JANUARY 2010
SKI TRIP TO PARK CITY

Click On The Pictures For A Larger View

We left Wellsboro around 1:30-- Bill, Steve, Joe, and Peggi.  Picked up Nancy in Mansfield and drove to Baltimore.  Stayed at the Airport Hampton.  We met Ellie and her daughter Lee for dinner. Next day we flew to Salt Lake and met Kathy and Susan.  Dave and Vicki were already in Park City.
	The Town Pointe Condos are spacious and very nicely located near the Town Lift.  We rented 3 bedrooms, 3 bath condos. The picture above is looking into the living room to the patio with the hot tub. Left is looking the other way to the kitchen.
Monday morning we headed to Deer Valley for some warm up runs on the nicely groomed slopes.
	We skied in the morning off the Silver Strike Express and Flagstaff Mountain The group on the slopes.  Nancy, Kathy, and Steve are visible.
We had lunch at the Silver Lake Lodge. A half day of skiing and Kathy is already wasted.  Fortunately when she did a face plant into her lunch she wasn't eating chili.
	After lunch the guys found some good skiing off the Empire Chair. As you can see the snow was sparse but sufficient.
A good way to exit Deer Valley in the afternoon is to ski Success an aptly named ski slope that winds down through some fabulous slope side houses.
	Several of the houses are decorated with a variety of rustic wood carvings so you can enjoy your festive descent. The debate question for the evening was "how much money is too much money."
Dinner that night was in our condo.  All 10 of us managed to fit around the table.
	Tuesday we hit the slopes at Park City.
After lunch Peggi, Susan, and Bill decided to try the Alpine Coaster.
	I suspect we're likely to see many more ways to get up and down a mountain on ski slopes in the future.
From my point of view the psychology of this ride is all wrong.  Why do people go on roller coasters?  They want to be scared and to place their fate into the hands of the people who designed and run the ride. But these sleds have brakes.  You control your own destiny.  How much fun is that?
	Above Peggi is coming in for a landing.  Left Susan is doing the same. If you ride this ride or one like it, take my advice and commit to not using the brake, trusting that the engineers have designed the sled to stay on the track.  That's what I did and I damn near peed my pants.  Now that was fun!
On Wednesday Bill, Steve, Joe, Dave, and Vicki went to Alta and met Vicki's brother Dave.  Ellie, Nancy, Kathy, and Susan went to Deer Valley.  Peggi did a spa day. We faced blizzard conditions all day so no pictures were possible but we had a good day given the conditions. Thursday we went to Canyons.
	Canyons is a nicely designed resort.  A lift carries you from the parking lot to the bottom of the slopes.  Left Ellie, Nancy, and Peggi start their run.
We spent most of the morning off the Tombstone Express then had lunch at the Red Pine Lodge.
	After lunch Joe, Steve, and Bill  found some nice slopes underneath the Tombstone Express.
Joe was a real trooper on these slopes as he hadn't had much experience with backcountry western slopes. It's simply different skiing untracked snow on a slope filled with rocks, trees, and bushes.  It takes a little getting used to.
	Joe and Steve on Cloud Nine at Canyons.
On Friday we headed back to Park City for our final day of skiing. As usual we rode the Town Lift up from the condo.
	Every now and then you have to take a moment and notice how beautiful the whole place is.
Peggi and Ellie flying down Keystone.
	The girls went in for lunch early so the guys decided to get in a few runs on the bowls. We're at the top of Blue Slip Bowl deciding whether to do the run. Blue Slip Bowl was open and good skiing given the scarcity of snow.
The picture links to a You Tube Video of Joe skiing Blue Slip Bowl. I apologize for all the heavy breathing in the video.  I forget there is sound with the videos and I ought to say something, On the other hand it's a reminder that while I'm in good shape for a man my age, I am a man my age.  I had to pull up to catch my breath.  Of course Steve is already waiting at the bottom of the slope.
	We went up the McConkey Chair.  We took a look at McConkey Bowl.  It didn't look bad it was just that nobody seemed to be skiing it, always a bad sign.  Joe and Ski decided to ski Sunrise and Buckeye.  I went for McConkey.  Once I got in there ski conditions weren't bad. The picture also links to a You Tube video I took at the top.  Kind of a last farewell just in case.
As usual lunch at the Mid Mountain Lodge was a welcome rest.
	Left is another You Tube video, this one of Peggi as we leave the Mid Mountain Lodge.
After lunch the rest of the group went looking for the action photographer.  At right Ellie is showing that world class form.
	Kathy shows good form as she rounds the corner.
Nancy, with a determined look on her face, is ready for lift off
	The ladies set up for some of there own action photography.  Kind of reminds you of those old high school football pictures. Nancy shooshes the snow on Sitka.
Kathy looks small on the big slope.
	Look! Granny on Skis!
I decided to see if I could take a video while skiing. At least I didn't crash.
	It took awhile but Stein final made his appearance on the trip.  Better luck next year Stein.
The End