Utah to California Road Trip

On the Road Again...Train Somewhere in Nevada

Broomfield, CO – I’ll start off by saying, we’ve been busy, very busy and things aren’t really slowing up anytime soon.  However, somewhere in between Suwei’s pregnancy, her job offer from Google and acceptance, building department nightmares in Oroville, volunteering for SheHeroes, a trip to Canada, planning the annual canoe trip, backpacking in Lassen, visiting friends in the Southeast, packing up the house in Colorado and moving to California… I have managed to get enough pictures together for another blog post.  Sorry, it’s been a while.

The photos in this post come from a road trip Suwei and I took back in March.  Back then two events came together just at the right time.  First, my brother and his wife gave birth to a little girl in January and we were itching to get out to California to meet the peanut.  Secondly, Bill had organized a ski weekend at Deer Valley/Park City Utah that we weren’t so sure we could attend.  Enough excuses, grab the keys to the truck, we’re hitting the road!

Bill and Jeanye at the St. Regis

Our first stop was Bill’s birthday ski weekend in Deer Valley.  Like I mentioned before Suwei and I were waffling on this trip and unfortunately we waffled enough that Bill had to fill our spots with far more committed  friends.  However, we decided to crash the party anyway.  We got a room at a hostel in Park City and Bill and crew were nice enough to let us join in the festivities up at their sweet pad at the St. Regis in Deer Valley.

I guess Bill’s sister's father in-law (or something like that) had a little business deal with the St. Regis and someway or another Bill and crew basically got a very sweet suite for the cost of the cleaning.  The place was over the top.  The photos do not do it justice.  To do it justice you must talk about how the staff put your groceries away for you or the free afternoon champagne or the fact that they hate snowboarders.

Deer Valley is one of the last few resorts in the country to continue to snub snowboarders.  Which is why we stole Arturo the first day and headed to Park City to ski (I mean ride) where they are a little more tolerant.  Bill took the other skiers to Deer Valley, while Mai stayed back and put together a fantastic and very complex birthday dinner for the whole crew.  The tricky part of the meal was that each dish contained at least one aphrodisiac.  The challenge for the group was to name the aphrodisiacs.  Here are the recipes she used:

• Asparagus Soup: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/asparagus-soup-recipe/index.html
• Sage Stuffing: http://www.recipezaar.com/Classic-Bread-Stuffing-With-Sage-and-Thyme-Americas-Test-Kitch-354309 (I split the recipe in half & added carrots)
• Dressing for Arugula Salad: good mustard, lemon juice, fig jam, basil & olive oil.
• Julia Child's Tarte Tatin: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/tarte-tatin-recipe/index.html (for this recipe, I recommend reducing the sugar to 3/4 c depending on the sweetness of the apples.
• Easy creme fraiche (when you can't get it): sour cream, vanilla, a little sugar.

And the List of aphrodisiacs they contained:

Arugula

Arugula or "rocket" has been documented as an aphrodisiac since the first century A.D.  This ingredient was added to grated orchid bulbs and parsnips and also combined with pine nuts and pistachios.

Asparagus

Given it's phallic shape, asparagus is frequently enjoyed as an aphrodisiac food.   Rich with potassium, phosphorous, calcium, and vitamin E, all vital for increased hormone production.

Bananas

Contains bufotenine, a chemical that acts on the brain to increase happiness, self-confidence, & sex drive.

Basil

Considered the sacred herb of India, it awakens the senses, stimulates blood flow, and relieves fatigue.

Cocoa

Real dark chocolate with a high cacao content contains natural stimulants and wellbeing chemicals, plus plenty of magnesium which is good for the heart and women’s libido. Includes caffeine and a plant substance called phytosteral that mimics human sex hormones.

Carrots

Another good reason to eat carrots--believed to be a stimulant to the male. The phallus shaped carrot has been associated with stimulation since ancient times and was used by early Middle Eastern royalty to aid seduction. Have strong fibrous ingredients that supercharge the body & lead to a feeling of strong sexual desire. High vitamins and beta-carotene.

Celery

Granted, celery is not the sexiest food, but it does contains andresterone, a powerful male hormone released through sweat glands to attract women.

Cinnamon

This sweet, spicy flavor and aroma has been used to aid in the treatment of impotence and proven to be sexually stimulating for men.

Figs

An open fig is thought to emulate the female sex organs and traditionally thought of as sexual stimulant. A man breaking open a fig and eating it in front of his lover is a powerful erotic act.

  

Garlic

The 'heat' in garlic is said to stir sexual desires. Tibetan monks were forbidden from entering the monastries if they had eaten garlic. Some groups and peoples forbade the eating of garlic or entering of sacred places after eating it. Others, such as the Greeks and Egyptians, embraced garlic's alleged aphrodisiac properties. Ezra Hasofer decreed that garlic be eaten on a Friday night as an aid to love-making on the grounds that it "promotes love and arouses desire". The Talmud instructs the eating of garlic on the Sabbath.

Ginseng

This high energy root normalizes hormones levels in both men and women and it’s been used for centuries by the Chinese to increase stamina and desire.

Maca

This Andean root is the first food that comes to mind when I think of sexual health and stamina. Just me? It’s been commonly used in Peru since the times of the Inca to increase strength, energy and libido. Modern foodies consider it a superfood, and with good reason. Maca is excellent for balancing hormones and makes a tasty addition to deserts and smoothies.

Mustard

Believed to stimulate the sexual glands and increase desire.

Pistachio

Once reserved only for royalty, these subtle flavored nuts were a favorite of the Queen of Sheba. It is said that she "confiscated all Assyrian deliveries for herself and for her royal court." She is said to have believed the preferential pistachio was an aphrodisiac.

Pine Nuts

Zinc is a key mineral necessary to maintain male potency and pine nuts are rich in zinc. Pine nuts have been used to stimulate the libido as far back as Medieval times.

Sage

Is known for decreasing inhibitions with its relaxing, euphoric, mildly intoxicating effects. It is very effective in treating frigidity, psychological problems resulting in loss of libido or even impotency. This is equally effective in males and females.

Vanilla

The scent and flavor of vanilla is believed to increase lust. According to the Australian Orchid Society, "Old Totonac lore has it that Xanat, the young daughter of the Mexican fertility goddess, loved a Totonac youth. Unable to marry him due to her divine nature, she transformed herself into a plant that would provide pleasure and happiness.”

Day 2 in Utah involved another superb day at Park City (just 2 words: dumping x2!) and a final fancy dinner out at the St. Regis…oh and I believe there was some hot tubbing in there as well.  After all that Suwei and I scooted off to our $9 room just across the street from the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City (Actually it was $16 if you include the taxes and parking, but still a pretty good deal.  See slide show for details).

Skiing at Park City, UT

Roadside Attraction - Thunder Mountain Indian Monument, NV

Our next stop was North Lake Tahoe and a day of skiing with my mom and niece, Victoria at Diamond Peak. Victoria had been on the slopes one day up to that point and was eager to get a few tips from a few seasoned veterans.  The seasoned veterans, however, decided to bring themselves down to beginner status by switching up their equipment.  Suwei tried skis and I got on a snowboard.  Then we proceeded to talk Victoria into going down a blue run with us.  It all went fine except a bit in the middle where Victoria got a little nervous, got going a little too fast, and tackled me.  We quickly made it past the steepest part by lying down and using as many of our limbs as possible to slow down.  When we finally came to a stop, I ignored the panicked look in her eyes and asked, “Why don’t we try that again?”

Suwei, Victoria, and Mom at Diamond Peak Resort, NV

That night we met up with our friend, Moki and her new (for us) husband, Gary.  They came up from Grass Valley to share their favorite Truckee taqueria and a few drinks with us.

Next I got in a very warm and slushy day of skiing in at Squaw Valley.  Although the snow conditions were downright poor compared to Utah’s fresh fluff, I was reminded why I still have such fond memories of the place.  It had been over 4 years since I last skied there, and I realized I still miss the crazy fun steeps that Squaw has to offer. (Especially when it’s that slushy...you need it that steep for the skis to actually slide.)

Down in the Bay Area we took a day hike around the Marin Headlands with Eng-Shien.  We took a late afternoon hike with Stacy up in Foothills Park in Palo Alto.  And…we actually found a very little bit of time to see Kevin, Vera and their new baby, Veronika.  It turns out we arrived just in time to join them at Vera’s father’s 70^th birthday celebration.  They had rented out a entire Russian restaurant in Sunnyvale and I think just about every Russian in the South Bay had been invited.  Ok, maybe not, but Suwei and I were spitting out specebas right and left.  Veronika took the massive manhandling in amazing stride.  It took her most of 2 hours before she completely melted down.

Point Bonita Lighthouse, Marin Headlands, CA

 

The Marin Headlands, CA

Meeting Veronika at Boris' Birthday Party.

Foothill Park, Palo Alto, CA

On the way back to Colorado we made one more stop.  We drove a little north of Salt Lake City to Ogden, UT to visit an old Peace Corps friend of mine, Richa and her husband, Hans.  We were rushing to beat the Friday afternoon exodus as she works for the Forest Service there and I wanted to ask her and her colleagues about possible engineering opportunities and how best to go about getting a foot in the door. On Saturday she and Hans took us out to Antelope Island in the Great Salt Lake to check out the herd of buffalo (bison) that were introduced to the island in 1893.

Richa and Hans in Ogden, UT

Antelope Island State Park, UT

And then... We went home.

And that is about it for this post. Lots of photos. There are even more in the slideshow. Check it out here if you are interested.

Utah to California Road Trip

Another Colorado Ski Weekend

Lafayette, CO - This next group of photos are from the last weekend in February. We had another wonderful ski weekend with lots and lots of visitors. First Jennifer and Brian drove in from Moab to stay with us. Then Dave, a friend of ours from California now living in Washington D.C., let us know that he and a large group of friends were staying over in Breckenridge. And finally Jovie decide to come up from Boulder and join us for a day of turns.

It was Saturday at Breckenridge when we all tried to meet up and failed miserably at sticking together, especially when a massive storm moved in and brought the visibility down to a near white out. That and the Olympic hockey finals sent most folks scurrying towards the lodge.

Most of these photos come from an epic Sunday at Keystone, where we took the D.C. gang on a tour of the wonders of the Outback. Twelve some-odd inches of fresh powder combined with cold temps and brilliant sunshine. You can't ask for much more than that! All these photos where taken by Laura and crew.

 Most of the group at Breckenridge:  Russ, Brad, Jovie, Suwei, Karl, Dave, Brian, Jennifer, and Sean.  I think Scud was already lost by this point.

Great photos by Laura and crew

From top left: Dave on his shorties, Scud getting a taste of the trees, Brad not just making a fashion statement, the group at Keystone, Laura making boarding look easy, & Dave heads for the rocks.

Brad, Scud and Suwei

Now here is something I don't usually post, videos. Scott (aka Scud) had a fantastic little helmet cam that he was using to film folks making their way through the trees of the Outback. I'm posting two of them, one because Suwei's in it and the other because it makes me laugh every time I see it.

The first one shows Scud trying to keep up with Suwei through the trees.

This next one I find absolutely hilarious. I call it, Scud vs Tree. "Let's go do this!"

Thanks to Laura for letting me steal the photos. Thanks to Scud for sharing the videos. Thanks to Dave for introducing us to his friends. And thanks to the rest of the gang for making it a very fun weekend.

Dave being Dave

Colorado Ski Weekend

Lafayette, CO - I'm just doing a quick post this time. Between the ice climbing festival in January and our trip out to California in March, Suwei and I mostly concentrated on getting up to the mountains and skiing/boarding as much as we could. Luckily, I didn't take many photos of those ski weekends, otherwise I'd never get caught up on this blog!

That said, every now and then folks would come for a visit and take a few photos. These photos come from one of those visitors. The 3rd weekend in February Arturo, Arturo's friend Marc and Marc's wife, Jennifer, were in town hoping for some nice Colorado powder. Luckily they got it. Anyway, Marc took most of these photos and I've stolen them from his blog (which can be found here: http://marc.merlins.org/perso/snow/post_2010-02-23_3-Day-Weekend-in-Colorado-at-BreckenRidge_-Vail_-and-Keystone.html).  There are a bunch of videos there as well.

Jennifer in the Trees

Arturo at the Leap / Vail Chairlift / Karl, Jennifer, Marc, and Arturo at Keystone

Arturo at Keystone / Jennifer, Arturo, Karl and Suwei ready to hit the Glades

Marc sporting the helmet cam.

Marc seems to be quite the tech guy. Not only has he geo-tagged each photo, but he tracked our entire ski day. Crazy stuff.

Vail - http://www.mountaindynamics.com/en/sdmap.php?tid=7586
Keystone - http://www.mountaindynamics.com/en/sdmap.php?tid=7587
and their day at Breck - http://www.mountaindynamics.com/en/sdmap.php?tid=7585

Thanks Marc for putting all that together.

Marc

Ouray Ice Festival, Ouray, CO

Lafayette, CO - Has everyone finished their taxes? Do you have time to sit down and casually flip through a ton of photos? Great, because I just posted a ton of them!

This set comes from the 15th Annual Ouray Ice Climbing Festival held the first weekend in January in the south eastern corner of Colorado. This event is one of the largest ice climbing festivals in the world and is a major fundraiser for the Ouray Ice Climbing Park. Not only that, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.

This was my third year coming to the event. And although I hardly climb during the course of the weekend, I do love taking photos, hanging out with friends, watching the competitions, hot springing, eating cheap lasagna, and drinking lots of Fat Tire beer.

As usual the climbing competition was incredible.  Only two climbers made it to the top within the 20 minute cut off time.  The first guy, Sam Elias, made it with only 2 seconds to spare.  However, it was Colorado-based Josh Wharton, who took the number one position again this year by  topping out with the speedy time of 14:42.  Here is a link to the results:  http://ourayicefestival.com/competition/competition-results.  And here is a link to a video of the winning climb:  http://tinyurl.com/y2k7jge.

Sam Elias starts up the Competition Route 

Ice Climbing Competition

A few more photos

                

 

As far as the photos go, my main challenge each year is getting a different perspective. There are only a few view points where you can take photos from and it is sometime difficult to do something original. I think I did alright this year. You be the judge.

Here is the link to the slideshow (72 photo in there this time):

Ouray Ice Festival, Ouray, CO

Casper Mountain Hut Trip, WY

Thomas, Joshua, Tommy, Zorra, Jessica, Tessa, Esther, and Suwei at Joshua's Casper Mountain Cabin

Lafayette, CO - I'm still like 3 months behind on my posts. I need to take less pictures!

This set comes from a trip Suwei and I took over New Years. This one started out with Tommy and Jessica rolling briefly through town around the end of the year. They didn't have a whole lot of time, but we did managed to finagle a dinner out at Sherpas before they had to hit the road again. The next stop on their tour, however, was just up in Casper, Wyoming where they had planned to drop in on yet another friend.

Turns out that friend, Joshua, had invited them and Tessa up to his family's cabin on Casper Mountain for New Year's Eve and we were welcomed to tag along. So we did.

In Casper we met up with Tommy, Jessica, and Tessa who introduced us to Joshua, his parents and another couple, Thomas and Esther who were out road-tripping on their way back to California. All but the 'rents piled into two cars and while Joshua's group searched all over town looking for a sled (a failed mission as they were all sold out), the rest of us promptly got lost. By late afternoon we had all regrouped atop the mountain and were ready to take on the grueling 1 to 2 mile hike to the cabin. It was quite chilly when we arrived, but it didn't take us long to settle into the very rustic and very cozy (once the wood burning stove was lit) cabin, where we promptly set about liquoring ourselves up for the New Year. Actually we had begun that process about half way to the cabin. As soon as the wind kicked up, the rum came out.

The Hike In

We Made It!

Anyway, we spent two great days up there kicking around in the snow and hanging out with a nice group of folks. Thanks again to Joshua who put the whole thing together and let us use his place.

New Year's Eve

New Year's Day Sledding with the Makeshift Wheelbarrow Sled

Hiking out

Here is a link to the slide show and some more photos and comments:

Casper Mountain Hut Trip, WY