What Would You Do?
Sometimes you come across those videos that resonate through every fiber of your being. This is one of those.
Author Archives: Jill Adler
Bark At The Basin Brings Best Friends To The Hill
We should all grab the leash and regularly hit the trails with Fido but judging from the robust turnout at this weekend’s Bark at the Basin at Snowbasin we need a tad more nudging.
I get that people need events to motivate them. You want to trim down and get in shape by running, you look for marathons to enter and train for. I can’t seem to kayak unless I hear of a Whitewater Club meetup. A dog, however, needs no excuse. Bark at the Basin, therefore, was more for us than them.
Canines of all shapes, sizes and breeds eagerly bounded around for a gorgeous day in the mountains. What’s not to love about cool breezes, fresh air, gourmet treats, exercise and new butts to sniff?
The $25 registration fee benefitted Best Friends Animal Society and all participants collected a super cool T-shirt modeled after one of the original Snowbasin Resort logos, a water bowl with a fresh-baked dog biscuit that smelled good enough for human consumption and a bar of soap shaped like a dinosaur (Sinclair Oil’s mascot). There were only a smattering of loyal sponsors at the inaugural event but no matter. The true attraction was the shaded singletrack loop to the north of the resort. Twice around made it a 5k and the water buckets at the end added the perfect cooldown.
The bands for Snowbasin’s Sunday Blues, Brews and BBQ didn’t start playing until after 2 p.m. so we made a day of it, Takoda and I. This was my first visit of the summer and as I sipped on a homemade blackberry lemonade ‘shaker’ I wondered what took me so long. Snowbasin is killer day trip to beat the heat of Ogden and Salt Lake Valley’s. They have loads of dog friendly biking and hiking trails, disc golf, weekly live music and amazing food.
Perhaps you need an event to motivate you?
The Wildflower Trailfest for women bikers and runners is this Thursday. If you didn’t register early, however, the price is a bit steep- $100- but includes massages, dinner, raffle, and the event.
Other motivators:
July 31- Blue Moon Viewing. See the first Blue Moon in 3 years from 8 p.m.-11 p.m. at Needles Lodge. Gondola rides are free for season pass holders or $10 and food will be available. Telescopes will be provided by the Ogden Astronomical society.
Sunday Brunch at Needles, Midweek Bike Races on Wed., guided bike rides on Saturday and Blues, Brews and BBQ on Sundays.
High West Reaches Blue Sky- Whiskey Making History in Park City
Park City celebrated Utah’s Pioneer Day or (Pie and Beer day as non-Mormons call it) a bit differently this year. Christening the new High West Whiskey distillery on July 24 not only toasted the historic arrival of Mormon settlers but the tasty beverages they brought with them.
The pioneers of 1847 showed up with handcarts, wives and plenty of distilling experience. Even back then, you could get a drink in Utah. Alcohol was not only soothing medicine but a food preserver. Mark Twain wrote: “the exclusive Mormon refresher; valley tan is a kind of whisky, or first cousin to it; is of Mormon invention and manufactured only in Utah. Tradition says it is made of [imported] fire and brimstone. If I remember rightly, no public drinking saloons were allowed in the kingdom by Brigham Young, and no private drinking permitted among the faithful, except they confined themselves to Valley Tan.”(from “Roughing It”, Mark Twain, 1871). Utah’s revenue records show that between 1862 and 1869 there were 37 distilleries, all owned by Mormons- Brigham Young among them. But by 1870 they were all gone.
Park City’s High West Saloon became the first distillery in Utah in 2007 after an aggressive competition for the historic location. Any question that Dave Perkins’ “Ski-in gastro-distillery” was a gimmick or fad when the city awarded it the “National Garage” livery stable just west of Main Street in Old Town has long been laid to rest with rave ratings and restaurant reviews and continual expansions including a satellite location at the Salt Lake City Airport.
Now, on July 24, 2015, the whiskey house celebrated the launch of a brand new 30,000 square foot building, dining hall and ‘aging’ storage unit on the Blue Sky Ranch property in Wanship, 20 minutes northeast of Park City.
The new space will allow High West to produce 200 thousand bottles a year of varieties ranging from Bourbon and malts to ryes and vodka. Now, I’m no whiskey connoisseur but mix it in drinks like the Dead Man’s Boots (Rendezvous Rye, tequila, lime juice, sugar cane syrup and ginger beer) and you’ve created an instant fan. Plans for the new facility include daily tours and lunch amid mountain views, afternoon breezes and nostalgic architecture. The educational tours, tastings and lunch cafe will be available to the public starting on Labor Day weekend and will run Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. thereafter. Evenings are for events, weddings and private parties.
The Blue Sky Ranch itself has major plans. They lured away Jackson’s Amangani General Manager Stuart Campbell to oversee the construction of a luxury boutique hotel and plush guided activities like horseback rides to mountain-top banquets. The Ranch will also offer daily activities like skeet shooting, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and yoga in the summer; snowshoe and snowcat tours in the winter.
Aquabot – Not Your Average Water Bottle
I came across this new, outdoor invention while perusing Kickstarter last night.
My immediate reaction was, “Oh cool!!”
I guess others must have thought the same as the Aquabot company has raised $71,000 against their initial goal of $15,000. Just goes to show that you don’t have to have a high-gloss presentation if you have a kick-ass idea.
Check it out:
Solar Roadways
It’s not a proven science but at least there are folks out THINKING and trying to find solutions. Solar Roadways, an awesome concept in motion.