Picto Diary - 11 to 19 December 2024 - My Empire Lodge Office
Above: Red Pine Gondola, Park City Mountain, Canyons. 11 December 2024.
09-09-87
Above: Summit House, Park City Mountain, 12 December 2024
10-10-97
Take Guzzi (Park City's emerging "character"), red rear, out of this pic and average age of geezer skiers is 77. Title, sunglasses, center, is skiing on his 61st PCMR season pass. TWO3, 80, left front, is in his usual ski season trance. Espresso, 80, red left, is visiting from DC. Two lifts open. Payday and Bonanza. Top to bottom, eg. Home Run, open. That's quite a bit of terrain early in the season, but there are more skiable options at Deer Valley right now.
Above: Willow Creek Park, Summit County, UT. 12 December 2024
Freddie frolics with pals.
Above: Willow Creek Park, Summit County, UT. 12 December 2024.
Summer: Dog pond. Winter: Hockey rink.
Above: Santa Clara, UT. 15 December 2024.
Old US 91, 7:00 AM, Santa Clara.
Above: Ivins, UT. 15 December 2024.
AM walk. Palisades subdivision.
Beep beep.
Above: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV. 16 December 2024
Bishop, Kreg, and Kessler attend Raiders versus Hawks, Monday Night Football.
Hawks won. Raiders having a bad year, but their loyal fans filled the stadium, and the atmosphere was very upbeat. I attended an Eagles game at the old Veteran's Stadium in the 80's. There, the fans were rude, crass, many drunk, fighting yada. Many thanks to Kreg, uber Raider's fan, for the invitation. Very good father/son outing!
Above: Baby Stacks, west Las Vegas, NV. 17 December 2024.
Out and about on the 'Wing. (The 'Wing is based in Ivins and the Duc is based in Park City).
Mwah (sic) on my 2021 Honda Gold Wing. Ahead, a 120-mile ride north on I-15 back to Ivins, UT.
Koessler's breakfast recommendation was Baby Stacks, one of an eight restaurant breakfast chain in Las Vegas. I'd go back. Great menu. Ten different skillets. At breakfast, I asked Kessler if he liked Las Vegas. "Yes," he replied. I asked why. Koessler said, "There is a lot of energy radiating in Las Vegas. The people hustle here." I thought it was a good answer and agreed with him. "What about Salt Lake City?" I asked. Koessler replied, "Too woke."
Above: Park City Mountain, Canyons. 18 December 2024.
11-10-107
Espresso at left shuffles out to the Tombstone Lift.
Above: Carden School, Salt Lake City, UT.
Christmas Program. Roy at Center.
TIMDT and Mwah (sic) can't say enough about Carden school music performances. Always well done. Kids well prepared.
Above: Carden School, Salt Lake City, UT. 18 December 2024.
Christmas Program.
Grrr and Z back row far right.
Above: Empire Lodge, West Wing, Deer Valley, UT. 19 December 2024.
12 15 122
My Office.
I returned to ski at Deer Valley today after a week away in southern Utah and yesterday skiing with Espresso at Park City Mountain. I was a solitary skier.
I was glad to see more Deer Valley ski terrain open since I had last skied there. New runs I skied included Fairview, Navigator, Bandana and Silver Buck. Deer Valley does a fantastic job getting the resort up and running using manmade snow during early season low natural snow conditions such as we're experiencing this year.
Empire Lodge had opened during my absence, so I was eager to spend my mid AM coffee break in "my office" with a scenic view in the west wing of the lodge. Much, to my surprise however, the view of Empire Lift ski terrain had been mostly occluded by the erection of permanent structures outside my "office" window (see image). Alone in the west wing office area, I seethed silently as I sipped my coffee. Why wasn't my permission sought for before this atrocity was committed? I am now going to have to consider relocating my Deer Valley office.
There were hardly any skiers in the Empire Lodge, but the facility was fully staffed with mostly H1b visa people. I talked to Adrian, from Jamaica, who works in South Carolina in the summers and Deer Valley in the winter. I observe Adrian and his cohorts working diligently while smiling cheerfully. Office view destroyed or not, it is rewarding to see these young people come from afar to "do the work that most Americans won't do." I see the same cohort of hard working third country nationals working on cruise ships. They are getting training in customer service, building their English-speaking capability and otherwise gaining great experience to move up in the hospitality industry... if not many other disciplines as well. When the US gets its immigration situation sorted out, these H1b visa types should be placed at head of the queue when they apply for citizenship.
I rode up the Carpenter Lift with a couple of periodic participants in our LSDM Romeo group presentations. The three of us were in awe with yesterday's LSDM presentation by the retired head of the Las Vegas FBI office. I noted that one of my key takeaways from the presentation was how Obama was very successful in seeding career positions in the FBI and DOJ with political hacks. Trump's appointed heads to the DOJ and FBI are going to have a difficult time removing these political operatives and replacing them with qualified, crime fighting agents. Our speaker said that the new FBI should round up twenty or thirty old timers like himself to help manage the transition of the FBI from a political tool of the president to a credible national police force. One of my fellow lift riders said Pam Bondi, DJT's DOJ appointee, was weak and no Bill Barr. I believe DJT has earned the right to pick his own team. I like the disruptive potential of the proposed new team along with their comparative youth, but didn't relay the point as the lift had reached the summit.
It was a glorious day of skiing. 30 degrees. Sunshine. Redone edges on my Stockli AX skis. Low attendance. Great grooming. Fifteen runs. Sometimes, you get into a zone and just want to ski more runs than you had originally intended to ski. Today was one of those days.
Above: Wanship Dam. Summit County, UT 19 December 2024.
Out and about on the Duc. Fifty-mile round trip spin on the Duc. 40-degree temperature.
Addendum:
You are amazing! When I think that my creaky old 78-year-old body is about to fall apart I think about the skiing and motorcycling you do at 79 and it makes me think that I should stop complaining. Happy Birthday!
Nathans,
Orlando, FL
Hey Steve. Well done Indeed. When I was 79 you were 66+/- and we skied with the geezer gang. I quit skiing at 87 so you have a few years to go.
Ohl,
Midland, TX
Those days very fondly remembered, John. I have always aspired to ski at your level at your age!
Congrats, Steve! Happy to see you're going strong.
Montevedeo,
New Milford, CT
Steve, I am not in a hurry for my Mangione money.
Maharajah,
Park City, UT
Good Evening ...
Oh, I SO MUCH LOVE LOOKING AT THESE PHOTOS!!! Yes, I do miss Deer Valley ... I absolutely loved everything about the resort ... the teaching ... the students ... the families and best of all, the skiing.
Please take more photos to mail out to us when you are out and about on the Deer Valley hill!! Love it!
Of course, I also skied at Snowbird, too! But loved Deer Valley the BEST!!!
Have great skiing!
Best wishes,
Music in the Mountains,
Racine, Wisconsin
Glad all had a wonderful holiday!
Thanks,
Markco,,
La Quinta, CA
Timely pics Steve! I’m getting my gear together tonight and will follow the same process of skiing into shape at DV—starting tomorrow!
Thanks for the inspiration.
Tony,
Park City, UT
Steve
Congratulations on getting your ski season started. Deer Valley looks good without snowfall. I do agree that as we mature we tend to be more cautious on the slopes. One does not want to fall and hurt oneself as maturity results in slower recovery.
Have fun cranking up to 15 runs a day. Even with 6 to 8 runs you may be exceeding the majority of the skiers in amount skied.
The Pope,
Eufaula, Alabama
Zach’s essay is outstanding and you all must be very proud of him.
Hoops,
Pelham, NY
Thanks Steve, you're reminding me of wonderful memories of skiing with my family and friends at Deer Valley over the years (which rivals Big Sky, MT as my favorite resort)! "Sucess" is one of the most fun runs in the West!!
OJR,
Palo Alto, CA