--I stopped and headed back to the west-facing side of the mountain. 23 Sep 2008 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=292 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=290 Yesterday, Mindy, her cousin Tom and his wife Patricia, and our friends Paul and Kim went camping at Tanner's Flat Campground in Little Cottonwood Canyon. 14 Sep 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=290 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=291 Mindy and I hiked up to Cardiff Pass in the mid-morning. The weather was perfect, and we arrived about an hour after we started. I continued up to the peak just west of the pass. The hike to that peak was short but steep, and the views of the ridge to Mount Superior and the mountains on the south side of Little Cottonwood Canyon were well worth the extra effort. 12 Sep 2008 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=291 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=289 My parents came to visit me this week. This year (unlike previous visits) they stayed in Salt Lake City for the duration of their visit, which gave me the opportunity to show them around the place I've been living for the past three years. 24 Aug 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=289 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=288 Westley, Mindy and I started hiking Mount Timpanogos (in the dark) at 5:00 a.m. from the Aspen Grove trailhead. Westley and I summited at about 12:40 p.m. (Mindy hiked up to the saddle--just 800 feet below the summit--but didn't make a summit attempt.) We made it back to the car at 5:00 p.m. for a trip total of 12 hours, 16 miles, 4,850 vertical feet, with a 11,750-foot maximum elevation. 16 Aug 2008 00:03:11 MST Hiking News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=288 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=287 I got an itch to go hiking at work yesterday afternoon, so I headed to Alta to hike up to Cardiff Pass. The guidebook says it should take 40 minutes to 1.5 hours to make it to the pass. I arrived at the trailhead at about 7:45 p.m., so I wasn't sure if I would make it to the pass by my turn-around time of 8:30. Once I found my way to the road/trail that starts behind Alta's town offices, I was off to the races. I stopped a few times to take some photos, but I was mostly just on a mission to reach the pass by 8:30. 13 Aug 2008 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=287 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=283 Mindy and I hiked up into Stairs Gulch in Big Cottonwood Canyon this evening. The trail starts off easily enough, but then shoots straight up. Eventually, we came upon a stream, and then we just hiked straight up from there until it started getting late. The scenery was really good for such a short hike. 07 Aug 2008 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=283 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=282 Today I finally did some non-skiing-related hiking. Mindy and I hiked up Broads Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon to the meadow below Sunrise Peak, Mount Dromedary and the Broads Fork Twin Peaks. The hike was fairly short (2 miles), but it gains quite a bit of elevation (2,200 vertical feet). 03 Aug 2008 00:03:11 MST Hiking News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=282 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=252 On Monday, July 7, while he was hiking in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Steve sent me a photo from his cell phone of Gunsight at Alta with a ton of snow, still. On Wednesday, I asked if he would be up for skiing it that weekend. He replied that he and Jordan had already planned to ski the chute on Sunday, and that I could join them. And so the plan was born. 13 Jul 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=252 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=279 I just got back from the 311 concert at USANA Amphitheatre in Salt Lake City. Snoop Dogg and Fiction Plane opened the show for 311. Fiction Plane (whose lead singer is Sting's son) was pretty terrible. Snoop Dogg was interesting, but he didn't perform so much as he just yelled for the crowd to cheer while backtracks of his old hits played in the background. 30 Jun 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=279 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=251 Despite a week of temperatures in the 90s, and despite the passing of the summer solstice, Snowbird decided to open for one last weekend of skiing. 21 Jun 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=251 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=278 I just got back from a full weekend of camping in the Tetons with Mindy. Originally, we had planned to go with Mindy's cousin and his wife, but they backed out of the trip at the last minute, unfortunately. I had planned what I thought was quite a dynamic trip, so we just went on our own. The weather was perfect (70s and clear each day), and we had a fun time hiking, camping, floating (the Snake River) and photographing in the Tetons. 15 Jun 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=278 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=250 - Woke at 6:00 am to take photographs of the Tetons from the Mormon Row pioneer settlement 15 Jun 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=250 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=249 - Hiked to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point 14 Jun 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=249 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=248 - Drove to the Tetons 13 Jun 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=248 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=247 Today will probably be the last day of the ski season for me because of a planned trip to the Tetons next weekend. There is a chance that Snowbird will stay open later than June 15th, but they likely won't make an announcement until after next weekend. 08 Jun 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=247 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=243 Excellent spring skiing conditions. Nearly perfect weather. 01 Jun 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=243 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=242 Not typical spring skiing: overcast, cold, sort of icy snow conditions. But also not bad. 25 May 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=242 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=241 Snowbird received about 2 feet of snow during the week. Although the powder had mostly degraded to hardened chunks of spring slop off piste, the groomers were in awesome shape and there were pockets of excellent (albeit thick) powder in some places. The upper mountain's groomers actually had mid-winter snow conditions. 24 May 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=241 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=246 (coming soon) 18 May 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=246 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=245 (coming soon) 17 May 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=245 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=244 (coming soon) 16 May 2008 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=244 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=240 I went three weeks without skiing on account of moving and bad weekend weather, so today I was excited to get outside and do some spring skiing. 11 May 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=240 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=239 A solid ski day at Snowbird with Steve, Chris and Andy. Skied a lot of different areas of the mountain today--Mineral Basin in the morning, Little Cloud Bowl and the Upper Cirque in the mid-morning, Primrose Gully chutes later, and North Baldy in the afternoon. 13 Apr 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=239 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=238 Today, I took the day off from work to go skiing. I hoped it would be a good storm skiing day, but it really wasn't that great. The conditions were OK, but the lack of visibility was a problem. I only skied three runs because I couldn't stand the pain caused by my ski boots. And the pain isn't only in my feet. Whatever fit issues I have cause my legs to hurt, too, I think. 09 Apr 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=238 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=237 I don't really understand it, and it's very frustrating, but the polarization between my good ski days and my bad ski days is ridiculous. I went skiing today with Mindy, which would have been perfectly fine, except we ran into Sam and Brian at the Sunnyside lift. So, I took a run with Mindy and then tried to meet up with Sam and Brian on the next run. They were long gone, apparently, by the time I got to Sugarloaf, so I didn't meet up with them. I decided to take a couple of runs anyway before meeting back up with Mindy. 05 Apr 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=237 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=236 3 or 4 inch layer of fresh snow (with more falling). Just a hard charging ski day. Also explored new terrain. Three runs in North Baldy were awesome. I skied very aggressively today, which is to say that I skied very well despite the fairly difficult conditions (crusty, hard, terrible snow right underneath the new snow). 30 Mar 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=236 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=235 Fresh tracks in Pipeline Bowl. 22 Mar 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=235 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=234 Mark Deaver came to Salt Lake City this week to visit. He and I went skiing today at Snowbird. The conditions were excellent, the weather was nearly perfect, Snowbird was hosting the US Freeskiing Nationals on Silver Fox, and we even ran into Steve Wiechmann in the middle of the morning. We skied all over the mountain today--including Mount Baldy's Main Chute. 21 Mar 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=234 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=233 (coming soon) 16 Mar 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=233 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=232 (coming soon) 15 Mar 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=232 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=231 It was overcast and rainy in the valley, so I was skeptical that it would be worth skiing today. About halfway up the canyon, however, the rain turned to snow, so we were good to go. 08 Mar 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=231 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=230 I had my ski boots' shells stretched again this week. I was nervous because I suspected that this latest fix still hadn't solved the fit problems I have been experiencing this season. 02 Mar 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=230 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=275 I've been messing around with Windows Movie Maker recently, and I created a few video slideshows. This video covers everything in 2006 and everything in 2005 after my move out west in the summer. So far, it's the only one I've published on YouTube. Enjoy. 01 Mar 2008 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=275 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=229 Worse boot problems since 2006. Terrible snow and weather conditions. Crowded groomer day. Terrible ski day devoid of fun. 16 Feb 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=229 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=228 Today was a prototypical tram day. Unofortunately, however, Steve's pass was a chairs-only pass, so instead of doing tram laps, we had to ski all the way down to GadZoom and ride two lifts to ski the Cirque. It was a pain in the ass and certainly not something I wanted to have to do to ski the goods on this ridiculously awesome bluebird powder day. 08 Feb 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=228 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=227 (coming soon) 02 Feb 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=227 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=226 I met up with Dave and Steve at the 6200 South park and ride. It was a sunny and relatively mild day. We rode the GadZoom lift up, but decided against a warm-up run because the snow conditions in Little Cloud Bowl looked awesome. 26 Jan 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=226 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=225 Went skiing with Mindy, her mom, and her 3-year-old half-brother, Max. (more coming soon) 18 Jan 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=225 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=224 (coming soon) 13 Jan 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=224 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=223 A typical high intensity ski day with Snowbird Steve. I had a good time, but I didn't ski well. I skied some new terrain this day, including Wilma Chute and some terrain in the Gad 2 area. 08 Jan 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=223 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=222 (coming soon) 06 Jan 2008 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=222 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=221 (coming soon) 29 Dec 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=221 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=220 It was cold, it was overcast, I was skiing by myself, the ungroomed terrain's snow was stale, and I had to get some Christmas stuff done. I skied a groomer run down from Sugarloaf through a storm of artificial snow that would make any east coast ski area jealous. I then skied a run in the Ballroom, and, finally, a groomer run back to my car, which was parked at the Albion lot. For some reason I just wasn't into it today. It happens. 15 Dec 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=220 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=219 The Canyons is nice, but it simply cannot compete with its big brothers in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Their website advertised that they got 35 inches of snow from the storm last weekend. I'm not sure how 35 inches of new snow turns into hardpacked snow so quickly, but it did at The Canyons this day. I suspect they got significantly less than 35 inches based on the snow conditions I observed. There was rocks everywhere, branches poking through the snow surface, and even patches of dirt throughout the handful of boring groomed runs open. 11 Dec 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=219 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=218 Very little was open again today, but they got so much snow that it completely buried Snowbird's SnowCam measuring board. 08 Dec 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=218 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=217 After one of the dryest Novembers on record, skiing in Little Cottonwood Canyon finally commenced this week. I headed up to Alta, which received 7 inches of new snow overnight. 01 Dec 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=217 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=284 Mindy and I hiked from the Albion Basin parking lot at Alta up through Catherine's Area to the top of the Supreme lift. The hike wasn't too difficult, and it was cool seeing all the terrain I had skied during the winter without snow. Before the final approach to the top, we dropped down onto the other side of the ridge for a bit, which gave me a good perspective on how Alta and Brighton ski areas are virtually connected to one another. 09 Sep 2007 00:03:11 MST Hiking http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=284 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=285 Mindy and I hiked up Silver Fork drainage today. The trail passes some old mines on the way to a wide-open cirque with yet another old mine. The hike to the cirque was not steep, but it was fairly long. 01 Sep 2007 00:03:11 MST Hiking News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=285 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=280 Mindy and I just got back from the 311 concert at USANA Amphitheatre. Matisyahu opened for 311. He's this tall, lanky, Hasidic Jew who raps, sings and even beatboxes in front of some pretty decent reggae music played by his band. He was a bit boring, but I really like his music. 16 Aug 2007 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=280 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=215 (coming soon) 13 Aug 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=215 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=214 (coming soon) 12 Aug 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=214 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=213 (coming soon) 11 Aug 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=213 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=212 (coming soon) 10 Aug 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=212 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=281 This weekend seven of us drove up to Bear Lake and rented a boat. We just swam in the Caribbean-like turquoise blue lake and, later, we all tried to wakeboard. It was fun. 04 Aug 2007 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=281 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=211 (coming soon) 29 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=211 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=210 (coming soon) 28 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=210 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=209 (coming soon) 15 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=209 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=208 (coming soon) 14 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=208 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=207 (coming soon) 13 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=207 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=206 (coming soon) 12 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=206 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=205 (coming soon) 11 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=205 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=204 (coming soon) 10 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=204 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=203 (coming soon) 09 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=203 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=202 (coming soon) 08 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=202 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=201 (coming soon) 07 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=201 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=200 (coming soon) 06 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=200 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=199 (coming soon) 01 Jul 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=199 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=198 (coming soon) 30 Jun 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=198 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=197 (coming soon) 28 May 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=197 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=196 (coming soon) 27 May 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=196 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=195 (coming soon) 26 May 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=195 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=194 (coming soon) 25 May 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=194 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=143 I don't mind hiking up when I'm skiing, but I definitely don't enjoy hiking down. Snowbird's got it all wrong this season when it comes to spring skiing. The conditions in Little Cloud Bowl are great spring conditions, but you have to either hike back up to Hidden Peak from the top of the Little Cloud lift, or ski back down Gad Valley, walk down part of the Bass Highway, and then ski the rest of the way back down to the base. I'm not sure how the conditions were on the Peruvian side of the mountain because I couldn't get back over there easy enough. 13 May 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=143 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=142 Today I was able to reap the rewards of having to suffer through absolutely miserable weather for the past three days (cold, cloudy and constantly raining) because all that rain fell as almost two feet of snow in the mountains. 06 May 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=142 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=141 The last ski day at Alta for the season. It was cold and snowy with crappy snow conditions. Not cool, but fun nonetheless. 22 Apr 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=141 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=140 Alta was nearly empty as I rode the Sunnyside lift up to the Sugarloaf lift. Alta had received a large storm in the middle of the week (when the lifts were closed), so only Friday's skiers had skied the new snow. The weather was variable, but it seemed there were still plenty of fresh tracks to be had. The condition of those fresh tracks, however, appeared to be questionable. 21 Apr 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=140 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=277 Today, Sam, Brendan, Brian, Andrew and I hiked up Mount Baldy from Alta and skied its Main Chute. Today was the second time I skied Main Chute, but I think it was everyone else's first time (except maybe Andrew). I skied it a little better this time--especially the bottom third of the chute--but I still approached it more passively than I should have given the good snow conditions. 14 Apr 2007 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=277 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=139 Given that I have a trip to Durango planned for next weekend, I anticipate that this ski day will be my last of the season at Alta (they close next weekend) and my last ski day with Brendan as fellow locals (he's moving back east this summer). I brought my camera along to document this event. 14 Apr 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=139 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=138 I went skiing at Alta with friends of my old boss at Snowbird. They are all way better skiers than me, which is why it's so fun skiing with them. They never take the easy way down. Before our first run, they already started talking about skiing Baldy chute, which made me both excited and nervous all at once. After a few "warm-up" runs, we fueled up at the mid-mountain restaurant and hiked up Mount Baldy to ski its main chute, which is a 750 vertical foot, 40-degree steep, 30-foot wide chute dropping off the summit of Mount Baldy. I linked a few pictures below to illustrate the experience. The photos were taken by Steve (my old boss) with his cell phone during the trip. 07 Apr 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=138 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=137 Weird, sort-of blah overcast groomer day with a run down Gunsight to end the day. 01 Apr 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=137 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=136 Today was another warm, sunny, spring-like ski day. It's a little early for spring conditions, but they seem to be here to stay regardless. I got to Alta at about 12:30. Alta, unlike The Canyons, still has an excellent base. There are no bare spots on the trails (off-trail there are some bare spots, but not even as many as earlier in the season). 24 Mar 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=136 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=135 B-A-R-E. Not a lot of snow left at The Canyons. 23 Mar 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=135 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=134 It was 70+ degrees in the valley and 50+ degrees in the mountains today. Spring skiing is here a month early. Although I love spring skiing, this ski season is really turning out to be a dud, especially compared to last season. At this point last season, I was just getting going. The snowpack was still building up, not receding. And I had yet to have some of the best ski days of the season. With this weather, which has been in place for the past week, it looks like this season is already starting to wind down. 17 Mar 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=134 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=133 I didn't wake up today expecting to ski all of the terrain at Snowbird that last season I considered too difficult to ski except in the best snow conditions. But that's exactly what I skied today, and much more. Last season I had highlighted the all the trails and areas on the trail map that I skied. Well, after this ski day, I can color everything in between the defined trails, too. Today, Snowbird's terrain kicked my ass even more than usual, and I learned that I have a ton of room for improvement in my skiing. 10 Mar 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=133 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=132 Over the past seven days, the Little Cottonwood Canyon resorts received more than 80 inches of new snow. Yesterday (Friday), Alta received 9.5 inches of powder with 5.68% water content. Much of Alta and Snowbird's terrain never opened on Friday due to the storm, so there would be plenty of untouched powder to ski on Saturday morning. Basically, all signs pointed to a ridiculous weekend of skiing in the Wasatch. 03 Mar 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=132 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=193 (coming soon) 25 Feb 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=193 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=192 (coming soon) 24 Feb 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=192 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=191 (coming soon) 23 Feb 2007 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=191 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=131 Three feet of snow had fallen during the week. Some of it was light, fluffy snow, but some of it was also thicker snow (~9% water content). We can credit the winds on Friday for the snow conditions. The mountain was covered with a layer of crusty snow that was soft enough and fresh enough to make the skiing today absolutely superb. 17 Feb 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=131 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=130 7 inches of fresh snow overnight with a storm raging that added another 5 inches throughout the day. Awesome runs in the Cirque at Snowbird. 11 Feb 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=130 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=129 (coming soon) 03 Feb 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=129 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=128 (coming soon) 28 Jan 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=128 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=127 If Alta were located in Vermont, today's powder day would rank as one of the best of the season. Big, hard bumps lurking beneath a light, soft 7-inch layer of new powder... 21 Jan 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=127 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=126 (coming soon) 20 Jan 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=126 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=125 (coming soon) 13 Jan 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=125 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=124 Today was one of the more annoying ski days, ever. I just couldn't get going. I won't even discuss the annoyance of lugging my ski equipment onto the ski bus and all the other annoyances of the ski bus because I don't even want to think about it anymore. 06 Jan 2007 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=124 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=123 The storm that dumped about 19 inches of new snow ended Sunday, but those much-needed 19 inches of new snow covered up many of the bare spots that scratched up my Atomics last Friday. While the new snow made the mountain more forgiving to one's ski bases, by today, much of it was stale and skied-out. 20 Dec 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=123 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=122 Mindy, Jen (Mindy's cousin), and I went skiing at Snowbird today. Mindy hadn't skied in several years, so we started our day on the Chickadee beginner lift. Surprisingly (but also not so surprisingly), Mindy could ski fairly well right from the start. 15 Dec 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=122 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=121 I met Brendan at his apartment, and then we headed to Little Cottonwood Canyon. First we dropped Dave off at the Creekside Lodge (he has a pass at Snowbird), and then I got ready at my locker at Snowbird. Then we headed up to Alta. Brendan's got a pass at Alta this season. 10 Dec 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=121 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=120 Given the fact that it wasn't busy, and we had plenty of supervisory staff to handle things, I was able to ski some runs. And thankfully, Bill, the ticket office director, granted me access to the tram! 05 Dec 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=120 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=119 I mercifully received a requested (and much needed) half-day off from work today. I've put in a ton of hours at Snowbird the past two weeks, and I just needed a little break. Yesterday the resort received about 14 inches of snow by closing time. I spent most of my day (aside from working) deciding whether or not to stay up at the resort so I could avoid getting stuck at the bottom of the canyon on a powder day, again. The forecast called for another foot of snow overnight, and then another foot today. I followed my logical instincts, however, and decided not to waste my money staying at the resort. 28 Nov 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=119 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=118 After selling tickets to skiers for the past four days, I finally got a day off from work to go skiing. I guess this ski day marks my first as an official ski bum. Although my job at Snowbird Resort is a little more respectable than, say, a dishwasher's, I still make way below my market value doing semi-menial tasks that require skills I acquired well before my 12th birthday. 22 Nov 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=118 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=272 I just got back from another excellent trip to the Teton/Yellowstone area. Check out the trip report. 22 Oct 2006 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=272 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=190 (coming soon) 22 Oct 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=190 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=189 (coming soon) 21 Oct 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=189 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=188 (coming soon) 20 Oct 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=188 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=271 Basically, the best trip since last fall's Teton/Yellowstone trip. 24 Jul 2006 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=271 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=187 (coming soon) 24 Jul 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=187 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=186 (coming soon) 23 Jul 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=186 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=185 (coming soon) 22 Jul 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=185 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=184 (coming soon) 21 Jul 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=184 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=270 Music (songs) 01 Jul 2006 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=270 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=269 I just got back from a road trip to South Dakota with Les, Mark, Mindy, Meghan and Brendan. Although I initially wasn't excited about this trip, it ended up being much better than I had anticipated thanks to the timeshare condo accomodations, the town of Deadwood, and some good road trip camaraderie. 18 Jun 2006 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=269 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=183 (coming soon) 18 Jun 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=183 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=182 (coming soon) 17 Jun 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=182 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=181 (coming soon) 16 Jun 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=181 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=268 Brendan and I just got back from a trip to Colorado and New Mexico. In Colorado, we drove the Million Dollar Highway to Durango, where we drank some Durango Amber Ale. We visited Mesa Verde and Four Corners the next morning, and then we drove to Santa Fe, NM to stay with one of Brendan's friends for a couple of days. 28 May 2006 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=268 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=180 (coming soon) 28 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=180 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=179 (coming soon) 27 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=179 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=178 (coming soon) 26 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=178 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=177 (coming soon) 25 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=177 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=111 The Snowbird website today read, "Open weekends only through May 29th, or maybe even longer..." Next weekend, my roommate Brendan and I are taking a road trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, so this ski day could very well be my last of this ski season. 20 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=111 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=110 I'll be honest. I wasn't particularly excited or even interested in going skiing today. My lengthy layoff from skiing, which included my graduate school graduation and a trip to Las Vegas, put skiing on the back burner of my proverbial stove. 13 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=110 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=176 (coming soon) 09 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=176 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=175 (coming soon) 08 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=175 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=174 (coming soon) 07 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=174 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=173 (coming soon) 06 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=173 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=109 It's surreal to me that I drove to and from Snowbird today with the air conditioning on in my car. I walked to Snowbird Center wearing shorts and a t-shirt--and I was hot. I skied (again) without a hat or jacket. Instead, I wore just my ski pants (sans long-underwear), a wicking long-underwear shirt and a t-shirt over that layer just for looks. I can't believe that it's May and that I'm still having ski days better than almost any ski day I ever enjoyed at Bristol during my first nine (or so) years of skiing. 01 May 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=109 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=108 Snowbird hasn't received a significant amount of snow in ten days, and it shows. The snow on the lower mountain was disgusting. Actually, I wouldn't even call it snow--it's slush. Snowbird's the only ski resort still open in Utah, however, so I can't complain. 28 Apr 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=108 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=107 The weather was nice and, as usual, I had the day off (Fridays are basically part of the weekend on college campuses), so I decided to go skiing again. Why not?! 21 Apr 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=107 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=106 Today I surpassed my personal high number of ski days in a season. Although it's certainly important to me that I broke my personal high, its significance extends beyond the numbers. This season is significant because it's probably the most ski days I will ever get the chance to have until I retire. I mean, almost half of my ski days this season were weekdays, which were made possible by my lax graduate school responsibilities. By the time next ski season rolls around, I should be fully employed, which will afford me much less free time. 20 Apr 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=106 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=105 Today was my thirtieth ski day of the season, which ties my personal high set during the 1998-1999 ski season. Of course, this season was much different than that season. I skied most of my days during 1998/1999 ski season at Bristol Mountain, a 1,200 vertical foot hill with a late-December through (barely) March ski season. This season, I skied all of my days at Snowbird, a 3,240 vertical foot mountain with a late-November through May ski season. Bristol Mountain also had night skiing, whereas Snowbird doesn't (at least not on its main mountain). If Snowbird had as much night skiing as Bristol (90+ percent coverage), I probably would've reached 30 ski days by mid-February instead of mid-April! 13 Apr 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=105 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=104 Brendan, who hadn't had a real ski day in nearly three weeks, sacrificed a great ski day yesterday to teach his Indian engineering colleagues to ski on the Chickadee run all day and night. To make up for his missing yesterday, we decided to ski a half day today in the afternoon, after the sun had softened up the snow. Presumably, the snow re-froze last night, which could cause some pretty nasty conditions in the morning. We figured the best bet was to go in the afternoon when the conditions would surely be decent, rather than risk "wasting" the day skiing crappy conditions all morning only to tire by the time the skiing got good. 09 Apr 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=104 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=103 Today was one of those warm, sunny spring ski days that I've seldom had the opportunity to enjoy during my years of skiing back in New York. 08 Apr 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=103 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=102 Brendan and I had anticipated another epic mid-week powder day today, but that turned out not to be. Snowbird got about a foot and a half of snow, and the blizzard still raged, but there's not much use in that fact when you can't access any of the snow. We boarded the third tram of the day, but a minute after departing, the tram stopped, dangled there for a minute, and then retreated back to the tram center. Closed due to high winds was the verdict. 06 Apr 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=102 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=101 Over the past week, Snowbird got over three feet of new snow. Most importantly, it snowed all day yesterday and some last night, so there would be some new stuff to ski today; however, I wasn't sure how much of it would be fresh. Although the new snow wasn't dry, light powder, it still was respectable. 02 Apr 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=101 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=25 Today, I intended to explore a lot of new terrain (Great Scott, Dalton's Draw, Wilbere Bowl, S.T.H. and Gadzooks) and take a lot of pictures. Perhaps these two goals do not go well together because today was shit. I would've chosen a root canal over this type of ski day if I were given the choice this morning. 24 Mar 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=25 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=24 Snowbird got another foot of snow last night! With less than 5 percent water content, the snow was about as light as it gets. I really need some fatter skis to more fully take advantage of the ridiculous amounts of powder snow Snowbird gets! 21 Mar 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=24 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=23 I knew we would get a lot of snow overnight, so I planned to wake up as early as possible and beat everybody to the mountain. I basically was successful, but not in the way one would think. 15 Mar 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=23 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=22 Atop Hidden Peak, the sky was perfectly clear and the wind was blowing with alarming force (gusting to 60+ mph). It's never good when you can "see" the wind. The southerly wind blew tails of snow off the lofty surrounding Wasatch peaks. I decided that this tram run (the first of the day) would probably be my last tram run for the day. After all, after my hard-charging ski day yesterday, I had initially decided to take it easy today, anyway. 14 Mar 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=22 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=21 All these powder days have spoiled me. Although today was a decent powder day, I can assure you that I've had better. While the fresh coat Snowbird received today would've felt like a lot to me a few months ago, today I was less than impressed. I think a lot of the snow depth reported for today actually fell yesterday (while the resort was still open), so the truly fresh layer was a bit too thin to call it a legitimate powder day. 13 Mar 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=21 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=20 ...My right foot didn't go numb while I skied. I had visited the bootfitter countless times in the last month to try and figure why my feet kept going numb. Unfortunately, I would make suggestions, but they would basically ignore those suggestions. The main point of my suggestions was that my right boot still wasn't wide enough for my foot. Finally, last week they listened. Now my right boot is even wider, a bit longer, and a million times more comfortable while I'm skiing. (The added width also has, so far, seemed to solve a couple other maladies I had noticed with that boot.) 12 Mar 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=20 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=19 After trying without success to get to the mountain yesterday to enjoy a bluebird powder day (it's a long story, and one that I, again, blame on the stupid UTA ski bus service), I anticipated skiing, at least, some powder snow conditions today. Those powder conditions, however, were nowhere to be found without hiking. If I were by myself, I would've hiked to the untracked powder of Boundary Bowl near the Gad 2 area, but today I skied with Brendan and he is diametrically opposed to hiking, much like I'm diametrically opposed to putting on my ski boots at the car. He puts up with putting his ski boots on in Snowbird Center, so I can put up with not hiking. 05 Mar 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=19 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=18 I arrived at Snowbird ready for anything. I wasn't sure what I wanted to ski today. 03 Mar 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=18 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=17 Today would be my first ski day after my latest boot adjustments. This week I had my right boot widened (perhaps not enough), and I had heel shims added to the outsides of my the boot liners, which helps keep my heels locked into their respective heel pockets. Please excuse the boot discussion in this article. I try my best to leave those issues out of these ski day reports, but this saga is one in which I must document, because it's had such a huge impact (financially, performance-wise, and many other ways) on this ski season. 26 Feb 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=17 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=16 This ski day was very short. I drove up to the resort, put on my gear amidst the absolutely clueless throng of vacationers, and headed out to the mountain. After the short tram ride up, I attempted to ski Primrose Path, which is my favorite run. Unfortunately, an apparent thaw/re-freeze pattern overnight had left the trail strewn with bowling ball-sized chunks of hard snow. Instead of continuing down the minefield, I traversed skier's right down to Chip's Run. By this time, my right foot had gone completely numb, as usual. And today, my right heel decided to lift during every turn initiation. In short, I again had no control over my right ski, and I wasn't even three turns into this ski day. 24 Feb 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=16 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=15 Today was a hit and miss ski day. Some runs I exhibited flashes of brilliance; some runs I skied like a wounded duck; and most runs I found myself falling at least once. 19 Feb 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=15 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=14 I've rarely been so discouraged with skiing. While I'm not having a bad time skiing terribly (after all, skiing terribly is more fun than doing most other things well), it's extremely discouraging to me that I cannot enjoy skiing as much as I did the few weeks prior. What's even more discouraging is the near-certainty that it's my equipment that is causing most of my performance problems, which leaves me little that I can do on the mountain to fix the problem(s). Specifically, I'm almost certain that my boots are causing my problems, despite having paid a ridiculous amount of money to ensure that they would no longer cause me any problems. 11 Feb 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=14 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=13 This day I skied with two of Brendan's friends from high school at Alta Ski Area. The last time I skied Alta was about three years ago when I visited Utah during Spring Break of my senior year at Syracuse University. It felt good to be back. With that said, I still felt lost at Alta. I didn't know where to go to find the good stuff. Thankfully, on this day the good stuff was easy to find: the groomers had the best conditions on the mountain. 10 Feb 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=13 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=12 This day was my first back on my own skis. I was eager to get on the slopes after a false start on Friday (there were no parking spots at the park and ride parking lot, so I couldn't go skiing). The mountain had received 7 inches of new snow over the night, so things were looking good. 05 Feb 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=12 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=11 The snow report said 7 inches of new snow fell on Snowbird. The forecast had called for 10 to 14 inches, but 7 inches isn't bad at all! 29 Jan 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=11 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=10 The forecast called for 6 to 9 inches of snow throughout the day. I left for Snowbird this morning expecting a modest amount (3 to 4 inches) of new snow already piled up. It became immediately apparent from my first run that Snowbird had actually received more than 3 to 4 inches. As I rode up the Little Cloud lift during a break in the storm, it became apparent that the Snowbird's upper altitudes had actually received quite a bit more than 3 to 4 inches. This day had all the tell-tale signs of a powder day: nearly-absolute silence broken only by an occasional breeze, the sound of the blizzard bouncing off your Gore-Tex jacket, and the exuberant whoops and hollers of the powder revelers realizing their own private moment of zen. 27 Jan 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=10 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=9 Dutch, Brendan and I headed up the tram to Hidden Peak at Snowbird and decided to head towards the sun in Mineral Basin. Although it hadn't snowed the night before, there were plenty of unskied powder stashes to be found. After a few leg-burning runs down a steep groomer called Lone Star, we decided to head up the Baldy Express lift to take a breather on some of the easier runs over there. 22 Jan 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=9 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=8 Today I skied with Brendan and a friend of his named Dutch. The night before Snowbird got about four inches of the lightest snow I've ever felt (only 2.86 percent water content). Although not a full-on powder day, the additional snow certainly made it feel almost like one. 21 Jan 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=8 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=7 I missed yesterday's post-storm bluebird powder day on account of a cracked binding. Somehow the base of my binding's toe piece cracked off. I suspect the ski bus patrons tossing gear around caused the unfortunate crack. 17 Jan 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=7 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=6 The overnight snowfall disappointed me. The overnight storm produced a measly 3 inches of snow. No matter, I thought, it will still be a nice ski day. 15 Jan 2006 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=6 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=5 For this ski day (another warm, sunny day), I was back to my old boots. Unfortunately, I struggled today. We were able to ski more terrain; however, the combination of some difficult snow conditions (crusty old snow from a storm earlier in the week), skiing more difficult terrain, and my desperate boot situation made my day miserable. It's time for new new boots, or else my first ski season out west will be miserable. 11 Dec 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=5 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=4 I had just bought new ski boots the night before to replace the boots I've had for 8 years that (I just discovered) are at least 2 sizes too big for me. No wonder I haven't really gotten any better at skiing in like 5 years! 10 Dec 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=4 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=3 Throughout the week, Snowbird got about 43 inches of snow (about 17 inches yesterday). When I read online that the canyon road would be closed for part of the day so the ski patrol could work on some avalanche control, I was not the least bit surprised. 04 Dec 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=3 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=2 My second day of the ski season was a powder day. I woke at about 6 a.m. so I could be out the door by 7 and catch the ski bus at the parking lot at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. (The driving conditions on the canyon road were too treacherous for my car.) Although the bus was damn annoying in every way, it got me safely to the ski resort and safely back down the canyon at the end of the day. 27 Nov 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=2 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=1 My first ski day of the 2005-2006 ski season was also my first Snowbird ski day as a local. Only two lifts were running: the Mid-Gad lift and the GadZoom lift. We skied on about 1,800 vertical feet, which is decent. Basically, the conditions (sunny, packed-powder/man-made/groomed snow) on this day were better than mid-season conditions at Bristol Mountain. I skied OK. A boot adjustment during the middle of the day did the trick. I'm definitely nowhere near mid-season form, but it's coming back to me quickly. We skied about half the day. It was a good first ski day. 25 Nov 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=1 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=267 I bought a guitar a few months ago, and its one of my newest obsessions. One of the first songs I wanted to learn was the 311 song, "Amber." Amber has a great intro hook that is easily recognizable and not too difficult to play. To make a long story short, I noticed last night that Tim Mahoney (of 311) plays the riff two different ways. I've seen him play it the way I first learned, but last night I watched a video of a 311 performance and I noticed that he also plays it a more difficult way. I've posted below the guitar tabs for the new way and the old way. 19 Nov 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=267 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=266 I just returned from a short two-day trip with my two roommates to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The weather was perfect--65 degrees and sunny both days, which is rare for late October. The area's scenery was some of the most unique and impressive I've ever seen. For photos and more details, check out the trip report. 23 Oct 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=266 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=172 After sleeping until about 9:00 a.m., we collected our things and headed for Yellowstone National Park via Grand Teton National Park, again. The earlier morning light provided perfect lighting on the Tetons, which allowed us to take better photos than the day before when we drove through the park in the afternoon sun. Our photos on this perfectly clear day from the Jackson Lake dam were of postcard quality. 23 Oct 2005 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=172 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=171 We left Salt Lake City early on Saturday and made it to Jackson (via Teton Pass) in a relatively short amount of time (due to the high speed limits in rural UT and ID). After passing through Jackson, we headed toward Grand Teton National Park where we did the driving tour through the park. Especially impressive were the views of the Tetons from Jenny Lake and Jackson Lake. We also saw a moose, which was surprisingly huge, relaxing by the side of the road near the Jackson Lake Junction. After the moose encounter, we headed for Yellowstone National Park. 22 Oct 2005 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=171 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=265 Well, it all worked out. I was able to surprise the hell out of my mother by suddenly appearing in the living room more than 2,000 miles from where she thought I was. The look on her face was worth the $327.50 for the flight and the 1+ mile sprint from my (late) Salt Lake City to Chicago flight (gate C32) to my Chicago to Rochester flight (gate B4). (View a map of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.) Then the next day I surprised the hell out of my sister and my grandparents, too. Fun stuff. 09 Oct 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=265 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=264 Peak: Grandeur Peak 05 Sep 2005 00:03:11 MST Hiking News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=hike&id=264 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=263 Music (songs) 23 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=263 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=262 Today, my roommates and I went to Arches National Park, which is in southeastern Utah about 4 hours from Salt Lake City. The scenery is quite dramatic. 20 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=262 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=261 On Sunday, my roommate Brendan and I escaped Salt Lake City for a short trip to Las Vegas. The 6+ hour drive was interesting because I-15 descends into Arizona's Virgin River canyon, which was quite impressive. The first night we visited 17 of the major casino resorts, on foot! The second day we visited the Hoover Dam and re-visited some of the casino resorts' attractions. 16 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=261 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=260 311 released "Don't Tread on Me" today. This album is the band's eighth original studio effort. Go buy it because it's seriously one of their best albums. Song highlights include Frolic Room, Solar Flare, Speak Easy, Whiskey & Wine and the title-track, Don't Tread on Me. 16 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=260 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=170 We checked out of the Monte Carlo, bought a few souvenirs, and, most importantly, ate lunch at the buffet at the Monte Carlo. The food was decent. 16 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=170 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=169 While our room at the Manor at Circus Circus was clean, we wanted to stay closer to the heart of The Strip, so after our trek up and down The Strip the previous night, we had called all the casinos to inquire about room rates. The Monte Carlo offered a room for $60, which was only $20 more than our room at Circus Circus. So, we checked out of Circus Circus, and headed to the Hoover Dam to spend the day investigating the engineering marvel before checking into our room at the Monte Carlo. 15 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=169 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=168 My roommate Brendan and I left for Las Vegas early Sunday morning. The 6+ hour drive was interesting because I-15 descends into Arizona's Virgin River canyon, which was quite impressive. 14 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=168 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=259 As you may or may not know, I recently moved to Salt Lake City to go to graduate school (and to ski). So far, here's my initial impressions on my new home. 11 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=259 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=258 I just got back from a 311 concert at the USANA Amphitheatre in West Valley City, UT, which is an outdoor venue at the foot of the Oquirrh Mountains. 06 Aug 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=258 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=257 Well, I just purchased my Snowbird season pass, and I'm just about to pack up the car so that I can leave Rochester, NY for Salt Lake City, UT tomorrow. Hopefully, I'll be back online in a few days so I can post some more (mundane) details about my new home. 26 Jul 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=257 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=256 Well, this weekend I went on my final trip to the Adirondacks (for this year, at least). I had planned to spend three nights just kicking back and relaxing before my move out to Utah, but the trip didn't last long--15 hours, to be exact. 24 Jul 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=256 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=255 KROQ in Los Angeles recently world premiered the first single (the title track) off 311's newest album, Don't Tread on Me. It is awesome. It gave me goosebumps it's so good. It's a rolling reggae romp. 16 Jul 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=255 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=254 (No summary text available) 01 Jul 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=254 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=286 I just got back from a short trip to Boston. I had received four free Red Sox tickets from my uncle a few weeks prior, so I called my friends in Boston to see if they'd like to go to a game. They did, and so I drove up yesterday and went to the game with them. We also met my brother at the game (he was already in Boston at his friends' graduation parties). 13 Jun 2005 00:03:11 MST News http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=blog_post&id=286 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=319 One year ago, I wrote an article that discussed Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (TIPS). TIPS are important because they provide the best protection against inflation among the universe of fixed-income securities. 19 Mar 2005 00:03:11 MST Articles http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=319 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=93 It was the same deal as yesterday, pretty much. The weather was the only difference. Instead of perfectly clear skies, today it was cloudy, windy and snowy (sometimes). We still had a great time, though. 06 Mar 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=93 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=92 Went on a ski trip--for the second year in a row--to Stratton Mountain with my aunt, uncle and cousins. Skied with my cousin, Dan. It was a perfectly clear day, and the temperatures were relatively warm (~ 30 degrees). Skied the heck out of the trails Standard, Yodeler, Free Fall, Kidderbrook and North American. Although Stratton is so easy that it is quite laughable, it is a perfect mountain for carving up groomers. 05 Mar 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=92 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=91 Clear skies, cool temperatures and decent conditions. I couldn't ask for much more (well, I could, but I won't right now). Skied pretty well, and the mountain was basically empty so I skied a lot of runs in a short period of time. 13 Feb 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=91 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=90 The temperature was quite balmy today (~ 30 F), and the skies were basically clear. I headed down to Bristol after work. The conditions were excellent. I skied pretty well, although I was a little fatigued. I stayed for two hours (about a dozen runs), which is basically a record for me when I'm skiing by myself. Bristol's only 1,200 feet and they have a high-speed quad, so you can ski quite a bit in a very short period of time. In any case, it was simply an excellent ski day. 02 Feb 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=90 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=318 There are several risks universally associated with investments in fixed-income securities. Some of these risks include default risk, liquidity risk, reinvestment risk and interest rate risk. For United States Treasury securities; however, the market considers these fixed-income securities to be free of default risk. Investors, therefore, require that bonds issued by entities other than the federal government carry a premium yield-to-maturity so they can be compensated for the added default risk. This premium, called the credit spread, is the extra yield investors require for taking on the added default risk associated with investing in corporate bonds, and asset-backed and mortgage-backed agency bonds. 30 Jan 2005 00:03:11 MST Articles http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=318 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=89 Over the weekend, we got over 14 inches of snow, so the conditions at the mountain on this Monday night were excellent. I had a great time skiing, finally. The ski season is finally starting to get going for me. For more than three weeks the weather was just so warm that the mountain was struggling to stay open. Two weeks of arctic air and a huge snowstorm have made up for those three weeks of terrible ski weather. 24 Jan 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=89 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=88 Nice conditions. But just way too cold (about 0 degrees F). Took only two runs and then left. 21 Jan 2005 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=88 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=87 I took one run. 28 Dec 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=87 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=86 Today's skiing was pretty damn good. The conditions were excellent after ridiculously cold temperatures yesterday (although today it was in the thirties), and more trails were opened. I skied mostly the easier trails today to get my legs conditioned for skiing and to polish my technique a little before the season really gets going. 21 Dec 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=86 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=85 Bristol Mountain opened today, finally. After only a few consecutive days of cold temps, the mountain went from brownish to white thanks to Bristol's supercharged snowmaking system. Finally the ski season starts! (Ironically, my first ski day of the year last year was also on December 15.) 15 Dec 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=85 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=317 There are a few conflicting historical stock market phenomena pertinent to 2005, which is a post-election year and the fifth year of this decade. The S&P 500 index has performed remarkably well in the fifth year of decades since 1881. The index, however, has performed below average in years following an election, except when the incumbent President stays in power or when the post-election year is the fifth year of a decade. 21 Nov 2004 00:03:11 MST Articles http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=317 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=316 There is an inherent conflict of interest when a person giving investment advice also works for a sell-side investment company (i.e. a brokerage) that manages mutual funds. Often, their advice will include their company's own mutual fund offerings regardless of the funds' merits (or lack thereof). This biased advice can diminish investors' portfolio returns. 15 Oct 2004 00:03:11 MST Articles http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=316 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=167 I woke up early so I had time to argue with Enterprise Rent-A-Car about my rate, which was $100 more on my contract than on my reservation. Surprisingly, they gave me the lower rate without a hassle, so I saved over $100. 25 Sep 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=167 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=166 After driving through the Garden of the Gods Park, which has a bunch of weird sandstone formations, I headed to Denver to meet up with my friend, Tom. 24 Sep 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=166 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=165 It snowed a lot more overnight, which ruined my chances of climbing Mount Elbert. So, I cleaned the three inches of snow off my rental car and drove to Colorado Springs. 23 Sep 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=165 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=164 Thankfully, it was sunny today, but still cold. I drove for an hour to Leadville. Leadville is a horrible, run-down, boring place. I added it as a stop only because it's right next to Mount Elbert, which I planned to hike this day, but couldn't due to the weather. 22 Sep 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=164 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=163 I woke up early and it was snowing. I did absolutely nothing the entire day because there really wasn't anything to do because of the weather. It snowed even more later in the day, so I ordered a pizza and watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. 21 Sep 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=163 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=162 I was glad to get out of Winter Park because it was boring. The weather was still bad, and I couldn't see any of the scenery as I drove through Winter Park and over Berthoud Pass. 20 Sep 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=162 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=161 I planned on waking up, climbing Lily Mountain and driving Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park, but instead I decided to drive back to Denver to switch my rental car. 19 Sep 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=161 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=160 After about two hours worth of delays at JFK due to the remnants of Hurricane Ivan pounding New York with rain, I arrived in Denver much later than expected. Just like on Seinfeld, my rental car reservation didn't actually reserve my full size car, so I had to choose between a Pontiac Sunfire coupe and a Mitsubishi Lancer sedan. I chose the Mitsubish Lancer, which was a poor choice because it is a horrible car with a weak engine. 18 Sep 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=160 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=315 In the world of investments, historical data often help investment managers predict the future performance of the markets. My colleagues and I searched for periods with similar characteristics to today to help guide our investment decision-making during this period of almost inexplicably weak equity markets (although the high price of oil seems to have been taxing the markets recently). We found an eerily similar period with many significantly similar characteristics. 22 Jul 2004 00:03:11 MST Articles http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=315 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=314 Inflation is a fixed-income portfolio's silent enemy. Someone who invests $10,000 in 10-year treasury bonds with a five percent coupon per year receives two payments of $250 per year throughout the maturity of the bond. Unfortunately, inflation can quietly erode the real value of those fixed interest payments. 21 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Articles http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=article&id=314 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=159 Hoping to avoid similar hassles as the first night, we decided to get up very early to check out and get to the airport before everyone else. When you can get 8 people to agree to wake at 5:30 a.m., you can pretty much be certain that we all believed the extremely early wake-up call was necessary. 14 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=159 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=158 We needed to check out very early the next day, so we all decided to take it easy on this day. Jen, Amanda and I went to the straw market across the street to grab some souvenirs. After that, I ate and then went to the beach. 13 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=158 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=157 We headed downtown to catch the ferry to Paradise Island right after we got up. For those of you who've never been to Atlantis, I would mark that on your to-do list because it is one of the coolest places I've ever visited. Of course, it wasn't as exciting this time because I visited in 2001, but it is still the coolest man-made place I've ever seen. 12 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=157 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=156 This was Booze & Cruise day. It was "cold" and cloudy in the morning. In fact, I wore jeans and a jacket for the first part of the Booze & Cruise. The sun came out and the skies cleared once the boat made its final pick-up at the Holiday Inn Sunspree on Paradise Island. 11 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=156 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=155 This was a recovery day. I think I got out of bed at about 2 p.m. We didn't do much during the day, and at night we just went to the casino. At the casino we just watched some drunk/dumb guy play three hands of Blackjack with $3,500 on each hand. He was actually winning like crazy for a while. His dumbest/luckiest move was doubling down with an ace and a five. Lucky for him, the dealer busted and he made a cool $7,000 on that one hand. 10 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=155 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=154 On the beach at the end of the day, a local guy named Ben came up to our group and sold us on an all-you-can drink party for $15 at King & Nights, which is next door to the hotel. My brother and I met Ben three years ago at the same party that he ran, but then he called it Bourbon Street. This party was the best part of the trip in 2001. 09 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=154 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=153 After seeing the Casuarinas Hotel in the daylight, I have to admit that it was a neat little crappy place with a lot of character. On the other hand, I was ready to get out of that place and into the "comforts" of your standard tourist-trap hotel. After checking out, the lady working the desk helped us flag a cab and invited us back for dinner some time (yeah right!). 08 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=153 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=152 We left Boston for The Bahamas at about 3:00 after staying in Boston at my brother's friend's house. We flew on a Miami Air charter full of Spring Breakers, but the ride was rather normal (no parties on the plane or anything like that). 07 Mar 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=152 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=84 Simply a great ski day. My cousin and I headed to Bristol at around 4:00 p.m. The conditions were surprisingly excellent (it snowed the whole time we were there) and I skied very well. My skills seem to have made a breakthrough after readjusting a few small things (keep my feet closer together, keep my upper body pointing downhill, let the skis' sidecuts do the work). The results of these small changes have been awesome. My short turns are sharper than ever, and I can attack steeper trails without "coming apart" at higher speeds. 14 Feb 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=84 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=83 This ski day was a perfect contrast to my last ski days in Vermont two weeks ago. The weather was stormy, blustery and relatively warm. Not a trail we skied was freshly groomed. Instead, we skied small to medium-sized powder bumps the entire day, which made the skiing excellent. 07 Feb 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=83 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=82 Boring and no fun; that's about it. I've got nothing else to say. 01 Feb 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=82 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=81 Bristol is boring. There's not much more to say. It offers me almost no challenge. I seriously need a change here. My skiing is at a crossroads. Either I challenge myself and get better, or I can see my skills regressing to a point of disinterest; especially, if I continue to have these pathetic ski days where I take 3 runs and I'm ready to get out of there. I also need to get in better shape. I felt like a newborn deer out there today. My legs were so damn weak and tired from the weekend at Stratton, which is unbelievable since it was four days ago! One would think their legs wouldn't be tired after four days of rest, but mine were! Anyway, on the positive side, the conditions were superb, yet again. 29 Jan 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=81 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=80 I was warm and well-rested to start this day because I slept on the couch in the loft. A Cheerios and Red Bull breakfast hit the spot. The skiing, temperature, and weather were almost identical to the day before. A stiff 30-50 mph wind at the summit was the only difference. 25 Jan 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=80 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=79 After a fitful night of sleeping in a drafty room in the condo, I woke to subzero temperatures in southern Vermont. On the positive side, there were absolutely no clouds in the sky the whole day. 24 Jan 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=79 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=100 I left for Stratton right after work. The drive took an hour longer than it should've because of some nasty driving conditions near Syracuse, NY. I finally arrived at the condo at around 11:30. 23 Jan 2004 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=100 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=78 It's been cold for a long time and it's paying off at Bristol. As far as I know, they've been making snow continuously, and they were making snow all over the mountain again tonight. Some natural snow overnight helped, too. Galaxy and Upper Rocket were the two best trails, and the conditions were reminiscent of western ski resorts. That's really all there is to say. The conditions were excellent, the skiing was great, and the place was packed. 20 Jan 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=78 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=77 It's been a month since I last skied this season, but the best ski conditions of the year were no match for the hypnotic, lethargic state bought on by the 8 hour Microsoft Outlook training class I suffered through during the day. I was tired, my legs were like jelly, and I wasn't really in the mood for the wind, the cold, or the snowmaking, so I made it a really short ski night. I did snap a couple pictures before I started skiing though. 19 Jan 2004 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=77 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=76 I realized I forgot my ski jacket just as I was about to head to the lodge to put on my ski boots. Tonight was not the ideal night to ski jacketless. A brisk breeze chilled me on each lift ride, especially near the summit where air rushes across the broad, flat summit of Bristol Mountain. 19 Dec 2003 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=76 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=75 I picked up my pass at Bristol's office, changed out of my work "gear" and into my ski gear, and hit the slopes for the first time this season. 15 Dec 2003 00:03:11 MST Skiing http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=ski&id=75 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=151 At 6:00 a.m. we arrived at JFK airport. Our three hour layover was quite taxing. Finally, at 9:45, our flight left and we arrived in Syracuse a short time later. I arrived at my dorm to find that the power was off and that I would have to lug my three HEAVY bags up ten floors. That was not fun. 15 Mar 2003 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=151 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=150 Our final day of skiing since we would be leaving at 11:59 on March 14, 2003. We decided to return to Alta for our final ski day. It was overcast and colder in the valley as we headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon. It began snowing as we pulled into Alta's parking lot, and it only started to snow even harder as we put on our ski gear. By the time we made it to the top of the Sunnyside lift, it was a complete white-out. Welcome to Alta! 14 Mar 2003 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=150 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=149 After carefully considering Brighton as our next ski destination, we ultimately decided to take the safe bet and explore Snowbird again. 13 Mar 2003 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=149 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=148 This day would be our only off day from skiing. We couldn't go to Las Vegas (for various reasons), so we went to Park City instead. Thursday was the warmest day, so far. Temperatures reached almost 75 in the valley. In Park City, the temperatures were cooler, but 55 degrees isn't exactly cold! The town and all the Park City resorts were virtually empty. 12 Mar 2003 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=148 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=147 We decided to check out Snowbasin Resort on this day. We'd heard good things from those who've skied it, and, of course, the Olympic downhill was held there last year, so we figured it would be nice. Well, it was nice, but the skiing wasn't so great. 11 Mar 2003 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=147 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=146 Went to Alta Ski Area on this day. We parked in the Albion Basin lot. Partly cloudy skies throughout the day with the sun peeking through at times. Headed over to Germania. Skied the trails under Germania all morning with one ride up the Wildcat lift and a run down Stimulation for a little variety. We then went back to Germania. 10 Mar 2003 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=146 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=145 We woke to partly sunny skies and relatively mild temperatures in the valley. The drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Snowbird took only about 15 minutes since Draper is located near the mouth of the canyon. 09 Mar 2003 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=145 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=144 Left Syracuse at about 5 pm for Salt Lake City, Utah! Arrived in Utah at 11:00 pm. Tom's Godparents picked us up at the airport and brought us back to their house in Draper where we would stay for the week. 08 Mar 2003 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=144 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=117 (coming soon) 15 Mar 2002 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=117 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=116 (coming soon) 14 Mar 2002 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=116 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=115 (coming soon) 13 Mar 2002 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=115 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=114 (coming soon) 12 Mar 2002 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=114 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=113 There's something absolutely awesome about driving the length of the entire Eastern seaboard, especially in March, after a long winter. It's not so much the big differences, but the subtle differences that make it so cool. Little things like the appearance of leaves on the trees, shedding the winter jacket in favor of just a sweatshirt when you get out of the car for the first time in hundreds of miles at 5:00 a.m. in north Georgia, and the feeling of the sun warming the oddly humid Florida air. 11 Mar 2002 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=113 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=112 It was blustery and freezing when I picked up my brother before departing for New York City and, ultimately, Daytona Beach, Florida. Ironically, just a few days earlier, temperatures reached the 70s. 10 Mar 2002 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=112 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=99 (coming soon) 24 Apr 2001 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=99 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=98 (coming soon) 23 Apr 2001 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=98 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=97 (coming soon) 22 Apr 2001 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=97 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=96 (coming soon) 21 Apr 2001 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=96 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=95 (coming soon) 20 Apr 2001 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=95 http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=94 I woke at about 5:00 a.m. for my early flight. Conscious of my final destination, I wore cargo shorts even though the temperature was lower than 20 degrees. This would be my first flight since my family vacation to Utah in 1993, and it would certainly be the furthest I'd ventured from home alone. 19 Apr 2001 00:03:11 MST Travel http://www.mikesandy.net/blog/index.php?c=trip&id=94