Adventure 506: Sharing the Good Life with my Cousins in Park City

Our Fearless Leader, Douglas

Since the Crystal Hot Springs didn't open until noon, we lounged away the morning with our usual game of cribbage. Then we pulled out, timing our jaunt through Salt Lake City mid-morning in hopes of missing rush hour traffic. Our idea worked and we pulled into Park City about 11 A.M. My cousin Douglas, a gracious host if there ever was one, immediately beat us twice in cribbage, but then he served us a delicious Minestrone soup that his sister, my cousin Joan, had made for him. About 1 P.M. we picked Joan up at her condo and headed to Deer Valley for an afternoon hike. Park City, home to the rich and famous, and my cousins, too, has a well earned reputation as a year round recreation destination. Mountain bikers and hikers speckle the slopes like pepper on mashed potatoes. In winter, the snow is world renowned for its powdery dryness. The views are spectacular, and it's immense variety of ski resorts is easily accessed from Salt Lake. Very expensive homes dot the landscape. Both of my cousins, avid skiers, have chosen to make the area their home base. And the party never ends with them. Douglas fixed us a wonderful batch of halibut tacos, fresh frozen from this past summer's visit to Alaska, and then we drove into Salt Lake to catch a Utah Jazz basketball game. Unfortunately, the home team lost, but it was exciting for everyone, especially me (I'm a registered basketball junkie). After the game, Douglas dropped us off at the Park City Walmart parking lot where we had left Fric and Frac. We spent our first ever overnight with our hosts, the Walton's. Early the next morning we headed for Panguitch, Utah. We were blessed with good weather, a generous dose of traveling mercies, and we concluded at day's end that life was good, especially today.

 A new and improved tricky maneuver by the Wiley Cager. On this dubious play, she place her card face down, and claimed two points. (She just assumed that Doulgas and me would accept at "no face" value that it was the right card). It clearly shows that we're all Republicans now.

 The view of the Jordanelle resevoir midway through our hike. This view is from @8,200 ft.

 Hiker babes, Joan and Judy.

 In about a month, Deer Valley will begin making its own snow. They use these snow cannons to blow air and water. They then use heavy machinery to spread the snow around the slopes. The water source comes from the flooded mines that honeycomb the underground under these hills.

 A bigger than life size bronze rendering of Spokane and Utah Jazz legend, John Stockton.

 Tonight's opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies, proved to be too much for the Jazz on this night.

Selfie of the day: court side Jazz fans.