Memorable Things To Do In Park City Utah

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Trip Report: Skiing Mt Hood Meadows

Jill Adler One comment

Disclaimer- this was written last season when Utah had snow.

Ryan shook his head. “Why would you want to go to Portland when we have great snow in Utah?” he asked. My boyfriend doesn’t get out much and apparently he doesn’t follow the weather. It’s been snowing in Mt Hood Meadows; a lot. The snowpack at the Oregon resort has surpassed 200 percent of normal. You might wager that Hood has gotten snow at least three days a week, every week this season. The reports of massive dumps began rolling in around Christmas time and kept on rolling.

Ryan has a point, though. It is such a challenging choice to travel away from Utah in the winter. It’s often not as sweet someplace else. Utah is known for the driest, lightest snow on the planet and even on a mediocre day it beats skiing “Sierra Cement”. Those coastal resorts usually see a mix of rain and snow which can wreak havoc on a ski slope. Hence, I’ve never gone to the Pacific Northwest for a ski vacation. But there’s something to be said for a change of scenery. As yet another storm moved through the PNW, the timing just seemed right.

I didn’t get the memo.

I landed in the middle of freezing rain and an ice storm that closed the highway to Hood River. As people around me commented about how this was the “worst winter” they’ve seen, my anticipation escalated. Powder in the mountains! But… WTH is freezing rain? I stepped off the MAX lightrail train from PDX to Chinatown wearing my YakTrax for traction and the hipster dude next to me nodded, “You came prepared.” I solidly placed my boot into a pile slush that sat atop black ice. Yep, that’s what freezing rain is.

The Portland rain was heavy and wet and dank as I walked the few blocks from the commuter rail to the hotel. In Utah, we’re good with a down puffy and knit hat; in the PNW, Gore-Tex is king. Nothing is spared without an umbrella. The rain drenched the top of my boot bag and Eagle Creek carry-on as I wheeled it down the few blocks to my hotel.

Staying in Portland

My Utah mind had a hard time wrapping my head around rain in the middle of winter. I was now stranded in Portland at the uber hipster, boutiquey Society Hotel (no TVs in the rooms which are powered by solar, but a public coffee bar in the lobby for live podcasters). The vintage feel of the mahogany floors, vaulted ceiling and single check-in stand created a timeless calm to the chaotic weather outside. The minimalist lodging was built in 1881 to house sailors who stopped into port then later offered shelter to Japanese immigrants, gypsies and the homeless through the years. It eventually became this funky urban spot with a rooftop garden that offered beds to backpackers and honeymooners alike.

After a restful night (courtesy of the provided earplugs), I threw open the curtains. Rain. Then the email from the Mt Hood folks- Just in case you hadn’t heard, all of the roads through the Gorge are shut down. Wait, I came all this way and I’m not going to ski?? I walked myself to a delicious breakfast diner called Fuller’s to contemplate my next move. The communal place consists of two, horseshoe-shaped counters- no tables or booths- that serves up hashbrowns and bacon grilled to perfection. I would find my way to the slopes even if I had to bum a ride off the guy next to me, Craigslist or bus.

The waitress mentioned ODOT operates a carpool resource called drivelessconnect.com. There is also a Facebook Ride Share group. Dave Tragethon to the rescue! The resort’s head of PR picked me up on his way to work and drove us along the old-school ski road (Hwy 26). The rain quickly turned to light snow. A couple of hours later I had my Atomic ski gear from the mountain’s pro shop and was ready to rock the conditions which ranged from soft blower to coral reef, aka dust on corrugated crust.

To Mt Hood Or Bust

The overcast, white-out visibility prevented me from taking in those Willamette River Valley views. Not only that but the clouds socked us in to the point of disorientation and I had no clue where to go. Local ski instructor Katie Kadlub, was my hand holder. The layout of the hill made me feel like I was in different spots but that was due to her guidance. We actually kept circling back around. Funny, I expected a mom and pop place but Mt Hood skis like a big mountain. Though the resort has a base elevation of 3,600 feet, it has a vertical of 3,700 feet, an average base of 100+ inches on mostly intermediate and advanced trails. They’ve got steeps, bowls, tons of PNW trees and gentle groomers back to the base. And when you hit it right, the snow builds and builds.

When Your Day is Over

After a quick lunch inside the South Lodge at the Alpenstube, we were back out for laps in Heather Canyon. The snow accumulated during the morning and through lunch making the hardpack beneath nonexistent. With legs on fire and a Cheshire cat grin, we clinked beer mugs for the ‘Stube apres scene and I waited for Dave to get off work. He was my ride to the “Lodge Suite” at Cooper Spur Mountain Resort just around the bend from Meadows. The pet-friendly, cabin-style room had a giant log bed and flatscreen. All you need after a hard day of lapping empty trails.

I downed a hearty filet and chocolate torte at their Crooked Tree Tavern I rushed to bed. Cooper has its own attractions including a Nordic Center but most residents do their serious alpining at Meadows. There wasn’t a lot going on this evening.

The volcanic Mt Hood itself is home to six ski areas totaling over 4600 acres: Timberline, Mount Hood Meadows, Ski Bowl, Cooper Spur, Snow Bunny, and Summit. Though most are done for the season, Meadows closes on May 6 and you will still be able to ski through the summer at Timberline if you’d rather make turns than paddle in the Columbia River Gorge.

Day 2 Mt Hood Powder Day

The snow continued into the night, clearing by morning so that we had access to the experts only gates into Private Reserve and S&R Cliffs. PNW skiing? Now, we were talking! Nearly a foot swirled around us with no one else to poach it. Interstate 84 was still closed because of the ice storm so we danced among the glades and mini-rockchutes, lapping the empty lift mazes until it was time to fly home.

Ski Season Is Never Over In Oregon

At this point there are only a few resorts still doing winter – Snowbird, Utah, Mammoth Mountain, Calif., Arapahoe Basin, Colo. and Blackcomb, B.C.. There’s enough snow in Mt Hood Meadows to keep you skiing into August but with big plans in the works for their upcoming 50^th Anniversary celebration, they’ll let Timberline do the honors.

The anniversary website has already launched. The list of events and deals is growing by the day. Some of the plans include a special 50 time pass (limit 50) as well as special midweek $50 lift ticket and learn to ski or snowboard packages (limit 50 each). There’s no better time than next season to experience Mt Hood, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

It’s Beer Thirty In Oregon

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I got my first got my taste of Oregon’s craft mastery when I moved to Bend in 2002. My insecure mess of a boyfriend had packed up and run home to Vermont without breaking up with me or even saying goodbye. I could use a stiff drink, hundreds of miles from the scene of the crime.

So there I was, getting up at 5 a.m. for a morning radio show gig, working until noon, napping then going out to check out the town and the legendary Beer in Oregon. There were half the breweries that exist there now but even back then I knew I was basking in hops heaven.

Beer Business

Oregon takes its beer business seriously. And we’re talking “real” beer not the 3.2 stuff of Utah legend. This summer, I went back auspiciously to rock climb but perhaps it was to taste that trophy of taps. I returned to Bend with a much different life; it wasn’t a move but a visit, not single but with a stalwart partner of 14 years and our spunky, 10-year old.

Nothing tastes better after a long day on the rock than a crisp, cold brew. The front desk clerk at our motel made sure we knew that as he slapped a map to the Bend Ale Trail into my hands. Bend has more breweries per-capita than any other city in Oregon. Like Salt Lake City, Bend has often been deemed Beer Town USA but we’re talking a little town of less than 90k people. SLC is more like 2 million. The Ale Trail takes you around to 16 breweries- including my faves for drink and food, Sunriver and 10Barrel. If you are planning a ski trip to Mt Bachelor, make apres at these stops a priority.

Beer in Oregon Includes Mt Hood

Mt Hood, another resortish town in Oregon, is doing the brewmap thing as well. Makes sense when the next best thing to drinking beer after climbing is drinking beer after skiing. To make sure that happens, the Portland neighbor has a brand new Mt. Hood Territory Tap Trail mobile passport.

The free year-long passport showcases some of the newest breweries in Mt. Hood Territory, as well as some perennial favorites, with discounts at participating businesses.

Sample Coin Toss Brewing‘s Heritage Beer Series in Oregon City. Then head across the road to where Shattered Oak Brewing and Batch 1 Brewing share a space called “The Hive Taphouse.” There, you can try meads, ciders and German-inspired brews. And Bent Shovel’s forested barn-house brewery is a hidden gem near the Clackamas River. Science geeks won’t want to miss Bunsenbrewer in Sandy, the gateway to Mt. Hood. Founded by a biochemist, this brewpub features a playful tasting room with lab tables and stools, a Sound Lab fully-equipped with instruments and plenty of video games.

Redeem a discount at 10 of the 13 participating businesses within a year and earn a Mt. Hood Territory Tap Trail stainless steel pint glass by stopping into the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City.

It took 15 years for me to hit the Oregon Trail for better beer with better company but you don’t have to wait that long. I hear ski season has already begun in the Pacific Northwest. Get thy toast on pronto!

Star Wars Land Coming To Disney Parks

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It’s about time Disney reimagined Star Tours. The seats are tattered, the seat belts stick, and the technology feels dated despite the 1987 getting an update in 2011. So it’s epic news that a full-on Star Wars Land is coming to Hollywood Studios and Disneyland.

Each park will grow 14 acres to accommodate the themed area (sure hope they come up with a better label though; maybe Intergalactic World?) where guests will find themselves on an unfamiliar planet, in a trading port and the last stop before the final frontier.

The two main attractions will involve flying the Millennium Falcon on a customized secret mission and participating in an epic battle between the First Order and the Resistance. The immersive environment of Star Wars Land will also include stores manned by “locals” and a Cantina. There’s no timeline yet for these rides which are said to be located in the Big Thunder Ranch Area but that doesn’t mean there won’t be something new for Star Wars fans sooner rather than later.

Star Tours itself was renovated to feature the creatures and worlds from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and the Jedi Training Academy; which includes new characters and a new villain from the Disney XD series, “Star Wars Rebels.”

Disneyland’s Tomorrowland has all sorts of Star Wars galaxy twists already with special entertainment, themed food locations and a suped-up Space Mountain called Hyperspace Mountain, to takes guests on an X-wing Starfighter battle.

This December, Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort will debut a virtual galaxy far, far away at the VOID Experience Center. ILMxLAB, Lucasfilm’s Immersive Entertainment division, created this first of its kind experience, in collaboration with The VOID. Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire will plunge guests directly into the iconic Star Wars galaxy where they will move freely throughout the untethered, social, and multi sensory experience as they interact and engage with friends, family and Star Wars characters.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the addition of Star Wars Land at the D23 Fan Expo August 15, 2015, but it wasn’t until this year that the dream leapt from a design to a build. It will be the biggest single-themed expansion/refurbishment ever at Disney.

By the way, Pandora opened this summer in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. The homage to Avatar is filled with jungles, floating mountains, those blue-skinned Na’vi, and two signature rides: AVATAR Flight of Passage will transport guests on dragon-like Banshee creatures over Pandora, and the whole family can take a gentle boat ride through Pandora’s bioluminescent rainforests.

And just to get you amped, take a look at the latest Star Wars Teaser. It’ll send chills up the limbs of any fan:

Family

Soldier Hollow Sheepdog Classic Returns To Midway

Jill Adler 2 comments

Wish your dog could do that? If you have canine envy, then by all means, sit out this year’s Soldier Hollow Sheepdog Classic Championships.

But if you want to see all the action of brainiac pooches performing like snake charmers for thousands of appreciative fans then get up to Midway, Utah, this Labor Day Weekend.

The annual Sheepdog Classic, lures dog handlers from Canada to Ireland and throughout the U.S., to the rolling terrain of Utah where they put their herding dogs like Border Collies and Australian Shepherds to the test.

photo by Tom Kelly

What The Heck is a Sheepdog

Classic?

These highly skilled dogs will be working up to 400 yards away from their handlers on the hillsides of the former 2002 Olympic Nordic events venue. Only whistles and hand commands to tell them how to sort wild range Rocky Mountain ewes and bring them down along a preset course and through free-standing gates and into a small pen all in under 13 minutes.

Basically, a handler uses whistles and voice commands to coach his dog up the hill to herd the sheep through a 600-yard course, which includes a series of free-standing gates.

photo by Tom Kelly

Each sheep must clear every gate and then the dog separates out a set number of tagged sheep — typically five sheep donning red bandanas — and corral them into the ending pen. No nipping is allowed so no one need worry about animal cruelty unless you consider the peskiness of the wild sheep to give a dog the run around.

The top herding teams win gold, silver or bronze medals.

The Classic is the world’s largest sheepdog event, drawing more than 25,000 attendees including families that come for the food and vendor booths as well.

photo by Brett Neilson

There’s More To Do At The

Sheepdog Classic

But it’s not all sitting around. In addition to the spectator event, there’s a festival going on outside the fence. Vita Bone Dog Activities like Camp Chef cooking demos, and wild and exotic animal shows, hula hooping, bean bag toss games, the lost sheep game, face painting, balloon artists, coloring contest (with free ice cream for every entrant) and more will keep little ones entertained too.

The event runs through Monday. See the schedule and details here.

Trip Report : Elephant’s Perch, Idaho

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The trunk looked like an advertisement out of Backpacker Magazine- Kelty pack, Kuhl shorts, Hi-Tec hikers, Mountain Hardwear sleeping bag, TheNorthface tent, Black Diamond climbing gear, Ruffwear dog bowls, etc. The theory was that with the right gear I could survive and conquer even what turned out to be my ultimate tolerance test. Elephant’s Perch, aka The Road Trip From Hell.

The beautiful thing about Park City is that it’s less than a day’s drive to just about anywhere. Aspen? Six hours. Vegas? Six hours. Denver? Eight hours. Jackson Hole? Four hours. I’ve driven to San Diego, Calif. (12 hours), Hood River, Ore. (12 hours); even Cloudcroft, NM (18 hours). It’s a no-brainer to hit the open road. Throw your closet in the rear, load the dog and fill the tank. You really could do it alone. Problem is, I’d rather have company.

So the issue becomes, do you say, “Eff it; I’m out,” or post on social media that you’re offering a ride?

Finding A Climbing Partner For Elephant’s Perch

A trip that involves serious hours of drive time -and hang time -with unfamiliar company might create a new best friend or crush you into wishing you had stayed home to pay bills and do laundry.

The excursion began as an idea to climb Elephant’s Perch (aka Saddleback Peak) in the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho. To digress, a now-defunct love fling introduced the plan. The Boy, a Sun Valley resident, convinced me that the easy six-hour drive would make the perfect romantic rendezvous for us. However, after discovering his status as a convicted felon, the thought of being alone in the wilderness with Brian created too much anxiety and I called the trip- with him- off.

But I was all dressed up with no place to go. Not to be outdone by the gun-toting bank robber, I decided, “To hell with him!” and found another able-bodied rock climber- with three days off work- to take his place. The plan was to hike to Saddleback Lakes in the Sawtooths and climb the 5.9 Mountaineer’s Route at Elephant’s Perch. That was the plan anyway.

Photo courtesy Mountain Project

The Sawtooth Range is home to some stellar sport and big wall climbing. There are nearly 20 trad routes ranging from 5.9-5.13 but no one was with earshot or sight on this particular trek. Mountaineer’s is mostly 5.5 and lower, with occasional sections up to 5.9. leader. It seemed doable.

Having graduated law school, I’m often asked what kind of law I’d practice if I weren’t a writer. I reply, “Murphy’s.” The weekend in Idaho grew to be a prime example of my specialty.

Climbing with Strangers is a Bad Idea

As my new buddy and I pulled onto I-80 a distinctly pungent odor assaulted my nostrils and I realized my passenger must have been so excited about the trip he forgot to wash. “Oh dear God!” I thought. “If it smells this bad now, what would happen in three days after strenuous hiking and climbing?” But how could I tell him about hygiene without hurting his feelings and ruining the weekend? Luckily (and unfortunately), I felt an oncoming cold, with its requisite stuffed nose, to save the day.

Before we got to the mountains, an Idaho state trooper pulled me over for speeding. (“87 in a 65?” not true, Officer!) I let Joe drive the rest of the way because, as he boasted, “I never drive over the speed limit.” The bank robber probably couldn’t say the same.

Getting To Elephant’s Perch

To get to Elephant’s Perch we had to drive to Redfish Lake Lodge, one-hour north of Sun Valley, fork over $$ to ride a ferry across the Lake, hike three miles of mellow trail to the climb’s approach, and then a one-mile scramble straight UP to the base of the route.

I twisted my ankle, a mosquito bit my eyelid, my cold constricted every muscle in my body and Joe was upwind. I tried to whine only at the appropriate intervals.

The route Joe chose consisted of five moderate pitches (stages to get to the top) of crack climbing. I was still a novice climber and had never done more than three single sport routes in one day. I figured I could handle the challenge (please note the sarcasm). Besides, Joe hadn’t come all this way to turn around without “doing the Perch.”

Photo courtesy Mountain Project

Cold, tired, sore and sneezing, I looked up at this 1000-foot mammoth wall and a voice in my head whispered, “Let’s not and say we did.”

After zigzagging from crack to crack looking for the way up, Joe shouted down to me from 40 feet. I slowly made my way up to him to tell him I wasn’t going to climb. At this pace, there was no way to reach the peak before nightfall. And I was downwind from Joe again. It’s hard to climb when you refuse to breathe. We aborted the mission and barely reached the dock to catch the return ferry.

To Hell and Back

We drove home in silence, weary and defeated. I was annoyed that Joe wasn’t the great route finder he portended to be nor was he accustomed to soap and deodorant. My cold faded as Joe began to sneeze.

Like the red gas idiot light that blinks to remind you to fill the tank, the spoiled onions aroma tickled my nose to remind me of why I shouldn’t invite strangers on a roadtrip. I missed my cold. I was bummed the weekend didn’t go as planned. But sh+t happens. Yet another lesson that can’t be learned in law school.

Adventure

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