2006 Salt Lake City Odyssey - February

As a belated 40th wedding anniversary celebration (September 4, 2005), Kayla and Harvey began the realization of Harvey's dream to spend (almost) an entire ski season in Salt Lake City. We began our adventure on January 31, 2006, departing Portland in our trusty 1996 Chevy Blazer, loaded to the hilt with ski equipment, computers, router, printer, and everything else needed to set up our remote office. The plan was to arrive in SLC on February 1 and stay until March 31, working from our remote office in the Candlewood Suites and skiing when snow conditions were good at the Wasatch Range ski resorts. I will attempt to chronicle our activities on this web page and include a few photos for our own records and for anyone who might want to browse through our SLC odyssey.

Tuesday, January 31, 2006
After an exhausting day of packing (dismantling a complete office of computers and accessories was only part of the effort), we drove out of town at 4:30 PM. It rained heavily and constantly all the way to Pendleton (240 miles), where we ate dinner and unwisely decided to try to drive on to Baker City that night. About five miles out, or should I say up, we ran into snow on the highway and long lines of 18-wheelers parked on the side of the interstate, some chaining up, others just waiting out the storm. After traveling less than 20 miles, we decided to turn back and spend the night in Pendleton - the wisest decision of the day. We stayed at the Red Lion Inn, which was very nice - especially their breakfast the following morning.

Wednesday, February 1, 2006
A good night's sleep and a good breakfast got us off to a better start for the second day of the trip, albiet a late one. Several 18-wheelers were jack-knifed beside the interstate and, as some truckers say, the comedian. However, we made the remainder of the trip into SLC with relative ease, arriving about 9:00 PM MST. We spent the next six hours unloading, unpacking, and setting up our new remote office. We have high-speed internet service in the room and our router allows both of us to use the internet simultaneously. Yep, you read it right, we didn't get to bed until around 3:00 AM.

Thursday, February 2, 2006
Kayla and I arose around the crack of noon and tried to catch up on office work. In fact, Kayla participated in a 2 1/2 hour conference with her coworkers at Academic Network and America Speaks representatives. We experimented by using the telephone in our Suite, but the $68 charge convinced us that we would use our cell phones in the future. About 2:00 PM we decided to go up Little Cottonwood Canyon to Alta Ski Resort to get started with the skiing aspect of our adventure. We purchased Alta season passes and made arrangements for our skis, boots, and poles to remain on the mountain at the Alta Ski Shop. We were pleased to learn that season pass charges had just dropped substantially after January 31, so we were able to save about $600 from the amount we had anticipated paying for them. Finally at about 3:00 PM we took our first lift and got in a few runs before the 4:30 PM closing. Great snow, and our new Salomon skis were just the ticket for the powder conditions. We stopped off at Hoppers Grill or dinner, a place we had eaten brunch on our November lodging exploration trip - the crabcakes I had were excellent.

Snow Report
In the past 24 hours, Alta Ski Area has received: 13" of new snow
The settled mid-mountain base is currently: 138"
So far this season Alta has received 355" of snow
The extended weather forecast is: Winter Storm warning through 4:00 am Friday. 8-11" expected today with another 8-12" tonight with water densities decreasing to that famous dry Wasatch powder as the day goes on. The next big snow storm arrives Saturday night.

Photo of the Day
Kayla salutes the snow gods on Alta's slopes.

Friday, February 3, 2006
Once again, Kayla and I worked until late in the evening on Thursday, so we arose late and catch up on additional office work. About 2:00 PM we headed back up to Alta and skied for a couple of hours. Great snow again - what a pleasure to know that we can go up and ski anytime we like and not worry about purchasing lift tickets. We had anticipated riding the ski bus to the resort, but driving the 15 miles up is so easy and it's so nice to be on our own schedule and have access to the Blazer at all times that ski bus rides may never materialize. We skied the Germania and Wildcat areas this afternoon and found lots of deep powder stashes. Dropped off skis and boots at the Alta Ski Shop, had our obligatory hot drinks at the Goldminer's Daughter (Hazelnut Latte for me and Chia Tea for Kayla), and drove down the Canyon viewing a glorious sunset. Stopped at Tony Roma's for dinner then "home" to our suite for a relaxing hot bath and an earlier bedtime.

Snow Report
In the past 24 hours, Alta Ski Area has received: 3" of new snow
The settled mid-mountain base is currently: 140"
So far this season Alta has received 358" of snow
The extended weather forecast is: Mostly sunny on Friday and no snow expected on Friday night. The next big snow storm arrives Saturday night.

Photo of the Day
Kayla carves it like a turkey.

Saturday, February 4, 2006
A lazy day of relaxation for us. We had decided Friday night that at most we would ski a few hours this afternoon and plan to hit the slopes early for the first time on Sunday (tomorrow), since a big storm was expected on Saturday night. We slept in until nearly 10 AM, then went out to Hoppers Grill for brunch. This is a great little brewpub that serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, including a complimentary plate of hot cinnamon rolls that are to die for. The brunch items were excellent too, especially my special Benedict eggs with crabmeat, asparagas, and tomatoes. Kayla did some shopping and I pretty well just relaxed the remainder of the day. Looking forward to our first real powder morning tomorrow.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Sat February 4th, 2006 at 05:15:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 136"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 7"
Snowfall this Season: 361"
Sky Cover: mostly cloudy
Ridgetop Winds: Light - W
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F): 21°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Mostly cloudy
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 17° - 38°
Wind: Moderate SW
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: High pressure for Sat, will be replace with a storm Sat night into Sun. Storm is forecasted to bring 6-12"

Photo of the Day
The view of the Wasatch Range from our living room window.

Sunday, February 5, 2006
A full day of skiing today, with 7" of fresh powder and snow continuing throughout the day. We got up early today and left for the mountain by 6:45 AM, arriving there before 7:30. Basically, we were the first vehicle in the parking lot and in the restaurant for breakfast. We waited nearly 30 minutes in line for the Wildcat lift and occupied the fourth chair when the lift opened at 9:15. An epic run in up to two feet of untracked powder - the stuff dreams are made of. Lift lines were long most of the day, but most of the time we used the singles line to save time. We skied all over the mountain in excellent conditions right up until 3:30 PM, at which time we headed home to watch the Super Bowl. Ordered pizza and had a quiet late afternoon/early evening. Our first real powder morning of the trip - very satisfying!

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Sun February 5th, 2006 at 05:15:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 140"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 7"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 7"
Snowfall this Season: 368"
Sky Cover: snowing
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F): 10°
Highway 210 Status: 4 x 4 or chains required
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 14° - 21°
Wind: Strong NW
Snowfall: 3-5"
Extended Forecast: Snow through the morning then sunny skies starting late this afternoon.

Photos of the Day
Kayla relishes the deep powder at Alta

The form leaves something to be desired, but had to prove that Harvey was there.

Monday, February 6, 2006
Even though Alta had 5" of new snow overnight, we decided that today needed to be a work day. Therefore, both of us are working at our computers all day and Kayla is to participate in a conference call at noon MST. Pretty much like being back in Portland/Tigard, except that Kayla is right across the desk/table from me, rather than being at the Academic Network office in downtown Portland. Oh, yes, and the view out of our window is quite different too! (See the photo for Saturday, February 4.) The photos below show the dueling nature of our computers here. It's nice to just stick our heads to the side when we want to ask a question or chat about something. So far, everything is working out beautifully both for work and for skiing. Life is good!

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Mon February 6th, 2006 at 05:30:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 143"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 5"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 12"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Clear
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F): 9°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: mostly sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 15° - 37°
Wind: Light NNW
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: High pressure will remain in place through the upcoming week. A weak storm system will graze the area Monday night, a warming trend will ensue for the mid to latter portion of the week.

Photos of the Day
Harvey and Kayla fully concentrating on their work.

Hey, let's take a break and have some tea, okay?

Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Another work day for both of us. Kayla had several work conference calls, follow-up calls regarding the upcoming Dallas Town Meeting, telephone calls back to her office, and substantial email communication. Harvey pretty well just tried not to get further behind. He's been trying to work through his email Inbox ever since arrival in SLC, but has had to fight with message blocking (presumably due to listing of the hotel's web server on several spam blocking outfits). However, slowly but surely he is making progress. No skiing today, due to pressing professional work and no new snow. Maybe tomorrow afternoon we will get out for an hour or two. We did get out for a walk late in the afternoon - it was a glorious sunshiny day (should I say it was a bright, bright sunshiny day?), as the photos below demonstrate. After our walk we had dinner at a very interesting Italian restaurant named Buca di Beppo. They walk you to your table through the kitchen, where you are introduced to the chefs and cooks. The food was quite good, and more than plentiful.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Tue February 7th, 2006 at 04:50:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 137"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Clear
Ridgetop Winds: Light WNW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 29°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: mostly sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 16° - 37°
Wind: Moderate NW
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: High pressure will build eastward Wednesday into Thursday, resulting in warmer temperatures. This high will remain in place throughout the week. A cold front may pass through the area Sunday with a chance for some snow.

Photos of the Day
Kayla continues her work during our walk by talking to Dallas contact about room capacity.

Harvey soaks up the sun with the Wasatch Range in the background.

Wednesday, February 8, 2006
Another sunny day with no new snow. The dueling computers are competing mightily. We have run into a minor problem sending email - apparently the hotel's IP Address has been blocked by some spam filters (likely someone staying here sent out some bulk mail), so we have been scrambling to overcome this difficulty. Also, Kayla is having difficulty gaining access to the SAY task list online, so we are working on that. Perhaps we will get out for a bit of skiing this afternoon. Time will tell. We settled for another day of beautiful views of the Wasatch Range, as evidenced by the photo of the day below. Had a nice dinner at Tony Roma's this evening.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Wed February 8th, 2006 at 05:20:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 136"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Clear
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 23°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 19° - 35°
Wind: Moderate N
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: High pressure to remain in place throughout the week with a cold front moving through Friday. Another weather system should pass through Sunday night into Tuesday.

Photo of the Day
Late afternoon view of what I believe is Mt. Superior.

Thursday, February 9, 2006
Yet another sunny day with no new snow, but after another morning of work today, we decided to drive up to Alta for a couple of hours of skiing in the afternoon. The skiing was nice - no lift lines and conditions were reasonably good for no new snow in four days. Returned "home" to watch the Tennessee Lady Vol basketball team get beat by the LSU Lady Tigers. Then off to Albertson's to pick up a few things and ate in our suite. Finally, both of us worked right through ER, local news, Jay Leno, and Conan O'Brien. Gave it up at 12:30 AM and went to bed.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Thu February 9th, 2006 at 04:55:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 131"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Sunny
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 31°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Mostly Sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 8° - 18°
Wind: Gusty N
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: Cold front moves in tonight & Fri.; 0-1" of snow possible. Upper ridge of high pressure returns this weekend bringing a strong warming trend. Next weather system expected Sun. night & Mon. with limited moisture. Cold and snowy weather patterns return Tues.

Photos of the Day
Kayla enjoys a run on this sunny afternoon.

Harvey prepares to head back into the trees for some glade skiing.

This is the Alta Ski Shop, where we leave our skis, boots, and poles each night.

Friday, February 10, 2006
After a rather late night, the Carruths did not arise with the sun. It was another work day for both of us, with Kayla on several conference calls with her office back in Portland. Harvey received the good news that Eugene School District (5th largest in Oregon) would become a Carruth Compliance Consulting client effective March 1, 2006. He is proud to say that now four of the largest five school districts in Oregon are among his 17 clients. We had a nice steak dinner at the Black Angus restaurant tonight, then came home and watched the Opening Ceremonies for the Winter Olympics.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Fri February 10th, 2006 at 04:40:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 131"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Sunny
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 12°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 6° - 30°
Wind: Moderate N
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: Beautiful sunny weekend before a weather pattern change expected Tues/Wed.

No Photos Today

Saturday, February 11, 2006
A laid back day for the Carruths today. Late morning brunch at Hopper's with the requisite bowl of hot cinnamon rolls, then a visit to the University of Utah campus. We spent some time at a very nice retrospective of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics next to the Football Stadium, then watched them fire up the Olympic Caldron for the next-to-last time this evening. Thaifoon - Taste of Asia restaurant in The Gateway provided a romantic setting for an excellent dinner to top off the evening.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Sat February 11th, 2006 at 04:10:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 129"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Clear
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 26°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Mostly sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 19° - 40°
Wind: Moderate
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: Beautiful sunny weekend before a weather pattern change expected Tues/Wed.

Photos of the Day
Complimentary brunch cinnamon rolls at Hopper's, a favorite of ours!

Kayla serves up a hot cinnamon roll for Harvey (she hated to relinquish any of them).

Kayla below the Olympic Caldron before its lighting for the next-to-last time.

Harvey strikes his best Heisman pose outside the Utah Utes football stadium.

Future luge Olympian practices her form - we're thinking maybe the 2014 Winter Olympics in Miami.

The lighted Caldron with the Salt Lake 2002 Olympics "light the fire within" banner.

Sunday, February 12, 2006
For no good reason, other than difficulty backing up our computer hard drives, we were up until after 3:00 this morning, so it was literally the crack of noon before we stirred again. Still no new snow, so we settled into breakfast here and a leisurely afternoon napping and watching golf and the Olympics on TV. We waited to see the full moon rise over the Wasatch Range from our window (see photos below) before returning to one of our new favorite restaurants in the area (Hopper's) for dinner. Tomorrow promises to be a day of work, but chances of snow begin to show up on the forecast as early as Tuesday. We're keeping our fingers crossed.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Sun February 12th, 2006 at 04:30:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 128"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Clear
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 31°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Mostly sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 15° - 37°
Wind: Moderate
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: Beautiful sunny weekend before a weather pattern change expected Tues/Wed.

Photos of the Day
A bit blurred, but you get the idea - full moon rises over the Wasatch Range.

Look closely at the moon - Valentine's Day is Tuesday - Doesn't the moon look like a heart?

Monday, February 13, 2006
Up late again last night, up late again this morning (at least for Harvey - Kayla was up at a reasonable hour for Academic Network activity). Went to IHOP for breakfast, then both of us worked until about 4 PM. Left for Park City and walked up and down Historic Main Street, stopping in various shops mostly to escape the cold. As is our custom, we celebrated Valentine's Day early, this year with a romantic dinner at Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley (see information about the Glitretind Restaurant at http://www.steinlodge.com/dining/glitretind.php). Drove home under a nearly full moon with the snow on the mountains glistening - lovely. More Olympics on TV, along with catching up on email correspondence before retiring around 1 AM.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Mon February 13th, 2006 at 04:30:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 126"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Clear
Ridgetop Winds: Light
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 29°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Mostly cloudy
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 18° - 31°
Wind: Moderate
Snowfall: T -1"
Extended Forecast: A dry airmass will continue over the area today. A more moist and unstable airmass is expected to move over the area Tuesday and for the remainder of the week.

Photos of the Day
An impressive Great Horned Owl in Park City.

Kayla enjoys the architecture on Historic Main Street in Park City.

Another view of Historic Main Street from a cross-over bridge.

The contented couple following their romantic meal in Stein Eriksen Lodge.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006
A rather unusual Valentine's Day for the Carruths, since we had our special dinner last night. Kayla had at least one conference call with her office and spent an inordinate amount of time working on reports for the Dallas Town Meeting scheduled for April. I drove to the University of Utah campus to visit with Professor Joe Taylor, who was in graduate school at LSU at the same time I was back in the early 1960s. Joe is one of the most brilliant mathematicians I have ever known. All of the other graduate students at LSU were in awe of his perception and ingenuity. It was a great pleasure to visit with him for the first time in over 40 years (see photo below). Kayla and I went out for an early dinner at Tony Roma's and my baby-back ribs were scrumptious. Back in the suite Kayla worked on SAY reports and I enhanced my Sudoku Puzzle Excel template while the Olympics droned on in the background, followed by local news - BULLETIN - SNOW IS ON THE WAY!! - and then the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The owl photo from Park City is rather providential, since we seem to be regular night owls. Tomorrow is looking like a definite ski day (10" to 20" of new snow predicted at the ski resorts between 11 AM and 11 PM tomorrow). Thursday looks even better. Looks like any conference calls will be taken in Little Cottonwood Canyon the next two days.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Tue February 14th, 2006 at 04:20:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 126"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 373"
Sky Cover: Clear
Ridgetop Winds: moderate
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 31°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in your vehicle.
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: snow
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 20° - 25°
Wind: Moderate
Snowfall: T"
Extended Forecast: A cold front will move south through northern Utah today. The associated band of snow will remain over the far northern portions untill early Wednesday. A cold moist and unstable airmass will keep snow going over the northern mountains into Thursday.

Photo of the Day
An old mathematics friend, Joe Taylor, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Utah.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Finally, some new snow was on the way so we headed up to Alta just before noon. By the time we got there it was snowing pretty heavily, with approximately 5" accumulating by the time the lifts closed at 4:30 PM. The forecast was for 10-16 inches of additional accumulation overnight, so we were fortunate to be able to stay up on the mountain at Alta Peruvian Lodge. We stayed in the lovely one-bedroom suite that we initially investigated as a possible entended stay option. After a very nice four-course dinner, we retired to our suite and built a roaring fire in the fireplace. Anticipation was high for the powder day rapidly approaching.

Snow Report
Failed to download the report, since we stayed up on the mountain and didn't have any opportunity to capture the snow report.

Photos of the Day
A nice lunch up on the mountain as snow accumulates outside.

Harvey contemplates heading off the cliffs as snow falls at a brisk rate.

Kayla enjoys a roaring fire in our lovely one-bedroom suite at Alta Peruvian Lodge.

Thursday, February 16, 2006
After a hearty breakfast at Alta Peruvian Lodge, we checked out and headed for the slopes. There were places where between 12" and 18" of light, fresh powder had accumulated and Kayla and I took full advantage of this lovely new powder. As Kayla's oldest brother Henry says, "our dogs were barking" by about 2 PM and we were to meet her next-to-youngest brother Scriven for dinner in downtown Salt Lake City around 5 PM, so we reluctantly left the slopes at about 2:30 PM. We shared an excellent Italian dinner at Cucina Toscana with Scriven, our first family member to visit us here in SLC. Scriven is to catch an early morning flight back to Texas tomorrow.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Thu February 16th, 2006 at 04:20:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 133"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 6"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 11"
Snowfall this Season: 384"
Sky Cover: Sunny
Ridgetop Winds: Light S
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 4°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Mostly Sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 2° - 19°
Wind: Moderate WSW
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast:
Mostly sunny for Friday, with a storm on tap for Saturday into Sunday.

Photos of the Day
Kayla blazes a trail through deep powder - fantastic!

Kayla does business with Academic Network from high atop Alta Ski Resort.

Wipeout!! Fortunately soft and deep snow is very forgiving when inevitable falls occur.

How wonderful it is to replace ski boots by warm and fuzzy slippers for lunch!!

Harvey enjoys (almost) first tracks in the deep powder at Alta.

Kayla's brother Scriven, in SLC for a business meeting, shares wine, dinner, and conversation with Kayla and Harvey

Friday, February 17, 2006
Mostly a relaxed day, with some work for both of us. Harvey's brother Vance and his wife Ann drove down from Jackson Hole, Wyoming today and are staying here in Candlewook Suites tonight and tomorrow night. Against our strong objections, Vance and Ann treated us to dinner at Buca's, after which we all returned "home" to watch the Olympics. No new snow today, and no skiing, but it appears that more snow is on the way.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Fri February 17th, 2006 at 04:00:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 130"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 384"
Sky Cover: Sunny
Ridgetop Winds: Light SW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 14°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow Cloudy
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 4° - 23°
Wind: Moderate SW
Snowfall: 1"
Extended Forecast: Snow Advisory throught the weekend. 2-5" for Saturday, with more Saturday night into Sunday.

Photo of the Day
Harvey's brother Vance attempts to use Harvey's ergonomic keyboard to check his email.

Saturday, February 18, 2006
Once again, we enjoyed brunch at Hopper's while Vance and Ann went out for cross-country skiing up at Solitude. Mostly a relaxing day, with a few errands run in the afternoon. It snowed pretty heavily most of the afternoon in the valley, but we didn't even consider going up to Alta for skiing. Maybe tomorrow afternoon - we try to avoid the crowds on holiday weekends like this, but if there is a really big dump tonight we may have to reconsider. The Oregon and Wyoming Carruths enjoyed a nice dinner at Tony Roma's this evening and then settled in to watch the Olympics.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Sat February 18th, 2006 at 04:20:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 133"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 4"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 4"
Snowfall this Season: 385"
Sky Cover: Snowing
Ridgetop Winds: Light S
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 14°
Highway 210 Status: 4x4 or Chains Required
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow Cloudy
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 10° - 14°
Wind: Moderate SW
Snowfall: 4-7"
Extended Forecast: Snow Advisory into Sunday. 4-7" of snow tonight, and 4-7" more Sunday.

Photo of the Day
Harvey's brother Vance and sister-in-law Ann laugh it up at Tony Roma's.

Sunday, February 19, 2006
We had a relaxing brunch with Vance and Ann at Hopper's this morning and then said our goodbyes before they left to return to Jackson Hole. Went to two Gart Sports stores just to browse around, where I realized that one-piece ski suits are completely out of vogue now. No wonder there are so many double-takes when we are seen in our 10-15 year-old skiing clothes. Guess I've reached that point in life where double-take looks don't bother me in the least - my one-piece suits keep me warm while skiing and don't let snow creep inside (although they seem to have shrunk a bit over the years). Even though there was fresh snow on the mountain, we opted not to ski today - we hate the crowds on holiday weekends. Probably won't ski tomorrow either.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Sun February 19th, 2006 at 07:45:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 137"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 7"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 11"
Snowfall this Season: 395"
Sky Cover: Snowing
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 8°
Highway 210 Status: snowtires or chains in vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow Cloudy
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 9° - 13°
Wind: Moderate SW
Snowfall: 4-8"
Extended Forecast: Snow Advisory through this evening with 4-8" forcasted. Cloudy with chances of snow early this week.

No Photos Today

Monday, February 20, 2006
A lazy President's Day for the Carruths. We did manage to get out to 24 Hour Fitness for a workout this afternoon, but otherwise we just did a little work and watched some Olympics coverage. Didn't even consider fighting the holiday crowd on the slopes. Had a nice dinner at Marie Callender's Restaurant.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Mon February 20th, 2006 at 04:30:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 134"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 398"
Sky Cover: partly sunny
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 13°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: partly sunny
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 2° - 18°
Wind: light
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: Cloudy with chance of snow flurries thru the next few days, but nothing big expected.

Photo of the Day
Our first trip to 24 Hour Fitness during our SLC Odyssey. A nice facility and reasonably close by.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006
A routine day of work for both of us, with an afternoon walk tossed in for good measure. Watched the Olympics tonight, as usual, interspersed with a bit of work, some reading, and a few Sudoku puzzles. No skiing - maybe tomorrow - depends on the morning snow report.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Tue February 21st, 2006 at 04:20:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 131"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 398"
Sky Cover: cloudy with snow
Ridgetop Winds: moderate
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 12°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: snow
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 8° - 24°
Wind: moderate
Snowfall: 1-3"
Extended Forecast: Cloudy with chance of snow flurries thru the next few days, but nothing big expected.

No Photos Today

Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Another routine day of work for both of us. No new snow, so no skiing. Dinner at Tony Roma's followed by Olympics on TV.

Snow Report
No change.

No Photos Today

Thursday, February 23, 2006
Yet another routine day of work. No new snow, no skiing, but at least we got in a nice walk late this afternoon. Dinner in the suite and, as usual, Olympics on TV - watched Sasha Cohen win the Silver Medal.

Snow Report
No change.

No Photos Today

Friday, February 24, 2006
After working this morning, we went on an excursion out to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on the northern edge of the Great Salt Lake. We drove up to Brigham City on I-15, then west through desolate marsh lands to the refuge. Although most of the water surface was frozen, there were numerous ponds of open water and virtually all of those were occupied by Tundra Swans, Canada Geese, and various species of ducks. We also saw a Ring-Necked Pheasant, three Bald Eagles, several Rough-Legged Hawks and Prairie Falcons, a Racoon, and a Skunk. Kayla opened the window on the passenger side of the Blazer to take a picture of the skunk and, much to our consternation, s/he lifted her/his tail in preparation for what would have been a most unpleasant event. Instinctively, my right foot put the peddal to the metal and we evacuated the immediate area before any damage was done!

As we drove up toward Brigham City through the city of Layton, we were thrilled to see a Cracker Barrel Restaurant, one of our favorite places to eat back in Tennessee. The restaurant chain began in Lebannon, Tennessee, between Knoxville and Nashville. During the 31 years we lived in Knoxville, Kayla and I would stop there for whatever meal was appropriate on our frequent trips to Nashville. So, we stopped in for lunch, decided to make it brunch, went for our tour of the refuge, and returned to the Cracker Barrel for dinner! Enjoyed returning to our Tennessee roots with veggie plates: greens; fried okra; green beans; pinto beans; cole slaw; cornbread; biscuits; the works. Hobbled in, gobbled up, and wobbled out!!

Snow Report
No change

Photos of the Day
Kayla scans the horizon hoping to see waterfowl of some type.

Aha!! There they are!!

Four swans a-swimming.

Please don't spray us Mr./Ms. Skunk!!

Perfect lighting to make sure Harvey's face doesn't mess up the picture!

Mirror image of the mountain range in the water.

Saturday, February 25, 2006
Began our day with what has become our traditional Saturday morning brunch at Hopper's. Relaxed through the middle of the day with a little work, some shopping for the grandchildren, and Harvey solving a couple of difficult Sudoku puzzles. Late this afternoon we drove into the city and hiked up to Ensign Peak (see photos below). It was a beautiful afternoon and we enjoyed the hike and views immensely. When we returned downtown from our hike, we picked up tickets to the Utah Symphony performance this evening. The main work for tonight was one of my all-time favorites, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, Op. 74 ("Pathetique"), which was preceeded by a unique and enjoyable little piece by Rodion Shchedrin (Concerto for Orchestra No. 1 - "Naughty Limericks") and Shostakovich's Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 77 with an amazing 15 year-old soloist named Eugene Ugorski. It was a most pleasant evening.

The weather reports are now predicting some new snow as early as Monday evening, so we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Sat February 25th, 2006 at 04:16:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 129"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 402"
Sky Cover: Clear
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 37°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Sunny!
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 20° - 42°
Wind: Moderate
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: Mostly sunny through the weekend with pleasant temps. Next storm should reach the area Monday night/Tuesday.

Photos of the Day
Harvey and our Blazer in front of Utah State Capital, which is under major renovation.

Kayla at Ensign Peak, with the city and mountains out in all their glory.

A rare photo of both of us, thanks to the kindness of another couple at Ensign Peak.

This one is primarily for the Grandchildren in New Jersey. They've developed a tradition of "crazy photos."

Sunday, February 26, 2006
Stayed up late last night (3 AM), so didn't stir this morning until near noon. After lunch we decided to travel back north to Layton for an excursion to Antelope Island, a fascinating and beautiful place (see photos below). Spent the entire afternoon there, got in a short hike, and saw at least 100 buffalo, several hawks, and two chukker, but no antelope. Returned to SLC to watch the closing ceremonies of the Olympics - ordered pizza delivery from The Pie (yummy). February is turning out to be a month with little snow, much to our dismay, but things are looking up for the beginning of March.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Sun February 26th, 2006 at 04:45:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 128"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 402"
Sky Cover: High clouds
Ridgetop Winds: Moderate
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 41°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: high clouds
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 30° - 47°
Wind: strong
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: Next storm is starting to approach, windy and warm thru tonight, increasing chance of snow Monday night into Tuesday, main storm hits Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Photos of the Day
Kayla inspects a couple of buffalo on Antelope Island.

This white buffalo is very rare, but Kayla is taking a big chance...

Harvey thinks he is king of the hill.

We thought maybe the island in the distance was Bali Hai.

Kayla, the thinker...

Kayla acts like Sampson and tries to fell the Temple.

Where the buffalo roam...

Monday, February 27, 2006
The most important thing that happened today was our granddaughter Quindlan's first birthday!! We had the pleasure of watching her open our birthday gift via webcam, along with visits with Kim, Jim, and the three amigos. Today was a day of concentrated work for Harvey, while Kayla did some work, some laundry, and some shopping. Kayla spent a good portion of the evening constructing web email groups, while Harvey watched Larry King interview John Stewart and then finished reading Dead Sleep by Greg Iles. Basically a hum-drum day.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Mon February 27th, 2006 at 04:40:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 127"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 0"
Snowfall (Past 24 hrs): 0"
Snowfall this Season: 402"
Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
Ridgetop Winds: strong
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 43°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: cloudy / snow
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 35° - 36°
Wind: strong
Snowfall: 0"
Extended Forecast: Next storm is starting to approach, windy and warm thru Tuesday, main storm hits Tuesday night into Wednesday.

No Photos Today

Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Another day of concentrated work for both of us, but the afternoon brought significant wind, rain, sleet, hail, and snow to the valley (see photos below). In fact, as we finished desert at Ourback Steakhouse, the power went out, leaving many other diners in a quandry about where their sustenance would come from. Plans for tomorrow are to (finally) do some skiing!!

Snow Report
3" of new snow, but I failed to capture the full snow report

Photos of the Day
The storm hits the mountains and valley in mid-afternoon.

Little Cottonwood Canyon sees the last of the sun as it gets engulfed by the storm.

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