Travel

Return to Utah

/ Wendy Ong / 2 Comments

“We can let the circumstances of our lives harden us so that we become increasingly resentful and afraid, or we can let them soften us and make us kinder. You always have the choice.” –Dalai Lama

Looking over Mineral Basin

Looking over Mineral Basin

Over the course of this trip (perhaps “expedition” is the proper word: unpredictable, setbacks, recoveries, lots of travel, and even some skiing (credit: Scott)), resentment and frustration about shit going wrong and why (related to my spinal cord injury) surfaced many times. Sometimes it felt like I was swept away by these negative emotions. But the above quote reminds me that I do have a choice in how I respond and react.

So why did I choose to return to the Salt Lake City area after such a disastrous stay 10 days earlier? Part of me wanted to redeem myself/SLC; part of me wanted to take up this opportunity to hang out and experience a training day with the US Paralympic Alpine Ski team. I did consider booking it to Telluride to ski there and Taos, before having to drive back to Cambridge, MA on Friday afternoon at the latest, but conditions were not so much more superior to make the abysmal driving/skiing ratio worth it. SLC was relatively close (a 5 hour drive from Jackson, WY), and I knew I could get in skiing at a number of resorts there.

A glimpse of the moon

A glimpse of the moon

What a difference bluebird skies and warm temperatures can make to ones mood and skiing experience. Despite no recent snow fall, the coverage at Snowbird was excellent and decent snow was to be found if you went a little hunting, and also because the aspects of the slopes mean they don’t get totally baked (e.g. like in Jackson). Utah resorts typically have a much later season, so having this much snow so early in the season has been unusual for them, and more than a few locals have said this is the best coverage they have seen for this time of year in awhile. The warmer temperatures made for a warmer, less stiff boot, which helped the lower leg pain too. I’ve been having to diligently ice, NSAID, massage etc. to get through each ski day, but the leg held up decently today and I managed to stay out longer than expected.

On the way back from the ski resort, I was stopped by a police officer and let off with a warning for speeding (he was very nice about it, as I was just following the flow of traffic). He asked if I was a seasonal worker. I’m glad I look like enough of a ski bum/have enough cred to be mistaken for one :)

This is a terrible idea.

This is a terrible idea.

Testing continued, regaining mojo, human contact

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment

It was another bluebird day at Jackson Hole, and conditions were very similar to yesterday to continue to test the leg. I was in no rush to get first lift due to the extreme inversion effect here. Today’s temperature difference between the base and top was still 25 to 30 degF but I stayed up high the entire time in the sun and warmth.

I started later to avoid the extreme inversion effect like yesterday

Jackson Hole refers to the entire valley you see below.

The steroid seems to have taken fuller effect, and combined with diligent icing yesterday and anti-inflammatories ingested, the leg was feeling closer to its normal, strong self. While I know I should work on not having my mood be so dependent on my physical abilities/state, it felt really really good to be able to open it up and rip it.

It was perhaps not the smartest idea on an injured leg, but I could not resist doing the Alta Chutes, which are considered one of the most challenging in-bounds terrain.

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Cliff areas for good measure

Cliff areas for good measure

It is always nice to receive flattering compliments from other skiers, but today, I was particularly touched by a teenage girl who came up to me on the traverse to get to Alta Chutes. She told me how amazing I was and asked me how I moved so fast and I asked her if she was a ski-racer (her setup looked like it), and she said yes. She said she just wanted to come up and talk to me, and I thanked her very much for her kindness. I was just quite moved that someone would go out of there way to want to talk to me.

I also shared quite a few words with a trio of Swiss guys (I had asked them if they were Swiss because one of them had a “Gryon” (a municipality of the canton Vaud) patch on his pack. And then skied with a Jackson local. I think because I have been on my own so much on this trip, all this human interaction today played a role in bolstering my mood, along with the improvement in the leg.

Next stop, either another morning in Jackson or swinging through Grand Targhee and then back down to Salt Lake City, where I can avenge my terrible time there due to this injury.

Testing the leg at Jackson Hole

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment
Extreme temperature inversion today

Extreme temperature inversion today

Today was the litmus test to see if I could ski or have to cut this trip short. The answer is not entirely clear, as I am not sure whether it was the injury, a crash, or conditions that made me ski for only a short period of time today.

What is unequivocal however, is that today were the coldest temperatures I have ever skied in. The temperature at the base of the mountain was -32 degF (-36 degC) when I started. Quite uncivilized.

-32 degF = -36 degC. You know things are fucked when Fahrenheit and Celsius temps converge

-32 degF = -36 degC. You know things are fucked when Fahrenheit and Celsius temps converge

The inversion effect on the mountain was the most extreme I had ever experienced. There was a 30 degF plus difference between mountain top and base.

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A sea of clouds above the valley floor

I started off very conservatively, and while things were far from pain-free, I managed to stay in control the first few test runs on the groomers. Bear in mind, I really did not open myself up into full GS mode because that outside edge was still giving me problems. I was certainly not carving properly, and doing the sliding/skid on that side, to my dismay; and groomers when you can’t totally rip it just are not that fun. I crashed going at a decent speed and hurt my leg there, but after a moments rest and unbuckling my boot to give the leg some relief, I decided to test things out more on more interesting terrain. I tried not to feel bad that all the fresh snow was gone, and every thing was very hard from being tracked out and from the cold.

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This stuff is usually pretty mellow for me, but my leg made me approach things cautiously and without confidence :(

The lack of new snow made conditions quite challenging for me, because of the impact of the hard snow on the leg.

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Tracked out, hard snow. It wasn’t that much fun, but it was nice to be out under the blue sky.

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The crash really did me in because I was kept falling any time I needed to hold that outside edge. When I am face climbing (versus crack-climbing) I tend to trend to the right before having to return back to the route if it is to the left, because I am always leading with that right side. Today, I found myself skiing down to the left (inside edge) as much as possible until I would have to stop, sit, and flip the ski around to change direction. It was a bit sad.

Super tracked out under the tram

Super tracked out under the tram

I will continue to test the leg out on Monday (Martin Luther King Day), but will likely be relegated to easy groomers, which is really not what you go to Jackson Hole for. I have certainly become familiar with the town and the surrounding area, and it was wonderful to come back to a place I love but had never been to in the wintertime. But I’m ready to hit the road soon and move on.

Phelps Lake snowshoe

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment

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While I waited for my cortisone shot from yesterday to take effect and test skiing out tomorrow (Sunday), I decided to check out the Granite Canyon Trailhead area near Moose, WY, also within the Grand Teton National Park. Like Thursday’s snowshoe, the plowed road ends and you can snowshoe or cross-country ski in. I picked this starting point because it was not a long drive from me, but also known for being very quiet. Indeed, I had the entire place to myself and did not encounter a single person on my snowshoe to Phelps Lake. The only downside to such a quiet location was that I found myself having to break trail a lot of the way, but this was a good way to stay warm on this cold day. The temperature at the start of my snowshoe was -15 degF (-26 degC)and when I returned a few hours later, it was still negative Fahrenheit (-18 degC). I probably seem like a cold weather wimp, but I actually have no problems with these kinds of temperatures when the humidity is low.

A colder day today

A colder day today

Even though the pace of this kind of activity is slower than I like it to be all the time, the surroundings remind me of the serenity and sense of home these mountains bring to me. I would seriously consider making Jackson Hole home, or a part-time home, but employment opportunities and the health care infrastructure are rather poor here, and I would like to be closer to a major airport for international travel.

A slightly overcast morning

A slightly overcast morning

Quiet.

Quiet.

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I had to veer off and break trail soon after this point

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Phelps Lake was the reward for the solitude and breaking trail.

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Phelps Lake and Mount Hunt and Prospector’s Mountain behind it

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Prospector’s Mountain (11,240′)

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I came across this van today and had to smile. Looks like someone else had the same idea as me…

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A familiar looking set of stickers…

They must be as excellent a planner as I am if they are Swiss. They have probably been better on the execution part though :-/

I left this note on their van :)

I left this note on their van :)

I think the leg is doing better as it was not hurting as much as it did on Thursday’s snowshoe. I am keeping my fingers crossed tomorrow’s test on ski (singular) will be a smashing success.

The Peace of Wild Things

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment

I needed to get out and recharge my very depleted batteries from the last fortnight of misfortunes. One of my favourite poems describes the sense of peace and home this morning in Grand Teton National Park.

A familiar place...

A familiar place…

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

–Wendell Berry

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The light changes so quickly.

I knew that there was going to be a lot of snow but I didn’t realize just how deep it would be. It would make travel slow-going.

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The snow bank came close to my shoulders

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The end of the plowed road and start of the snow-shoeing.

I was eager for the sun to hit me.

I was eager for the sun to hit me.

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Which it did.

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An errant side track that led to nowhere. It was one of the few spots where there was an existing track of some kind.

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I was quite interested in the touring possibilities in that gully.

Because of all the new snow, breaking trail was very tiring for me. I had to stop far far short of my original destination because I knew I had to save my left leg for the return journey back to the car, and also my lower right leg muscle was aching and I did not want to reduce the chances of skiing any further.

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My tracks.

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There was little danger of me exceeding the speed limit.

PT and orthopedic specialist appointments tomorrow – fingers crossed these will yield (fast) dividends so that I can ski.

Peroneus longus muscle – continued injury and pain, and action plan

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment

Today was storm riding day at Jackson.

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A momentary respite from the snow and wind

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Unfortunately, I was hardly able to take advantage of these epic conditions because of the excruciating lateral lower right leg pain previously experienced in Alta, UT. I thought the almost one week of rest would have fixed the issue, but this was not the case. I found that I could not ski safely on even easy terrain. Every little bump or any kind of pressure/exertion on the outside (right) turn hurt so much that I could not control my boot/ski. I focused on trying to reach the base area safely and went into the boot-fitters therefght to see if they might be able to offer any suggestions. After briefly explaining my situation and skiing setup to the boot-fitter, I decided to schedule an appointment with him tomorrow morning (his earliest opening) thinking that there might be stuff that could be done to my boot around the cuff to help alleviate the pain. I tried using some silicone shin pad protectors, as an interim solution, but they offered no relief (this was before I identified the true cause, so I guess the fact they did not work for me is not a surprise and should not be a judgment of the product’s intended use). I was/am feeling very desperate, and wasn’t sure whether to seek treatment here e.g. get cortisone shots to deal with the pain (this would be a very short-term fix and would not treat this pain in the future, such as when I am supposed to ski in Chamonix in February), call it quits and drive back to the East Coast, or what to do…

This is definitely not simple shin bang. I had initially thought it was a shin issue, but after an internet search for lateral leg pain related to skiing, I am positive it is my Peroneus longus muscle that is hurting so much. This is actually not a common muscle to be injured for skiers (or for runners, or people/athletes in general for that matter). But, this excerpt from the linked Wikipedia article explains it all:

“Taking their fixed points below, the fibularis muscles serve to steady the leg upon the foot.[2] This is especially the case in standing upon one leg, when the tendency of the superincumbent weight is to throw the leg medialward; the fibularis longus overcomes this tendency by drawing on the lateral side of the leg.[2]”

So this really sucks right. My leg pain is due to the very fact I ski on one leg. Having high arches exacerbates this issue : “However, due to your high arches, the bones of your feet including the cuboid tend to be in a more rigid and fixed position. Therefore, your Peroneus Longus experiences extra stress from this lost mechanical advantage because it pulls harder in an attempt to bring the medial arch closer to the ground. Over time, this excess pulling causes strain to the muscle.”

After much calling around, I have made some short-term plans:

  1. Wednesday 8:00 am: Appointment with boot-fitter (I made this appointment before identifying the true issue, but I still hope this might help with pain)
  2. Wednesday 10:00am: Appointment with physiotherapist in Jackson, WY
  3. Friday PM: Appointment with orthopedic specialist to perhaps get cortisone shots

This is not how I wanted to be experiencing Jackson Hole, WY.

Depending on the above, I may have to truncate this big road trip and drive back East. I’ll be even more upset if this issue prevents me from snow-shoeing or walking. I was in tears as I told this to Scott, who responded with, this could happen to anyone Wendy. I know he was trying to console me. But I said, NO, my outriggers wouldn’t have broken if I didn’t have to use them because of my accident. NO, this part of my leg would not be hurting so much and preventing me from skiing if it wasn’t because of my accident and I had to ski like this. I realize this sounds petulant, but I get very upset when something related to my SCI prevents me from just skiing one run, let alone taking advantage of amazing conditions in Jackson Hole of all places. I feel like I am not asking for much. Skiing isn’t the most important thing around by a long shot, but like I said, it seems like yet another thing I love that I cannot do.

I am having a hard time making peace with myself and physical circumstances. And to not be resentful. I have to though, right?? I can’t live a life feeling this way, feeling cheated or robbed, because there would be no joy in that whatsoever. I know pushing through (hard) things is one thing people admire about me; but I am tired. I am just tired.

My good friend George said that at least I am learning valuable information about how my body responds to skiing. This is true. I just wish I was not having to learn this information during what is supposed to be an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip.

The short-term steps are just that, short-term to get through this acute stage of the injury. Longer-term plans: I was just told I should consider ankle physiotherapy to stabilize/retrain this process in my leg. Apparently this is a “known thing.”

 

Such thing as too much snow, and nostalgia

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment

Well, there is such thing as too much snow as I found out today.  About a foot of very heavy, wet snow fell overnight, more on the upper mountain, and when I woke up this morning to clear my car, it was raining. I knew there was going to be a ton of avy work going on this morning, but did not anticipate just how much this would delay mountain opening and how much of the mountain would remain closed as a result. I later found out that today was the first time since 1979 that schools were closed due to weather here!

There were a lot of “running starts” in my car to drive over piles of snow etc. this morning

Very heavy wet snow covering car this morning

Very heavy wet snow covering car this morning

Walking back to inn after clearing car

Walking back to the inn after clearing car. Quite pretty.

While I am not a fan of driving, my gear setup is a bit finicky and I find myself having to carry more than the average skier. So I elected to drive to the Ranch Lot because I had read there was free handicapped parking there, and I also thought I would be able to walk from that lot to the aerial tram/gondola. To my chagrin, I ended up having to pay $10 for all day parking, and still had to take a shuttle bus, even though the website does say that parking is free with a handicap placard. I may have to return tomorrow and show them this on my phone, or just suck it up and take the bus.

I arrived at the base around 8.30am in anticipation of the 9am lift start times. A lot of people appear to be louts like me and not have to work on a Monday morning. Actually, that is not true. A lot of people standing in line were locals looking to get some turns in before heading to work later in the day.

Don't people have to work on a Monday morning? :)

Don’t people have to work on a Monday morning? :)

I elected to wait in the gondola line versus the aerial tram line, because I didn’t think I wanted to drop into Corbett’s my very first run…

We waited and waited. And waited. 9am passed by, then 10am…There was so much avalanche blasting to be heard as I stood in line getting in the wet rain/snow. A lot of people left the line because, heck, they needed to get to work. I also wondered whether I wanted to use my lift pass on a very short day where very few of the lifts would be open, if they even did open. At this point only three of the small metro quads had begun turning.

Ski patrol wearing a snorkel

Ski patrol wearing a snorkel

Aerial tram line

Aerial tram line about 1.5 hours in

Lift status after over 1.5 hours of waiting in line. You can see only three small quads are turning because of the High avy danger indicated on the sign below. At least my sore shins felt good in my ski boot…

Very high avy risk and therefore so few chairs opens

Very high avy risk and therefore so few chairs opens

I decided to call it quits at 10.45am. By this time, the aerial tram was still not loading. I checked back later in the afternoon to see what lifts did end up running. The only change to the above was the Bridger Gondola, so I feel justified/okay in my decision. After taking the shuttle back to the Ranch Lot and then driving to park at the base briefly to run an errand, I found people were STILL waiting in line for the aerial tram at 11.30am. Damn!

Well, maybe one day I will ski…but today I decided I might as well check out the town of Jackson itself, especially since it is a little bit of a drive from Teton Village. It had been many many years since I was in the town center itself (I had avoided it the last time I was climbing in the Tetons around 2008, when we stayed at the American Alpine Club Climbers Ranch), so going back brought back many memories.

The "famous" Jackson Town Center antlers on each of the square's four corners

The “famous” Jackson Town Center antlers on each of the square’s four corners. You can see the roads and pavements were just ice and lakes.

In particular, I wanted to check out an old-school mountaineering shop called “Teton Mountaineering.” I love places like this and hanging out and talking with cool staff members.

Teton Mountaineering shop, Jackson, WY

Teton Mountaineering shop, Jackson, WY

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Got piton?

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Hammers

Hammers and ice-axes

The very first time I came to Jackson was as an 18 year old, in the summer between freshman and sophomore (1st and 2nd) year in university. I had only just gotten my US drivers license in California that summer (although I had been driving in Thailand etc. before that) so was still quite new to the road. I remember driving to meet my brother in the dark Wyoming night, being quite nervous because I did not have experience driving on dark, relatively rural roads alone, and thinking about all the elk and other game waiting to impact my car. Today, I had to smile as I drove through the exact intersection where I so clearly remember being pulled over by a Wyoming police officer that evening. I had failed to turn left using the left turn lane and he made me pull over into the nearby Albertson’s supermarket parking lot. He kindly let me off with a warning, saying that “There are left turn lanes in California too, you know.” I cannot believe I remember all this almost 20 years later!

The left turn lane was the site of my first WY infraction

The left turn lane was the site of my first WY infraction as an 18 year old

Jackson Hole, WY: The reward for a very fraught driving day

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment

Well, I am doing my best to roll with the weather punches. Feeling pretty sloth-like and fat from no skiing. I knew today was not going to be the best day at Snowbird, UT, but I still got up early, drank my coffee while I looked at the weather/mountain reports. Reports were for rain at the base, snow higher up, and wind gusts of 50 mph. Hrm, not ideal. But I still decided to pack up and make my way up the road towards Little Cottonwood Canyon. Precipitation was coming down as rain but the air temperature was reading 24 degF. Uh oh. Before I even began climbing, at a very large 4+ lane intersection and with plenty of time and distance to brake for the red light, I found myself unable to stop because of how bad the black ice was on the road. It was fortunate that it was still early and there were not many cars on the road. I decided to pull into a nearby parking lot and reassess. Now, there were reports of continued warm temperatures, rain/ice/black ice on the road, and 70 mph gusts on the mountain. Even if a foot of snow was projected to fall on the mountain, I thought, getting into a terrible car accident on the way to Snowbird to be lifted off the ground by 70 mph gusts sounds like a terrible reason to die/get hurt/total my car. I took a deep breath and made the call to call it quits on Salt Lake City for now.

Because the system was so warm, it was wreaking havoc on the roads. All of us were driving no more than 35 mph, with many car lengths between us, on the usual 70 mph I-15 interstate that runs north-south out of Salt Lake City, in the part that was still within the city and therefore very well maintained. And, still, two cars spun out right in front of me. The first car did a slow spin out to the right and I thought it is good the car is spinning out of the way of traffic. Then the car between it and me decided to step on their brakes….NOOOOO!!! That car also spun out to the right, and a car accident involving me was narrowly averted.

I elected to drive the longer driving route from Salt Lake to Wilson, WY to try and stay on the large interstate for as much as possible. It was still very slow and stressful going, and what should have been a 5 hour drive took close to 7 hours (there was a nice cold, dryer spell through Idaho). Teton Pass was open, but the drive was also very slippery so great caution was taken. It was awesome to see so many skiers parked though for a day of touring/laps! I really miss living in a place where that is just the thing you do with friends!

Today's almost-7 hour drive

Today’s almost-7 hour drive

I made it to Wilson, WY without incident and have decided to park myself here for the next while because:

  1. Snow conditions are great
  2. I love the Tetons
  3. I am very tired of driving around and just want to stay put in a place, ski, snowshoe, and recharge
  4. I got an excellent deal at the Bentwood Inn, only 12 minutes away from Teton Village – yes, this trip has been one of contrasts. To be some times sleeping in my car to staying at one of National Geographic’s Unique Lodges of the World. As an aside, I was chatting with the male part of the innkeepers, and it was pretty great to learn of overlap. It turns out that he and his wife lived in North Conway, NH for a long time and are going to be returning there after a few years here (he’s an attorney and she is a teacher). He offered to do a caravan for the drive back East, although I do not think it will work out since I am probably under greater time pressure than he is and they are probably going to drive a more southerly (warmer) route.

Right now I am thinking I will ski at Jackson Hole and also Grand Targhee, a small resort renowned for how much powder it gets (along the lines of Revelstoke and the other inner British Columbia resorts). This is just more kind of scene…small resorts with steep, amazing terrain, lots of locals, and fewer tourists (like me). It helps that I am here mid-week and not having to fight the crowds.

Due to some late emails, I only found out that I received an invitation to ski with the US Paralympic ski team this week after I left town. The team practices Monday to Friday, so I am tempted to drive back to the Salt Lake area and ski with them on Friday, perhaps “avenge” my no-skiing-time in SLC over the weekend, then decide whether to head back up here or to Colorado, depending on snow conditions. Another option is to try and connect with them next week. Colorado seems to doing worse conditions-wise, which makes Jackson Hole all the more appealing. However, this would mean missing seeing friends in the Telluride area, especially.

The warm storm following the very very cold spell screams avalanche danger, so I will be continuing to stay in-bounds. It’s a bit unfortunate I have not been able to use any of my touring stuff, but the terrain is so amazing at these places, I am sure I will not feel sad. A gentle snowshoe in the quiet of the snow sounds perfectly satisfying too.

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Looking out of the window right by my bed

As I was driving, I remembered so many strangers’ comments to me as I’ve been skiing, telling me how incredible I was, what a great attitude I had to life (my response to that one was, “you make do” :)), what an inspiration I was etc. It would be incredibly ungrateful and unkind of me to dismiss these sincere and wonderful comments from people. I hope I can continue to do others and myself proud.

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With our thoughts we make the (our) world

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment

No new snow and hard pack and the continued shin issue made me decide to sit today out as well. I felt bad that I was letting another ski day slip away, but I also thought that I did not want this shin to inhibit future skiing on this trip, especially at my next stop, Jackson Hole. A dear friend read my last blog post, after I directed her towards it to explain why I was feeling so low lately. She pointed out what we both know already and that is, I am constantly manifesting, and bringing my unhealthy thinking patterns along  with me wherever I go. “Underneath all of these experiences is a less than ideal thinking pattern for you which seems to be keeping you from living the life you want. Address that thing that is sitting there deep dark inside you that goes with you no matter where you go.” What I struggle with is how to go about doing this. When I think about how I might never break free from this pathology, I despair the most.  When I told my friend about this fear, and clarified what I meant by “pathology” (who I am), she pointed out that who are you are is not pathology.

I know there are positive components to me that have allowed me to push myself to where I am today, allowed me to befriend some wonderful people, and have incredible experiences. Like this trip I am on. Adventure, even? But as you have probably gathered, there is this highly punishing part of me that reacts poorly to setbacks and can always find a way to blame myself, blame my reactions etc. And, of course, judgment is at best, unhelpful; at worst, a cruel siphon of energy and joy. A reader kindly reminded me to not let the frustrating experiences overshadow the awesome ones, and how correct he is.

I am not going to have the overnight epiphany Eckhart Tolle said he had (I am highly highly skeptical this is what happened, but whatever, he has helped a lot of people I guess and done well for himself), but I will try to move forward with renewed purpose and optimism. That, fuck it, shit happens. I am doing something not many people have the balls to do on their own, let alone without the weight of my accident. I will get to see beautiful places, maybe meet some cool people along the way (I already have) and, yeah, ski. Because skiing is awesome. Maybe I am doing all right after all.

(By the way: lock de-icer spray + PB B’laster to keep the water out of the lock. WD-40 is too lightweight/freeze in really really cold conditions).

 

Sun Valley Day 2 – a slight change of heart about the place

/ Wendy Ong / Leave a comment

Oh, how fickle my opinion can be of a place. While still very far from the top fav ski areas, 4-5″ of fresh snow improved my opinion of Sun Valley considerably. The overnight snow, snow all through the morning, and moderate temperatures in the low to mid-teens (Farenheit) made for stellar conditions this morning. The bowls filled in and were no longer icy waist high bumps. The bowls all start of fluffy and steep but pretty much all of the runs end up being those harder waist-high bumps, so my right leg was worked by the time lunch time rolled around.

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Bumps are tiring

 

I did have to spend a fair bit of time deciding a) where do I go next – Jackson Hole, or Utah, and b) whether to try and get ahead of the big storm rolling through southern Idaho and the Salt Lake City area (forecast for 40″ by the time the storm watch is over tomorrow afternoon). Driving in the dark and snow on less than maintained highways this afternoon/evening did not seem smart, and I was not even sure if my car would be able to make it up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta/Snowbird tomorrow morning anyway. So I am staying put for the night and tomorrow will likely be an enforced rest day as I wait to trail this Pacific system moving through.

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The no-google-tan-whatsoever tour continues