Bryce Winterfest

I'm falling down on my blogging! Need to be better about it. Getting a system will be important. We were in Bryce Canyon NP last weekend for Winterfest. Our third go-round of this was a success! The last 2 times, there was 0" of snow. This year we actually got to xc ski and snowshoe some!! Even while enjoying the temps in the 50's with bright sun. A great weekend, with LOTS of exercise. Karen made me work out 3 times each day. I was tired!!!

Enjoy the scenes!!

Sunrise point

Navajo loop

Cute girl on the trail!!

Hoodoo goddess

r

Snow.....at last!!

Got snow today!! Finally after a few weeks of the inversion we got a storm with some rain and snow today. Will look to see some clean air this week and maybe even train outside some. I will be heading to the mountains to get some skiing and education in this week, at a conference for work.

zabriske point, DV

Mt Superior, Alta

rk

Ah, the Inversion season is here.

Well, it was another crappy day here in Salt lake. This inversion has really gotten socked in. Went to the gym today and it was very thick. Very sunny in the high country, but down here was ugly. Nothing like Beijing gladly!! last week in Beijing the PM 2.5 was 900mcg/cubic meter!!! This compared to to a high here of 100mcg/cubic meter. Still VERY bad, but not an immediate death like China.

Clear days

Snow, snow, snow

Alta looking at Mt Superior

Grill looks cold and lonely!!

Pre-snow inversion. BAD air!!

Well- week 2 of the New Year and another GOOD storm. We received 18inches at our house over the last 2-3 days. A good couple day total. May get an additional 2-8" between now and Sunday night as well. Nice fluffy Utah powder. Very cold however!! Ski days tomorrow!!

Happy New Year!! 2013

Well, we made it one more. Actually saw midnight this year....barely! After dinner at our friends Leanne and Jordan's house, and what seemed like an eternity of the game Cranium, we headed home and arrived, 20 seconds before midnight. Good timing.

Here's to a great 2013 and some pics of recent trip to Death Valley, N.P in California. This is an amazingly diverse place, which is great at Christmas time.

Ubehebe crater, D.V., National Park

Scooting Rocks, The Racetrack in D.V.

Zabriskie Point Sunrise, D.V.

Mesquite Sand Dunes, D.V.

Dec 1, mountain biking again

This weekend was December 1st and for the second year in a row we have had temperatures in the upper 50's and lower 60's. Needless to say a better weekend for biking than skiing. Actually, I do think it snowed up in the mountains this weekend, but it was pretty nice here in the valley so I decided to stay and bike.

Saturday, I got in one more cyclocross race. Felt better this time, with some power in the legs and no searing pain in the back at lap four. Mostly a dirt road race this time, but I'll take it. One more race this coming weekend and then it is time to ski!!

Winter is Here!!

The week before Thanksgiving and it seems as if it is the week after New Years! A cold front rolled through this weekend starting about 6am Friday morning, causing a little bit of snow and ALOT of lake effect snow. After it finally stopped snowing here on Sunday about noon, the total was 23 inches. Pretty impressive storm. Lost power for a few hours on Saturday,  but not on Sunday. Got everything shoveled with a few trips out to the driveway. I think I shoveled more this weekend than I did all of last year!! Here are some pics. Decided not to try and venture out to the cross race this weekend, since saturday am we had over 15" at that time. Amazingly they had the race, hard to believe.