Ewe-taw and winter wonderland

I got feathers clamped into my hair. It is all the rage out here. I got them in Steamboat before I left. They look really cool. I went with the subtle brown, blonde, grey striped ones so they would blend into my natural hair.

The drive from Steamboat to Salt Lake City was a rough one. I was finally starting to feel exhausted and it was definitely a long day. Henry and I covered a lot of different landscapes and ran into some nasty weather just outside of Heber. We caught some great pictures of dinosaurs in Vernal, UT and some amazing desert sights. I would love to go back and mountain bike if I ever get the chance. It was pouring in Park City and Salt Lake as we drove down. The roads were scary slippery and just nasty with all the trucks hauling. We checked into a hotel, got settled and I was just in time for Sushi Happy Hour at a restaurant right across the street. It was yummy. The night in the hotel was perfect. I was able to unwind and relax. We definitely needed some down time before our big day at Snowbird celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

Henry and I met up with Toni the following morning at her place at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon. We have not caught up since college – and it was great to see her and spend time with her. Being St. Patrick’s Day we sported green flare. Got up to Snowbird and started the day off with a couple of PBR’s – they know how to roll – for sure. Toni knows everyone – or maybe I should rephrase that – everyone knows Toni. She’s been there for nine years and is just one of those girls that everyone knows and loves. It was awesome to tag along with her for the day. She also rips. I remember skiing with her in New Hampshire back in the day, and was stoked to spend the day chasing her down the mountain. We ran into two of her friends – Uncle Mike and Woj – who were visiting from Mass. and spent the day skiing with them – or I should say I tried my best to keep up with them.  I also got a couple tips from Woj – who coaches at Sunday River. Repetition, hands up like you are driving a truck, and crush the grape in the front of your boots.

Snowbird is a sick mountain. The terrain is steep, diverse and takes your breath away. I could feel the tram laps halfway down and got my butt kicked trying to keep up. The vibe with the locals there is also awesome. The lodge area is very chill and relaxed. People bring their own beers and food and chill out on the picnic tables. People are just nice and chill. We ended our day at the Tram Club to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Irish car bombs and green 3.2 Budweiser. It was one of my favorite days – for sure. We headed down the canyon back to Toni’s for dinner and group sleep over in the living room. I totally love the randomness of ski life. Her friend Uncle Mike ended up squeezing his gear in my already packed Subaru, duct taped his skis to my roof rack and made the trek to chase the powder in California. It was awesome to have a driver for that last leg. Henry sat on my lap the entire way and was a little prince. Uncle Mike was a trooper for hauling it the entire way – tumbleweeds and all. His nephew lives here in Truckee, so I dropped him off and met some new people. It’s just so interesting how everything comes full circle and just falls into place if you let it. Good people, good friends, good Karma and the rest takes care of itself.
So I pulled into Copenhagen Drive just before dark last night and am still getting settled in. The scene is chill here. It’s almost old school. I unpacked and finished settling in today. We got pounded with fresh pow pow, but I decided to just relax. I felt a cold coming on and really want to be prepared and ready to go for my first day at the office on Monday. From what I’ve seen so far things are chill and laid back here. No frills. I am living in a house with 2-3 housemates. The place is a typical ski place – my room is cozy and nice. Henry seems to be settling in ok. There’s an Alaskan malamute named Tawney and their first encounter was ok. Last night he got after her a little bit, but he will just have to work through it. I had a hard time falling asleep last night just because my mind was spinning. I am still amazed that I actually made it and I am actually here in this winter wonderland. I am hopefully going to get a better lay of the land in the next couple days and will spend some time trying to describe what it’s like. I am taking it all in. It is completely different. The 10 day road trip was incredible. I have been thinking about it all and will probably blog more about details as I process it all. It’s been great – for sure.

On that note, I see the sun peeking out between the clouds. Snow covers half of my window and the tall pines shoot up everywhere as far as the eye can see. There is white fluffy magic everywhere. It is like nothing I have ever seen. I had to wade through waist deep powder to get to my car in the driveway. Ooooohhhh laaaa laaaa.

Bring it on.