Thursday, June 27, 2013

Utah mountains

It's been windy on Cape Cod, but I have not sailed for more than a week. We had to go on a business trip to Utah that started as a business trip, and added a couple of days to explore the mountains at Snowbird and Alta, 30 minutes from Salt Lake City. Hiking was great, some pictures are below - but the most fun was when we got an "Activity Pass" and played around on the climbing wall, the bungy trampoline, the summer sleds, and the "Mountain Flyer". Amazing how tired one can get from 5 minutes on the bungy trampoline - a couple of hours sailing in 25 knot winds and voodoo chop is easier!

We also took the "tram" (gondola) up to the mountain top, going from 8,100 ft (2500 m) to 11,000 ft (3300 m). Once up there, we took an "expert only" trail to Mt. Baldy and down into Mineral Basin. Even though more than 50 people were in the gondola, very few strayed far from the top - the only two hikers we met on our trail were from Switzerland. For most of the trail, we wondered why it was labeled as "expert only". The trail was a bit rocky and narrow, and the drop at the side was steep and far, but getting to the top was not difficult. Things got more interesting on the way down into Mineral Basin, when it felt a bit more like climbing than hiking, with frequent use of hands and the occasional sit-down to make big steps. Fun! Here are a few pictures: