Author Archives: Jill Adler

A Jackson Hole Roadie

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It came late this year; just like the snow. My annual dash to Jackson Hole, Wyo.. It’s only a 4.5 hour drive from Park City. Utah, but it’s miles away. I once did Jackson in one day- complete with the après party at the Mangy Moose with some cute drunken skibums before crawling back into the car and arriving home by 11 p.m. Roundtrip totaled 17 hours. Not to say I wouldn’t do something wild like that again but there better be a lot of snow and open terrain.

Jackson’s marketing machine was sending out regular mountain reports throughout the holidays to tease us snow-starved ski junkies, but with a base depth not much more than ours in Utah I had to believe that most of the word was propaganda. Locals’ reports confirmed that the skiing wasn’t all that, so I waited. Where I would have had 40 days under my belt by now, I sat at 20- maybe. There is, however, one thing that gets me motivated even when I’ve been such a slacker of late. Jackson’s steeps camp. I missed the one in early January. Pass. Now, smack over Valentine’s Day, the mountain was showing a little love in the form of a surprise squall that dropped 8 inches.

I booked a condo at my favorite Jackson hideout- the Spring Creek Ranch; halfway between Teton Village and the town of Jackson. The Resort is hosting me for the second year in a row but I wouldn’t go back if it wasn’t a killer spot to crash.

You get a lot for your money if you time it right (i.e. midweek, non holiday)- about $200/nt including discounted lift tickets, and free breakfast and dinner in the quiet rustic elegance of the Granary Restaurant.  There’s also a small spa, indoor and outdoor hottubs and free wireless internet.




But it’s the location that rocks. The homesite community sits on a hilltop for nearly 360 degrees of spectacular views and serenity. The drive in either direction takes about 20 easy minutes.

Time to hit the road. We packed up the car with the essentials.

My first roadtrip of the winter season and already my Escort radar detector has saved my butt twice. There is no surer way to harsh a vacation than to get a speeding ticket. No matter how much fun you have post police, you have that sizeable fine and points on your record hanging over your head. Plus, it’s not like you’re going to go back to fight it. You will feel defeated in addition to pissed. The best defense is a good offense. My Escort mounts on my windshield with two small suction cups and if anyone asks, the mount looks just like one for a GPS receiver. In fact it does work with GPS technology to eliminate false alarms. The “AutoLearn” feature will mute out zones that regularly give off a false signal so you aren’t bothered. The detector sounds when a radar or laser is in range and flashes your current speed on the display. You have plenty of time to slow down. It also comes pre-loaded with red light and photo speed camera locations- yes, they use them in Utah. And you can go online and download updates.

When you consider that one speeding ticket averages $200, the $499 investment is worth every penny. Remember all of that construction on I-80 near downtown Salt Lake City? I’ve been using my radar since 2009 when I was busted for doing 75 in a 55 construction zone near 1300 east. I wasn’t going that fast but try to fight that one in Salt Lake County and win. Not going to happen. I did community service and used the ‘fine’ money to purchase my new road buddy.



We checked in safe and sound. More roadtrip gear and a Jackson review tomorrow.

Day Three of Dew Tour Up Next

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You don’t have to be a halfpipe or slopestyle athlete to appreciate the competition throwing down at Snowbasin Resort in Utah this weekend. In fact, Saturday’s ski halfpipe finals for the 2012 Dew Tour drew huge crowds from skater teens to families.

The annual event debuted in 2008 as the first-ever winter action sports tour with a stop in Utah. Like the X-Games, the Tour crowns champions in six disciplines (Men/Women Snowboard Superpipe, Men/Women Snowboard Slopestyle, Men/Women Freeski Superpipe and Freeski Slopestyle). Over $2.5 million and the Dew Cup are at stake for the overall winners. For spectators, there’s a Festival Village with video gaming, giveaways, product demos and athlete autograph signings.

Louie Vito
stomped the afternoon’s snowboard superpipe finals and earned his second Dew Cup in a row with a double crippler, followed by a double Michalchuk, front double 1080, cab double 1080, and frontside 1080, ending with a cab 720. Snowbasin’s pipe is the world’s longest ever built for competition.

The ski girls stalked the pipe at dusk after the lifts closed. Devin Logan won the Cup and the Finals with a Japan grab, to 5 tail grab, flair, mute grab, alley oop critical, 7 mute, to finish with a switch alley oop 5.
“I had slope this morning, so I was a bit tired,” Logan said. “But I got some energy, found some deep down and ended up doing it, so I’m thrilled.” Canadian freeskier Rosalind Groenewoud took second, with favorite Maddie Bowman finishing third.

As the sun went down, the action heated up. The top men in the world hit it big under the lights. David Wise won the Freeski Pipe Finals but it was Kevin Rolland who walked with his second consecutive Dew Cup. Sixteen-year-old phenom Torin Yater-Wallace was third. Wise pushed full throttle on the second run with his first-ever 14 in addition to the switch double 1080, and alley oop flatspin 5 tail to end with a double cork 12. “My first run was good, so I kind of felt like I had to add a little bit of something to it,” Wise said. “The 14 was the first thing that came to mind, so dropping in I was like, ‘OK, I’ll go for that 14 at the end.” He didn’t stick the 14 but it was enough to keep him in the winner’s spot.

Rolland, in 11th place after the first run, pulled it together with a switch into a 900, to switch 720, back-to-back double flips to finish with a double cork 1260.

Yater-Wallace lost a ski when he landed his last trick of an outstanding first run that included a double cork 12 mute into an alley oop flat 5 and a double flair. He skied it out on one ski while the crowd cheered. Boos followed when the judges deducted for the equipment gaff. His second run with a double cork 12, alley oop double, double cork 9, left 10, into a switch 9 edged out Simon Dumont for a 3rd place finish.

The Sunday action starts on the slopestyle course with the women’s and men’s snowboard and ski finals before moving back to the superpipe for the Gatorade Free Flow (junior) Tour.

Dew Tour organizers say it was Snowbasin’s handling of the 2002 Olympic Downhill that attracted them to the resort. In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Winter Games, Snowbasin will offer $20.02 lift tickets to everyone who shows up wearing their Olympic volunteer jackets or credentials on February 16th

Take Five- Winter Photo Tips From Park City’s Best

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Winter is the perfect time for great photos in mountains – lots of sunshine, bright white snow, smiling faces, a relaxed atmosphere. But anyone who has tried to snap the ultimate image of a priceless vacation knows that shooting outside in the winter has its drawbacks. We asked Park City’s most prolific professional photographers for their number one bit of advice to help you with your Kodak Moment.

David Schultz (Westlight Images, (435) 645-8414)

Exposure and metering. Know how your camera’s light meter works. In conditions where there is a lot of white in the frame, such as snow, your light meter can/will give you an incorrect exposure reading. Your meter is calibrated to read a scene as 18 percent grey, which, when averaged out on a “typical” outdoor scene, would include a blue sky, perhaps a green foreground, white clouds, mountains, etc. When your scene is basically all white, the camera’s light meter still wants to average everything to 18 percent grey. Now all that beautiful “Utah Powder” is a dull grey. Overexpose the film by about 2 f-stops when you meter off the snow or meter off your faded jeans or a “grey card”.


 

Dan Campbell (Dan Campbell Photography, 435-655-7700)

Experiment. Compact digital cameras are small enough to carry all day in your ski jacket so there is no excuse not to have it with you at the top of the mountain, at lunch and while cruising Main Street. If you don’t like what you see, try again. Check each shot to make sure you like the composition and to make sure you nailed Uncle Billy going off the jumps in the terrain park. Make sure you take a big memory card like a 2g, extra cards and an extra battery. Set your digital camera to save all photos at the largest file size to give you the best quality prints.


Mark Maziarz (Sportsstockphotography.com, (435-649-0002)

Fill the viewfinder. Most amateur photos have too much empty space around the subject. Train your eye to look at all parts of the frame through the viewfinder rather than just concentrating on the little target in the center of the frame.  It’s even OK to visually cut off some body parts, such as the top of a head or someone’s legs.  But be careful; hands sometimes look weird if they’re missing and you pretty much always need to see the eyes. 


Richard Cheski (Mindset Media, (323) 318-4885)

Catching the action. Riders move fast and your clicking finger, slow. If you’re not on it, you’ll have a card filled with white, with no one in the frame. The best way to get the peak action shot in a winter photo setting is to watch the athlete hit the jump first or have the rider pick a set spot before you shoot. The best shots in those mags capture one turn. The photog will often make the rider hike back up and run the same line again. Create communication and a focal point for the action and snap away. If you get just one shot on the roll that is “EPIC” than you have done your job!


Patrick Cone (Patrick Cone Photography, 435-640-0458)

The best photographs draw the viewer into the frame and are well-designed within the borders. So try different vantages: down low, from above, or use different lenses to edit out extraneous objects in the viewfinder or to affect the overall color and lighting. Time of day is hugely important as well. The “Golden Hour”, just after sunrise and before sunset, has a colored directional light that defines the form you are shooting. Go for those times. Avoid photographing anything when the sun is directly overhead.


Ski Tunes For February Shredding

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I hate deleting music from my iPod. Not only does the iTunes interface suck so much I avoid it like my boyfriend’s breath in the morning but you never know when you’re going to miss that Glee version of Don’t Stop Believin’.

Therefore, my solution is to beef up my music library so it takes longer to shuffle back to Highway To Hell. The challenge is finding new tunes that haven’t been blow out on the radio to the point that it’s the last song you want to hear on your personal player. So where do you go?

The Internet

You can dig into your CD vault and burn, you can peruse the Billboard Magazine online charts (and try to make sense of them), or you can wait for the monthly ‘what’s hot’ list from a little-known music lover named Chris Lawlorn. The free list is sent to your inbox with hyperlinks so you can taste before you buy. Totally works for me. Now all we need is a foot of fresh powder so I feel like getting back out there.

Here’s what February’s list looks like-

Disclaimer: If you’re a heavy metal, ska, reggae, acoustic or rap fan, move along. This list is for clubbers; for ripping skiers and boarders who care about their BPM’s.


Flo Rida – Good Feeling (Jaywalker Remix) – 127 BPM

 



Jay Sean & Nicki Minaj – 2012 (It Ain’t The End) – 126 BPM

 



Cobra Starship & Sabi – You Make Me Feel… (Felix Leiter Remix) – 127 BPM

 



Beatfreakz – Somebody’s Watching Me – 129 BPM

 



Katy Perry – The One That Got Away (R3hab Club Remix) – 128

 



Train – Drive By – 123 BPM

 



Adele – Set Fire To The Rain – 109 BPM

 



Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera & Mac Miller – Moves Like Jagger (Remix) – 128 BPM

 



Outasight – Tonight Is The Night – 120 BPM

 



Selena Gomez & The Scene – Love You Like a Love Song (DJ Escape & Tony Coluccio Club Remix) – 130 BPM

 


In Case You Missed The Swag

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Sundance May Be Over But The Fashion Lives On….


The games and gifting were slightly off from the years where stereo systems, Playstations and cars were doled out but it was no less engaging to watch the bags of swag spilling onto Main Street, Park City, this year. The idea behind ‘gifting’ is that you get to know the products, the people behind them and most importantly take it home with you for free. At the Timberland Lodge on Lower Main Street (the west side is for VIPs, the east for Public), men and women were treated to the perfect winter attire for the raging blizzard that finally appeared- SNOWBOOTS! And down jackets.

My favorite was the “Long Down” with the faux fur hood. Very Hollywood while being very Utah. The boots are wrapped in goose down all the way up to your knees. They’re a bit funky and not for everyone but super warm on your legs.



I was asked if I could write about alcohol when I entered the TR Suites at the Gateway Center. Huh? Apparently if you live in Utah you can’t write about liquor. I got a kick out of that one. Not only was I thrilled to see zero calorie margarita mix from Refine (sold in World Market) but these naughty Vice Merchants bedsheets also got my sexy on.





But of course it was too early to drink that day so I grabbed Hint Fizz instead. Unlike most flavored waters, these taste ‘infused’ rather than juiced. Kind of like those cucumber waters you’re handed at day spas.


Shoes were a big thing at Sundance this year and the styles appearing from Matt Bernson mixed the mountain look with fashion in a way that makes even a flat-soled gal like me sparkle.


As cute as heels are, though, they had to take a backseat to the new Sorels I gathered up at the Vevo Powerstation and Sorel Suite. I’m starting to feel like the Imelda Marcos of winter boots.



I have never heard of DL1961 Denim but now I know. That’s the thing about Sundance. The exposure to brands and fashion you never knew existed. DL1961 is the only jean with 4-way stretch Lycra so it will never sag, bag, or lose its shape. When you’re used to wearing Lycra baselayers all winter it’s not a stretch- so to speak- to include it in your outwear.


Friendship bracelets, layering bangles and rings are popular according to the Rachel Roy rep. But these friendship bracelets are nothing like you find at ClubMed. The touch of bling makes them all Hollywood and all Sundance.


You can’t get away from the harsh climate in Utah so Hollywood and New York brought their skincare saviors to us. Prasad Medical Skincare was gifting gels, lotions and potions designed to minimize free radicals, fine lines, and sagging skin. I walked with a skin survival kit of sunscreen, eye rescue and “intense vitamin serum”. Great stuff when you live in Park City. Throw in Burt’s Bees Shea Butter Hand Repair Cream (CW3PR Re:Treat), Amala Hydrating Yogurt Mask (EcoHideaway Lounge), Lumene Firming Day Cream (Bertolli Soup Chalet), Phytomer
(pronounced Fee-Toe-Mer) sea water bath to revitalize skin and lip plumping duo (at the Alive Green Expo Pavilion), a Fresh Cosmetics lipgloss (from Vevo), and a makeover at the L’Oreal Beauty Suite and I looked like one of those celebrities. Okay, at least I felt like one. My skin never felt better despite the lack of sleep and abundance of free-flowing alcohol over those first few days of the fest.


You can’t be beautiful without being thin and the Sensa rep vowed that clinical studies showed users lost 60 pounds in 6 months just by sprinkling the virtually tasteless crystals on every meal. I’ll be trying that before ‘buying’ that one.


And there is was! A little table of SHRD. I discovered this magical hair protein crème at last year’s Sundance but ran out in the fall. I missed it badly. I’ve tried two other leave-in conditioners since then but nothing smoothed my hair without making it feel dirty like SHRD. The stuff’s expensive so it was a sweet to see them back again for Sundance.


Eventually the space inside those suites fill up and you start to feel mushed. Nothing takes the edge off like hovering over snack food from various “sponsors”: Cream O’ Wheat and Sabra Hummus (TR Suites)- Yes, they have gotten in on the celebrity scene, Udi’s Gluten-free, organic snickerdoodles and bread (Maimi Oasis), Tembo Trading Company Watoto Coffee (Alive Lounge), and hearty, yummy Bertolli Meal Soup.


The ‘gifting’ ended long before the actual Festival did but while the curtain closes on those films I’ve just begun to try out my goodies. Now, the real party starts. And, no, you can’t borrow my boots!

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