Picto Diary - 01 to 10 March 2025 - Thud! End of ski season.

Above: Snow Park Lodge, Deer Valley UT. 01 March 2025.
Breakfast. Koessler (right) and Roy (purple) with friends looking forward to great ski day.

Above: University of Utah Hospital. 01 March 2025.
54 08 650 (likely last day of 2024/25 ski season. 54 ski days and approximately 650 thousand vertical feet).

Image: View from my hospital room, looking NNE.

Projected 24 to 48 hours in hospital for observation and tests following fall at base of Silver Strike lift at DV about 10:15 AM. No apparent head injury but several cracked ribs. Remember nothing of incident. Recollection ends as I enter Silver Strike lift base having just skied Silver Buck. Recollection resumes with awareness of ski patrollers pulling me in sled to ambulance. FeeBee researched info on the incident. Portland helpful on site at hospital having had heads up on my arrival.

Above: SDT helmet. 02 March 2025. Park City, UT

Note dent and out of kilter panel on left side of helmet. Looks like I hit pretty hard on a hard surface.

1:00 PM release after twenty-five hours at U of U hospital. Full magilla of tests. CT scan. MRI. Breathing. Heart. Blood sugar... yada. Extra concern (so they told me) due my unconsciousness at Silver Strike Lift after fall yesterday and my age. More neurological and cardiac tests to come but diagnosis on release: brain ok, but for two small tumors that are quasi normal for my age, and some old bleed evidence, also considered not out of the ordinary for a 79-year-old. Eight cracked ribs, between 1 and 3 (of 10) level pain but pain tamped down with Tylenol. I was offered, but did not take, oxy. Their concern on ribs is that there is a high risk of pneumonia in rib compromised geezers. After breathing and mobility tests they determined that my functionality was normal. The neurologists and the trauma people want to follow up appointments. Scheduled appointment with GP in four days, in person appointment on 14 March. Appointment with neurologists in mid April, and repeat scans early June. Possibility of more heart tests.

What happened? Caught an edge, fell at lift base and knocked myself out? Seizure? Mini stroke? Fainting low blood sugar due surfeit of diabetes meds? Very frustrating that I remember nothing until being loaded into ambulance by ski patrol. Likely end of ski season in any case as we are gone for three weeks on a cruise and overland Spain travel from the 18th of March.

Thanks much to my family. B1b, aided by FeeBee, drove the van home from DV. FeeBee ran down a description of the incident with DV ski patrol and has helped me think thru the meds and possible heart issues. Portland and Koessler made a reassuring visit to me last night, took my ski gear and brought me a phone cord. They picked up TIMDT at the St. George shuttle terminus, came to the hospital, and drove us both home to Park City.

Finally, kudos to U of U hospital system. Yesterday I teared up as I was rushed from the ambulance into the ER. I was moved seeing at least eight blue clad people rush over to me, each with his/her own task to complete to get me to the evaluation room. I'll never forget the forty something female trauma doctor just above my head - she appeared upside-down- alternatively asking me questions and then barking out instructions to members of the trauma team...all with apparent hyper confidence in execution of her quarterback role. I am much appreciative that I live in a rare age where this type of health care is available to accident victims.

PS. Nurse who supervised my release said, "what's going on at the ski slopes? You were one of four ski accidents who came in yesterday."

Above: Bishop 'n Mynduveroan. Loma Restaurant, Park City, UT. 02 March 2025.

Our first visit to Loma where Mynduveroan works as a hostess. We'll go back!

Above: Pine Creek Ski Resort, Cokeville, WY. 06 March 2025.
Image: Guzzi and unidentified.
Park City ski character Guzzi (Mike Sonzini) sent me this image. Love the Ma and Pa resorts. Pine Creek: One fixed chair lift, 1600 vertical feet and five or six ways down with three of them usually groomed. Local ranch hands run the lift. I've skied here twice over the years. Bob Wheaton, former GM of Deer Valley, recently, in a talk to LSDM, extolled the Ma and Pa's as critical to the ski industry.

Above: LSDM Friday Colloquium 07 February 2025, via Zoom. Wasatch Bagel, Park City, UT.

Topics du jour:

Jobs report... steady as she goes.

Utah pending bill SB337. "The "Utah MIDA bill" reduces local/county control on development decisions.

Utah pending bill SB 334 would require every student at Utah State University to take a full yer-and- a- half course in Western civilization and an additional one semester course in American civics.

Shift of Park City population to proportionately higher population of older, higher net worth boomers.

Is it a taxpayer obligation to subsidize Park City house prices to assure a mixed income community?

Do East Village and Canyons buildouts threaten Main Street?

Advisability of Main Street parking augmentation, China Bridge area park/commercial development, and repurposing of Marsac.

Progress integration of Pacific Palisades refugee family into Park City life. Going well In Park City, but sales of Pacific Palisades properties slow going.

Welcome back (Johan Palmstruch) Dennis Lockhart, former President Atlanta Fed, and 6X speaker at LSDM and Drew Breakspear, former chief regulator, State of Florida.

Above: Deer Valley, UT. 08 March 2025 (Image by Daggett)
Johan Palmstruch (Dennis Lockhart) and 'Cake (Steve Pettise) pose in front of new PistenBully ski groomer. I regretted, due to my ski fall a week ago, not being able to ski with my long-time annual guest Dennis Lockart, but 'Cake, Daggett, and The Actuary were able to join him during his three-day ski stop in Park City. Johan Palmstruch accomplished plus 20K vertical feet during two of the days he skied. Palmstruch's ski ability is disproportionately amazing relative the annual three days he skis every year.

Above: Brighton, Utah. 08 March 2025.
Roy and friends. Image by Roy's dad, Koessler.

Above: Dagny Taggert and John Galt as Young Marrieds. Image received 09 March 2025. Motorcycle buddies who live in Walla Walla, WA. Last September, Mwah (sic), John Galt, Wyatt Earp, and Ahnrhee motorcycled a round trip from Walla Wall to Missoula and back, riding Lolo Pass on the outbound segment.

Above: The Pope (Drew Breakspear) and son Christopher. Diary Entry 10 March 2025 (image, in a NYC restaurant, taken within the last year).

The Pope has been staying with me for the last week, time blocked out for his annual ski visit. The Pope injured his leg his first ski day and sat out the rest of the week. Enjoyed some quality time reminiscing old Citibank days with The Pope, Johan Palmstruch, and TIMDT.

Christopher has been disabled since age twelve. A significant part of The Pope's life is dedicated to the happiness of Christopher, now in his mid 40's, who lives in a residence for the especially abled in Massachusetts.