Picto Diary - 9, 10, 11, 12 April 2018 - TIMDT Bounces Back

Above: Stockli looks north from atop Summit Lift. Solitude, Utah. 10 April 2018.

Day 35.

Park City may have shuttered its resorts, but resorts remain open on the other side of the Wasatch.

Today was as good a day of skiing as I've had all year. Sky was opaque. Enough light to see clearly, but not bright enough to soften the snow at too rapid a pace. So, between 9:00 AM and 11:30 AM the snow, particularly off the Summit lift, was as good as I've experienced all (albeit short) year.

Stockli's cousin MIT was also along today. We had lunch at Silver Fork Lodge, just down the road from Solitude a bit, and were favorably surprised. Funky place. Good food. Personable waitress from Brazil. Reminds of ubiquitous similar places you see in back country Colorado.

Above: Bud and TIMDT observe "black bear" wood sculpture at Black Bear Diner, American Fork, UT. 10 April 2018.

While on motorcycle jaunts, I've been eating at Black Bear diners ranging from Sonoma, CA to Klamath Falls, OR for over 20 years.

Black Bear diner has recently opened up five or six units along the Wasatch Front, and responding to a suggestion by Bud, we decided to try out the American Fork unit.

We were doing the soccer grandparent thing, on our weekly run to take Bud to band practice at Caleb Chapman Soundhouse in American Fork.

The diner produced some of the same, great deplorable food that I was used to during my motorcycle visits to the west coast. TIMDT pooh poohed the ice burg lettuce in her salad, but she was favorably impressed with everything else... service, cleanliness, overall quality of food. She said she'd go back. Bud loved his cheeseburger and onion rings.

Look. We're not talking frue frue fine dining here. Its deplorable food.

Chicken pot pie, not risotto.
Ice berg, not arugula
Onion rings, not quinoa
Pepsi, not pino.
Ranch, not oil and vinegar.
Cod, not Dungeness

Its great to see Black Bear's five plus unit presence along the Wasatch Front in the wake of Applebee's remarkable decline (service, cleanliness, bad food, and no gun policy)..

Above: Starbucks. American Fork, UT. 10 April 2018

Staying within the rules. Brought a knife. Some solace...still jittery. Treasured corner seat offers some reassurance. SOL if Starbucks does a Kahn and bans blades. Gun AND knife ban...no one would be safe.

Elton John turned up a bit too loudly. Nice in this instance. Now playing: "The Club at the End of the Street." Earlier, "Benny and the Jets." — drinking frappe at Starbucks.

Above: TIMDT at Park City Market. 12 April 2018.

TIMDT is back at it. No crutches. Wearing brace on affected (left) knee.

She goes to PT twice a week and to workout with her trainer at the Waldorf three times a week.

She's looking peppy again... and she's feeling better.

Addendum:

Damn…that appetizer looks awesome! Almost like we are back on the Cape. You just made me hungry and it’s only 9:28 AM Monday...

The Inventor,
Park City, UT

Bishop,

Make America Great Again!

Kat,
Dallas, TX

I see one of your ski friends was made even more famous. He was featured on www.gurudavepowers.com for the 10 April ski report.

Guzzi,
Park City, UT

Tks. Yep. John Haney (otherwise known as Grizzly Adams)

Sdt,

Your diary entries are a prize...a bonus! So glad to be in your friend list. Much health and continued success to u and yours.
Hugs.

Trevor,
Miami, FL

Thanks Steve for including me in seeing these wonderful pictures! My skiing days are over but I surely enjoy them vicariously!

Manhattan,
Park City, UT