Utah 2004 Snowboard Trip
Morgan and I took a short notice trip to Utah this year. After all it's 'The Greatest Snow On Earth' as the license plates proclaim. I'm not so sure about that one - the snow ended up being more like California Cement during this unusually warm episode for Utah Winters (so we were told).

This trip certainly was big fun nevertheless - I haven't been boarding for two years and this week certainly brought back the fun of it. Unfortunately we only got one really good snow day with a foot of fresh, but at least several of the other days also had a few inches each. Unfortunately there are some pictures missing here from our backcountry hike near Park City as the camera battery decided to spontaneously discharge. That hike was one of the trip highlights as we had a couple of local dogs running point for us . Up the hill and then following us down while we were snowboarding down. All in all these dogs followed us around for 4 hours+ of hiking and riding. Almost like the Paia rent a dog for a trip to Hana ...

  • Powder run...
  • Up to your knees in - powder.
  • Snow boys...
  • Practicing for becoming a good American? NOT!
  • Even experts need a rest.
  • Snowbird - the gondola is a bust with the long ass wait.
  • Bears, bears, bears - everywhere.
  • Making new friends. Franz, just wouldn't shut up...
  • Getting friendly with the locals. Brrr... get off that lipstick trip, girl...
  • Morgan's more reserved.
  • An 80's headbanger leftover...
  • I'm stuck!!!!

    In the background: The Swiss Slowest Mountain Descent Team. For each run we took it took them at least three!
  • Where's Morgan?
  • Walk of shame after taking a wrong turn down the hill.
  • Lost in the wilderness. Like so many days there was hardly ever anybody around at Solitude giving the place an appropriate name.
  • So this is what they mean by 'Boundary Conditions'...
  • Sunshine is always ontop especially in a near blizzard.
  • Morning ritual of grabbing everything at the last minute and hoping not to forget anything. Luckily we could walk to the lifts this time around...
  • Apres ski... uh, snowboard.
  • Them Utans try to scare you out of the backcountry...
  • Let's go get the fresh tracks.
  • Morgan at the top of the hike.
  • Are we there yet? (Huff, puff...)
  • Finally there - can I sit down now?
  • Racoon eyes!
  • Hanging on for dear life. At least one of the lifts was was more than 100 feet of the ground - something that doesn't go so well with my fear of heights. Stomach in nots and grabbing the chair helped some...