Jill Adler, Author at Ski Play Live

Author Archives: Jill Adler

Last Minute Gift Guide For Skiers

Jill Adler Leave a comment

The holidays are a double-edged sword. You have time off work to spend with your family and friends, to ski, to absorb the colorful ambience of winter lights and ornaments, to eat like the zombie apocalypse is coming; but then there’s the chore of finding the perfect gift. It causes so much stress that folks check into recovery centers.

Sure, we can go the simple route, stop over to Amazon.com and click “add to cart” on just about anything that offers 2-day, free shipping (because of course you’re shopping at the last minute), but how cheesy will you feel when the recipient smiles smarmily and says, “Gee, thanks, just what I always wanted. More beer pints.” Realize that more than half of consumers returned a holiday gift after telling the person who gave it to them that they liked or loved it.

Gifting is an art. And when you’re doing it for skiers and riders it takes on a whole other life. Here are some fun ideas to help you navigate our trails.

Fugoo Sport

Every roadtrip, hotel stay and tailgater needs tunes. Let everyone enjoy the beat with the waterproof Fugoo Sport bluetooth speaker. With a 40-hour battery life, incredible fidelity and a casing built to take a beating, it’s the perfect complement to an active lifestyle. Plus, it comes with a mounting socket that secures your speaker to boards, poles, straps, or anything else you’ve got. It also works as a speakerphone. $149.

Leki Cloud 14T Ski Poles–

Ski poles are like socks. Skiers need them but they will go years before replacing them- unless they get lost, stolen or busted. The elegant Cloud 14Ts will put a twinkle her eye. The aluminum shaft rocks solid plant performance for aggressive female skiers but is also lightweight and pretty. $79.95

DryGuy Warm n’ Charge

There are a ton of battery packs on the market these days but few do double time as a hand (or device) warmer. The Warm n Charge is a charger first but keep it in your pocket with your phone to keep it from shutting down in the cold. It holds enough juice to charge two smartphones or keep your digits warm for up to two hours. $40.

Exofficio Persian Print Coat–

Exofficio doesn’t just make the best hi-tec underwear in the land (the Give n’ Go) but they have some sweet women’s fleece jackets too. The Persian Print is the perfect après piece for the lodge, lounging or sunny stroll on Main Street. It also has a cool, hidden security zip pocket for ID or other small items. FYI- sizing tends to run large. $130.

Bronwen Wrap Bracelet

Active jewelry is not an oxymoron when it’s a silk-ribbon wrap from Bronwen. The adjustable fit wraps about four times around a wrist or makes a cute choker. It’s durable and easy to wear yet stylish and flirty. $26-82.

Kuhl Destroyr Pant

When you’re sick of jeans there’s Kuhl. The Destroyr is one of the best fitting all season pants you will find. The lightweight, soft-shell material defies snow, rain and dirt, withstands the abuse of climbing, mountaineering and trekking, and looks hip enough for a fancy dinner with your sweetheart. $139.

Gondom

The ultimate stocking stuffer for riders is no joke. The Gondom protects your delicate goggle lens in seconds. Just slide it on. You know how it goes. The shockcord surrounding the stretchy, durable fabric clings to your goggles while they’re on your helmet so won’t have to constantly remove and case them. $19.95

(photo by Arvind Grover)

Ok, Gift Cards
According to a new study by the Center for Generational Kinetics and Gift Card Impressions, nearly 50 percent of consumers buy a gift card over a physical gift of the same value. We hate them because they’re so impersonal yet we love them because they’re a quick and easy present solution. Sure, an REI gift card is nice but it doesn’t say you’re important to me. Put a little more thought behind your GC purchase and you might just score a touchdown.

Massage gift certificate-

Not even a hot tub session beats out a full-body rubdown after skiing. Find out where they’ll be this season and purchase a gift certificate for a mountain body treatment at a local spa.

Boot-fitting gift certificate-

Your dad bought new boots or complains about his feet when he skis? Send him a GC to a well-respected boot fitter like Brent Amsbury at Park City Boot in Utah, Start Haus in Truckee, Calif., or Mount Snow Bootworks in Vermont.

Resort GC-

After a lift ticket what is the next guaranteed purchase on the hill? Lunch! Get her a GC to use at her favorite resort for food, hand-warmers, rentals or souvenir T.

Gear

Dog Parks Are Not A Solution

Jill Adler 7 comments

Dogs at large is in the news again in Park City and it’s making me sooo angry. The shortsightedness of all involved is nauseating. More dog parks- but, hey, this new one will be larger- is not the solution. Obviously the haters will continue to hate and make off-leash life irritating for pet lovers. Adding yet another space for poorly behaved dogs to run amuck while irresponsible owners turn a blind eye is NOT the answer.

The Park City Council in response to whiners complaining about the “state” of the Round Valley area is to take a huge swatch of land and put a giant fence around it. Can NO ONE see that the reason the dog parks are underutilized and there are a constant parade of pooches on our trails is because we actually want to BE with our dogs?? BE as in run, bike, snowshoe, hike, ski with them. Not stand around or sit on a bench while dogs chase other dogs or tennis balls for 15 minutes.

Photo by Whitney Lewis Photography

I’m quite satisfied with Millcreek Canyon offering off and on leash days. This gives those who cringe around dogs the confidence to venture forth on ‘even’ days knowing they won’t be molested by a happy, tongue-lolling lab and those of us who need the exercise, the ability to schedule days when we know animal control won’t harsh our outdoor buzz.

The current Summit County leash laws maintain that dogs must be on-leash at all times unless in a dog park or the new Run Amok gated trail. There goes biking or skiing with your dog. Does your dog like to paddle around in ponds or chase bubbles in a stream? Can’t legally do that in Park City without dragging you around by the leash. I feel fortunate that my dog is highly trained and responds to commands off leash. There’s a little known clause in our leash laws that allow eCollars. These are considered a leash so long as you carry a hard tether with you at all times. I have one on Takoda whenever we’re at play.

But don’t just run out to grab one of these babies and call it good. You need to know how to use a shock collar (the high-end ones have a ‘pager’ button that vibrates if you are uncomfortable with the short zaps) and you need a dog that is responsive to it. I work with an amazing trainer at Live Oak Dog Obedience that whole-heartedly believes in the usefulness of a “shock collar” when outdoors and in public. There’s no better way to get your pet’s attention. You can yank on a collar all you want but once your dog zeroes in on another dog or critter you’re more likely to strangle him than steer him away. An eCollar is a wondrous tool if used correctly.

Top Reasons To Hate Dog Parks

Aggressive dogs, ill-behaved children chasing dogs, poop piles, diseases, lame people, boring landscape.

I suppose a dog park serves a purpose if you own an unruly dog that has no manners in public and you still need them to run because you don’t have a backyard or time to train him. Actually, it gives dog owners an excuse not to train their animals. There has not been a single time I’ve been in a dog park that there wasn’t some fight that broke out. Oh, and I love it when owners say, “That’s just dogs being dogs, they’re just positioning-determining dominance.” Oh, hell no. My dog will fight back if he’s attacked and it’s not ok. I don’t want him torn to shreds nor do I want to pay your vet bills if my dog wins. On trail, he’s rarely met by an aggressive dog because owners who hike offleash usually (can’t say always because there’s always that ‘one’ who makes the rest of us look bad) trust their dogs to behave; and so we can trust them too. I personally have learned my dog’s cues and know when to step in and snap on the leash.

Keep in mind that there are laws in place that go above anything animal control does. An owner is 100 percent responsible for problems their dog may cause. If you don’t want your dog executed or slapped with a giant medical bill you’re going to make sure she behaves. Why do we have to grant Big Brother license to interfere further? There is no reason to station police and animal control at trail heads, on trails themselves and at parks just to accost pet owners. I was tossing a Frisbee for Takoda on a snow-covered field at a local (empty) park when no sooner had he brought back the second throw when a control van rolled up, an officer jumped out with ticket clipboard in hand, and brandishing an accusatory demeanor. Takoda trotted lovingly over to him as I displayed the eCollar remote around my neck. He still reached down and felt for the actual collar just to be sure. Really? There wasn’t a single soul in sight. It was 9 a.m. on a snowy Tuesday morning when kids are in school and everyone else is at work with their heaters roaring. Don’t you have someplace better to be? Wouldn’t a driveby suffice in this instance? This is the current (hostile) state of affairs in Park City.

At one point in this three-year battle, pet owners proposed a type of licensing where we would run our dog through a series of obedience tests (or maybe they use the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen certification process) to prove how great we already know they are and the city would grant off-leash rights to dogs who pass; revoking a license if an issue arises with that dog. What a killer idea!! Where did that one go? There are enough dog parks for the dogs who can’t pass. And there are plenty of local trainers who can help them pass if they really cared. It’s time to stop penalizing good dogs and forcing them into quarantines decorated to look like freedom.

Off Leash Solutions-

Ruffwear Quick Draw– Let him carry his own leash. The Quick Draw is the ideal solution to hands-free leashing. He carries his own! The short leash attaches and wraps around your dog’s collar. Pull the tab for quick release from the Velcro and voile. It also has reflective striping for added attention in the dark. $19.95.

Pets

Travel: Day 2 Snowmobile Heaven at Togwotee Mountain Lodge

Jill Adler One comment

Photos by Whitney Lewis Photography

Our guides warned us that backcountry snowmobiling is not a walk in the park. I inwardly wondered how hard it could really be sitting on an ultra-plush, cushioned seat for three hours as we zoomed along the wooded trails of Togwotee Lodge’s Teton-Bridger National Forest ; maybe my thumb would feel the strain from holding down the throttle?

But what they do at Togwotee Mountain Lodge is not the nose-to-rear guided riding you do at most resort outfitters. This is off-piste, powder plunging and exploration in a 2.5 million-acre spread. The reason people return annually to Togwotee is because there’s no other place in North America that can provide the gear, the guides, the lodging, the food, the bar, hot tub and the terrain for serious snowmobiling all in one spot. That’s about 9000 riders a season. There are other locations that do a decent job (Daniel Summit and Bear River Lodge in Utah to name a couple) but none on this scale. TML has 54 individual, pet friendly cabins, six family bunkrooms, a 28-room lodge, 25-30 guides and a fleet of top of the line sleds from Skidoo and Polaris. “Togwotee offers such diversity in terrain and snow accumulation,” said Derek Thompson, TML’s marketing director. “Everyone from beginner to expert can enjoy this prestigious area. Whether you’re looking for amazing views, miles of groomed trails or over-the-hood powder in the backcountry; Togwotee has it.”

Photo by Jill Adler

Togwotee’s Roots

The Lodge started as a family operation in 1926 and witnessed the heyday of snowmobiling in the 90s when every family had their own sleds. As the economy and optimal weather slept so did the sport; and so a generation was lost. The Lodge fell under the Aramark brand in 2008. The National Park concessionaire known for food and hospitality services, however, seems to let TML function more like a charming, family establishment rather than some cookie-cutter, corporate-run hotel and according to those who come every year, the sport is experiencing a sort of renaissance as the machines have gotten lighter, faster, more ecologically friendly and are able to take on extreme terrain like never before. Now more females, families and younger kids (13 and up) are coming for big mountain riding. “If you ride in Yellowstone it’s like riding a moped in a museum,” said Will, our TML guide. “We’re trying to separate ourselves from others. This is a ‘next level’ riding clinic, to prepare people for the backcountry.”

Photo by Jill Adler

Unsure of what that really meant, we wandered into the meeting/social hall at the Lodge ready for anything at the crack of 9:30 a.m. The pacing for this beginner program is spot on if you ask me. Even if you’re taking a course of some sort you still want to get vacation time and that means sleeping in. We packed a ton of food with plans to cook in our cabin and have an even later morning start but when we heard breakfast, happy hour and dinner were included in the package you could bet we’d be skipping the Tator Tots and bacon for the breakfast buffet with made-to-order eggs and fresh fruit and coffee to fuel up for riding.

Photo by Jill Adler

Getting Schooled

The Lodge asked beforehand about our snowmobiling experience so they could gauge the lesson plan but with relatively zero riding time in our collective group of four it was all about the basics. This was not the place to claim you are an expert and find yourself launching a 50-foot cornice. The snowmobiling season lasts through the end of March. There’s plenty of time to get to that level if you’re really into it. Today would start with a two-hour chat about safety, gear, what we need to think about “out there”. Apparently, the machines these days can ride in infinitely deep snow if you know how to handle them and with two days coming. The plan was to challenge ourselves with the terrain and techniques to get us out exploring with confidence.

Photo by Jill Adler

We talked about the snowmobiles and what they can do, the gear we should have when we get out and the fitness level we ought to achieve and the expectation of standing, not sitting, during the entire ride. After the chat, we had bison burgers in the bar and saddled up.

I was #1. Haha. We rode a groomed trail along the highway before crossing under it. It snowed lightly; not enough yet to cover up the early season twigs, dirt and rocks that peppered our lower-elevation path. But when reached a clearing, the knee-deep powder field was exactly what we needed to practice steering, turning, leaning (into the turn) and a variety of stances to help achieve a solid arc. Emily rolled her sled and we assisted in righting it. My thumb slipped off the throttle several times, sending me sideways to “kiss the hood” or into the snow. Luckily this isn’t mountain biking. I laughed hard instead of cried.

The Road Home

By the time we retreated for home I was sweating and already 10 times more confident in my maneuvering and stance. Some of my weight-shifting even felt, dare I say, second nature. We pulled into the rental shop parking only to be waved off and told the sleds were ours to hang onto until the end of the weekend! We rode straight to the cabin, grabbed the pooch to give him his own exercise in a snow-covered parking lot nearby. Not once did I feel as if I was ‘faking it,’ riding on my own.

The Lodge seemed empty this morning but by the time we rolled in for happy hour the sausage fest (as local females refer to the abundance of males) emerged. The Lodge provides everything from lessons and guided rides to unguided corporate retreats. The other group this weekend consisted of professional riders mostly from the Denver area. And they sure were happy to see a little estrogen in the bar. But that’s a different story…

Photo by Jill Adler

Adventure

Travel: Day 1 Togwotee Mountain Lodge Lures Utahns

Jill Adler 2 comments

Photos by Whitney Lewis Photography

We’re in the middle of everywhere. That’s what Togwotee stands for and that’s just where we wound up- one hour from Jackson Hole, 16 miles from Grand Teton National Park and 49 miles from the South Gate of Yellowstone National Park. And in the middle of everywhere there’s winter; five hours north of dry Park City.

Utah’s early season snow is crawling in under the radar. Even the town of Jackson, Wyo., looks hurting for a white Christmas but with Togwotee’s (pronounced Toe-gah-tee) reputation for consistent December snow we didn’t hesitate to roadtrip.

The invite to attend the newly launched Learn-to-Snowmobile program was all I needed to rally. They wouldn’t host this weekend if there wasn’t enough snow, right?

This weekend, instead of skiing, I’m going to horrify my backcountry buddies. I’m going to get on a 600cc snowchewing machine and haul ass in the wilderness. Seeing as how we Parkites are shy on snow this second weekend in December, it was quite the time to pick up a new skill.

As we winded our way north out of Jackson Hole, however, I felt mildly anxious. Where was all of this snow I had heard about? The evening sky hid any white. Nothing reflected off my headlights. I kept my thoughts to myself. No need to hypothesize on what we would do at a snowmobile lodge if there was no snow. Whitney was wide-eyed and excited for an extreme adventure. Who was I to cast doubts solely based on dirt embankments at 7,000 feet. We were heading to 9,000 feet.

We pulled into the Lodge and entered another realm. It’s winter up here. The snow crunched angrily under our steps as if to say go away you don’t belong here. But the grand welcome at the front desk said otherwise. We were handed the keys to our kingdom- a stand-alone log cabin in the woods- preheated with queen beds readymade for a soft landing.

While Takoda relished the white stuff, Whitney and I settled in, unpacking groceries (the cabins have kitchenettes) and laying out our next day’s clothing layers before finally saying good night. I quickly fell silent; finding my happy place among rustic cabins embedded in rolling mounds of snow. Tomorrow the adventure begins.

Adventure

Ski Photogs, It’s Shoot-Out Time!

Jill Adler Leave a comment

You call yourself a ski photographer?? Well, there’s not much time left to put your money where your mouth is or your lens where the snow is so to speak. If you’ve dreamt of an all expense paid trip to the famed Cottonwood Canyons of the Wasatch Mountains to shoot some of the world’s best skiers, then the the Ski City Shootout is your ticket to ride. Applications for the 9th Annual Ski City Shootout, February 22-27, 2016, are being accepted now until noon on December 1.

The comp pairs up to eight of the top professional photographers with pro skiers to battle it out for more than $11,000 in cash prizes and, of course, bragging rights. The best of the best will attempt to capture the magic of Ski City (a.k.a. Salt Lake) and the Cottonwood Canyon resorts over a four-day period, with one day dedicated to each Cottonwood Canyon resort: Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude. Imagery is submitted at the end of the week in four different categories, then showcased at the always popular Shootout Award Party where the winners are announced and awards presented.

Each photographer submits a portfolio of eight photographs showcasing the best two images shot at each resort—showcasing what truly makes each resort special. For this, they win the big bucks:

• 1st Place Portfolio – $3,700
• 2nd Place Portfolio – $2,700
• 3rd Place Portfolio – $1,700

Here’s a taste of what the event is like for athletes and photogs:

Organizers have retired the Facebook Category and moved the prize money over to the Athlete’s Choice Category. Now, 1st place gets $800 and a full-page ad in POWDER Magazine’s Photo Annual, 2nd place gets $700, and 3rd place $500.

The “Off the Mountain” category (aka Urban Meets Mountain) is required from all participating photographers and the winner in this category will receive $1,000. Also, this year a Best of Show photo will be chosen from one of the eight photographer’s portfolios by the Ski City Shootout Panel of judges to win $1,000.

To see all the information on the 2016 Ski City Shootout, from categories to rules and regs, visit www.visitsaltlake.com/skicity/shootout. Again, applications are being accepted until midday December 1st.

Here are this year’s winners: