NCompliance | Carruth Compliance Consulting

2007 Salt Lake City Odyssey - March

We arrived in Salt Lake City on February 2 and Harvey continued his chronicle of activities during our stay. Due to the number of photos and video clips included and the resulting size of the file, the blog is divided into two parts - February and March (how unique).

Click Here For The February 2007 Chronicle

Thursday, March 1, 2007
Awoke to a snow report of 7" of fresh powder overnight, which easily exceeded Harvey's 5" minimum to justify as a powder morning. However, we decided to take a leisurely approach to skiing today: Out of bed around 8:30; breakfast at 9; Harvey works until 10; drive up to Alta arriving at 10:45; on the lift at 11; lunch at 12:30; stopped skiing at 3:30; and latte and steamer at 4 as we drove back down the canyon. The Snow Report below was very accurate with respect to temperatures and winds. When we left the parking lot at 4 PM it was 14 degrees - quite a brisk day, but our ski clothes kept us comfortable. The snow in the Wildcat area was excellent - super light - what I like to call "cold smoke." We tried one run off of Collins Lift, but the winds were so high that all of the snow was in drifts - looking somewhat like sand dunes, so we called them snow dunes. We both spent a good deal of time working on techniques we learned during our private lesson with Dave Crans last month and Kayla began to gain new confidence in her ability to ski tougher territory without working her legs to death. We plan to incorporate these "practice sessions" into all of our ski days in hopes that both of us will become better skiers. Dinner was cream-of-wheat and hot tea, which suited us just fine following lunch at Collins Grill today. Neither of us felt like going out to dinner tonight. Predictions are for somewhere between 6" and 18" of fresh snow overnight, so we're looking forward to another day of powder skiing tomorrow!

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Thu March 1st, 2007 at 05:30:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 109"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 7"
Snowfall(Past 24 hrs): 7 "
Snowfall this Season: 297"
Sky Cover: Snow Flurries
Ridgetop Winds: Moderate WNW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 3°
Highway 210 Status: 4x4 or Chains Required
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow Flurries
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 5° - 15°
Wind: Moderate W
Snowfall: 4-8"
Extended Forecast: Snow and winds are expected to persist today through tonight with another 4-8" expected overnight.

Photos of the Day
Touchdown!! Kayla has scored big time in the Wildcat woods.

Kayla found the perfect ski for her brother Scriven, whose nickname happens to be "Scratch."

Friday, March 2, 2007
More new snow!! 13" of fresh powder, so another powder day is in store. We enjoyed our leisurely day yesterday so much that we decided on a repeat performance, not crawling out of bed until 8:15 AM. The Canyon Road was temporarily closed anyway - didn't open until 10 AM, so we waited until 10:15 to head up to Alta. Bummer!! Traffic was backed up for miles, so we aborted and returned to the apartment. Decided to try again at 1 PM and didn't have any trouble getting up to Alta. Lots of snow, but fairly large crowds. Kayla was still tired from yesterday's skiing and only made the effort because she knew she would not be skiing for the next several days. So, our skiing was limited in scope and the day would go in the books as one of the less satisfying of the trip. However, dinner at the Black Angus Steak House was quite good, followed by a quiet Friday evening "at home."

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Fri March 2nd, 2007 at 10:00:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 117"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 13"
Snowfall(Past 24 hrs): 16 "
Snowfall this Season: 312"
Sky Cover: Snowing
Ridgetop Winds: Moderate WNW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 10°
Highway 210 Status: 4x4 or Chains Required
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 4° - 14°
Wind: Moderate WNW
Snowfall: 5-9"
Extended Forecast: Winter storm warning in effect until 4pm today. Snow heavy at times throughout the morning. Snow and winds expected to taper by the afternoon to make way for high pressure throughout the weekend.

Photo of the Day
Harvey proudly displaying his Alta Season Pass at the top of Sugarloaf Lift.

Saturday, March 3, 2007
No new snow and a weekend day, so we did not ski. Slept in and went for brunch at the Cracker Barrel around 11 AM. Lounged around all afternoon watching several NCAA basketball games, both men and women - saw Duke Women lose their first game of the season. Harvey did a little work to fill in the gaps. Dinner tonight was at one of our favorite places from last year, yet we hadn't eaten there yet this year - Thaifoon - A Taste of Asia. We shared Pan Fried Potstickers for a starter, followed by Mango Chicken for Kayla, Ahi Tuna for Harvey (not on the web menu), and we shared scrumptuous Banana Caramel Spring Rolls for dessert (bananas cooked in pastry, with strawberries, whipped cream, and ice cream). Finally, we attended a performance by the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall downtown. The program was all Brahms, was wonderful, and included: Tragic Overture, op. 81, Concerto in A minor for Violin and Cello, op. 102 ("Double Concerto"); and Symphony No. 4 in E minor, op. 98. A fitting ending to a most enjoyable Saturday in our home away from home.

Photos of the Day
Kayla in Abravanel Hall with the Chihuly glass sculpture in the background.

View of the stage in Abravanel Hall from our seats for the Brahms concert.

Chandeliers in Abravanel Hall.

Sunday, March 4, 2007
Again, no new snow and a weekend day, so we did not ski. Attended church at Hilltop United Methodist Church, then went to Hopper's Grill for our traditional brunch of sticky buns and a split omlette. Went for our constitutional walk on the Jordan River in the early afternoon, then Harvey finally succumbed to the cold that has been chasing him and went to bed for the remainder of the afternoon. Kayla made some phone calls, watched some TV in the living room, and got some rest herself. Cold cereal for supper and early to bed. Tomorrow promises to be a work day.

Photos of the Day
Kayla just finished saying "Mine, mine, mine..." like the seagulls in Finding Nemo.

View of the Wasatch Mountain Range with its winter coat of white from the walkway along the Jordan River.

Monday, March 5, 2007
The next verse is the same as the first, no new snow today so we did not ski. We were bopping along getting things done until the mail arrived just after noon. Both of us were literally knocked off our feet by the quote we received for Errors and Omissions insurance, which was more than double the premium we paid last year!! Moreover, current coverage expires March 14, so we had only nine days to come up with more than $10,000. So, I scrambled to get checks in the mail moving funds into the corporate bank account in time to cover the premium. On another front, Kayla launched an all-out blitz to locate more reasonable quotes from other agencies. She went online, Googled E&O, located several prospects, made numerous telephone calls, received four different applications, and worked until 4 AM Tuesday morning completing three of the applications. One was sent out electronically and two were faxed first thing Tuesday morning. Honestly, Harvey was skeptical about the prospects for even receiving additional quotes in such a short time period, but Kayla remained optimistic. We both went to bed with a feeling of foreboding about the whole E&O fiasco.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007
No new snow, but we weren't even thinking about skiing anyway. Harvey managed to crawl out of bed around 9 AM and immediately went to fax the remaining two insurance applications. Sometimes the planets align just perfectly, because by 10 AM Sean Slater of Slater & Associates Insurance, Inc. in Tualatin called to report that Jason from The Hartford had magically entered the Slater office this morning asking if there were any quotes needing attention, because Jason was there to train their staff in generating quotes. Jason, Sean, and Linda (also on the Slater staff) spent the remainder of the morning evaluating the materials Kayla had generated and frequently calling Kayla (and Harvey) for clarifications and amplifications about Harvey's business. By the time we arrived at the SLC Airport to pick up our friend Ken Parkin from Knoxville, Tennessee, at 12:30 PM, Kayla received a call from the Terrific Trio in Tualatin announcing a quote not only for Errors & Omissions Insurance, but also for General Liability Insurance, that treated Harvey's company as a technology company and allowed a premium quote that was even less than the cost of current E&O only coverage with Houston Casualty Company. We were ecstatic!! We were also drained of energy and significantly sleep deprived. We only hope that our friend Ken, who we were very happy to welcome to SLC, didn't interpret our bleary eyes as indications that we weren't happy to see him! After a spartan lunch in the apartment, we did manage to take an afternoon walk with Ken along our usual route along the Jordan River (see photo of Ken and Kayla below). Ken thought we were going out for a short stroll, so when we returned to the apartment an hour and a half later, his tongue was dragging on the ground. We went to dinner at the Cracker Barrel (chicken and dumplings, what else?) and retired very early - wonder why?

Strong Recommendation
After the incredible service we have received from Slater & Associates Insurance, Inc., we encourage all of our friends and acquaintances to contact Sean Slater for quotes with respect to any and all insurance needs, especially Professional Liability and Errors & Omissions insurance. Their contact information is: 503-624-0466 Ext. 210, PO Box 1469, Tualatin, OR 97062.

Photo of the Day
Great shot of Ken and Kayla on bridge along walking trail, with Harvey's shadow in the mix.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Today Ken, Kayla, and Harvey spent most of the day at their computers. Ken was busy installing patches for the early change to Daylight Savings Time on network servers for his clients back in Knoxville, Tennessee, while Harvey spent most of the day evaluating a 457 Plan Engagement Agreement submitted to Lincoln County School District by First Investors Corporation. All three of us headed South for a new walking area at 5 PM, but quickly aborted due to heavy traffic on I-15. So, we hooked a U and headed down-a-town to walk there. We ended up parking near The Gateway Center, walked through the whole place and went into the old Gateway Railway Terminal Building, whose cavernous environment enticed Ken to make the (loud) noises of numerous tropical birds, which literally echoed through the Terminal Building for MINUTES, much to Kayla's dismay and Harvey's delight! We had a delightful dinner at Biaggi's Italian Restaurant before returning to the apartment. Harvey was up until late in the evening writing a lengthy evaluation of the First Investors Agreement to send it by email for arrival Thursday morning. The wind came up strong late in the evening and Harvey began to think that there was a chance it would be snowing at Alta. His premonition turned out to be well founded when he checked the snow report the following morning at 6 AM and learned that there were 4" of fresh powder at Alta.

Thursday, March 8, 2007
Those who periodically check in on our adventures may have noticed a "break in service" over the last few days. If you're really interested, check back for reports on Monday through Wednesday of this week once I get around to creating entries for those days. Today, on the other hand, finally promised to be a good day of skiing, with 4" of new snow overnight and 1-3" anticipated during the day today. This was the first new snow in seven days. Got to the resort at 10 AM with a large lasagna for the ski shop staff and quickly went to Collins Lift for our first run. It was our first day to ski with Ken Parkin, our old friend from Knoxville, Tennessee - he's our whooping and hollering skiing buddy - an excellent skier who enjoys skiing almost as much as Harvey. First we skied the trees on both sides of the Collins Chair - the snow was nice, but strange in places, with hard/icy patches under 4" of fresh some places and soft throughout in other places. We had to be careful not to become complacent when we were in the latter type of territory, because very quickly we would find ourselves in the former. Next we went over to the Wildcat Lift, but hooked over into trees between Wildcat and Collins for some untracked stretches where I took videos of Kayla and Ken. Back up Wildcat and over to a nice area Ken was attracted to from the lift. We learned when we got near that spot why it was completely untracked - it was roped off!! Not to be sidetracked fro long we went to skier's right of "Ken's Secret Stash" and had a nice run through some very nice, fluffy snow. After another run or two in the Wildcat area, we went back to Collins Lift with the intention of going to the top, Kayla skiing back down various Collins runs to the bottom and over to Rustler Lodge for lunch, and Ken and I going out High Traverse to Eagle's Nest for a challenging run down to meet Kayla.

However, as luck would have it, we were told to stop by the lift operator as we approached the chair, Harvey attempted to stop, but someone behind him was pushing his right ski, which caused his skis to go in different directions and, as if in some time warp he slowly lost his balance, fell backward right onto his rear end and back, and experienced severe pain in his left chest (go figure - nowhere near the point of impact). The lift operator had to take one of his skis off before Harvey could get up, and even then he needed help. So, finally we loaded onto a chair and reached the top of Collins. Fortunately, clouds had socked in High Traverse, so we decided to abort that plan and have lunch at Collins Grill. All seemed to be well until Harvey attempted to put his ski boots back on after lunch, when he realized that he wouldn't be skiing the remainder of the day - the pain was pretty much unbearable when he attempted to bend over to put his boots on. So, after much help from Kayla and Ken to get him onto his skis, all three musketeers gingerly worked their way down to the Alta Clinic, where we ended up spending the remainder of the afternoon - X-rays, palpatations, all of that good stuff - only to learn that there appeared to be no fractured ribs or lung damage. Our stay in the Clinic was lengthened due to a very serious broken leg within the boot of a lady from Canada. In the triage scheme of things an aching bunch of ribs somehow didn't merit the same attention as a lady writhing in pain with a broken leg. Our view was: "Take your time - thank God that wasn't one of us!!"

After returning to the apartment we went out to dinner at Ruby Tuesday, picked up a pain prescription for Harvey at Walgreens Drugstore, and returned yet again to the apartment, where Ken is working on his network servers back in Knoxville remotely, Kayla is on a conference call with the Senior Minister and her substitute Chairperson of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee back in Portland, Harvey is updating this chronicle, and Gray's Anatomy is being recorded so Kayla can watch it later. Harvey's ribs are feeling better right now, but the Clinic personnel warned us that they would hurt more tomorrow than today. We shall see...

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Thu March 8th, 2007 at 05:30:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 103"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 4"
Snowfall(Past 24 hrs): 4 "
Snowfall this Season: 322"
Sky Cover: Snow Flurries
Ridgetop Winds: Moderate NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 27°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow Flurries
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 27° - 36°
Wind: Light WNW
Snowfall: 1-3"
Extended Forecast: Snow throughout the morning, diminishing by the afternoon. Additional weather disturbances moving through the area will result in a chance of snow for the first half of the weekend.

Photos of the Day
Ken Parkin waves to us in the following double chair on the Wildcat Lift.

Ken took this photo while Kayla and Harvey were in the Clinic, only marginally capturing the figure eight ski tracks there.

Video Clip
This is something Harvey tried for the first time this year - using our Nikon digital camera to take video clips of action skiing. The files are rather large, so they are set up to open a new browser window and download the entire file before displaying with QuickTime software. If QuickTime is not loaded on your computer, you may download and install it free from the QuickTime Download Site. Unless you are interested in QuickTime with iTunes, click on the QuickTime 7.1.5 for Windows 2000/XP radio bullet and, unless you are interested in being kept up to date with QuickTime News, New Music Tuesday, and/or other Apple news, uncheck those three check boxes before downloading the software.

Click HERE for a video clip of Ken Parkin bombing through the trees at Mach 3 speed.

Friday, March 9, 2007
No thoughts of skiing today. Ken was up VERY early (try 2 AM) worrying about updating registries on his Windows 2000 boxes back in Knoxville, whereas Harvey and Kayla slept in until about 9 AM. We decided to go for brunch to IHOP, where we all enjoyed breakfast items. Between noon and 2 PM Kayla and Ken went shopping while Harvey did some work in the apartment. Then, Harvey dropped Kayla off at the Mall for additional shopping and took Ken to the Airport for him to pick up a rental car. Ken said his goodbyes to the Carruths and headed for Park City to visit other friends of his (Mickey and Milla Bilbrey, formerly of Knoxville). Ken had decided that he would rearrange his return flights to Knoxville, since there is virtually no snow forecast for the next seven days. His original tickets were next Wednesday, but he plans to return earlier, either on Sunday or Monday. Harvey returned to pick Kayla up and they went to Macaroni Grill for an early dinner. We saw the powerful movie "Amazing Grace" in the evening, the first movie of the entire 2007 odyssey. A very relaxed day, with some work and some "other" activities.

Saturday, March 10, 2007
Two inches of new snow overnight, but not enough to justify fighting the weekend crowds. We slept in until late morning, then went back to IHOP for brunch. Very relaxing day for us - Harvey managed to send off his list of clients to receive certificates of liability insurance and he worked on importing Eugene School District data for compliance analysis while Conference NCAA Tournament action took place in the background on TV. We had dinner at Lamb's Grill Cafe downtown and then went to a performance of the Utah Symphony, in which three Sibelius works were performed.

Sunday, March 11, 2007
We joined the rest of the country with an early "spring forward" and celebrated by sleeping in until nearly 11 AM. We had breakfast in the apartment, Harvey did some work in the early afternoon, and we went to the movie "The Ultimate Gift" at 4 PM. Dinner this evening was at The Red Butte Cafe near the University of Utah. We returned to the apartment, watched some of the Men's NCAA bracket chatter, Kayla worked at her computer most of the evening, and Harvey caught up on some pleasure reading. The forecast for the next seven days is sunny with highs in the mid-60s, so it looks like a week of work with no skiing.

Monday, March 12, 2007
Definitely looks like a work week, since temps are forecast to be in the upper 60s with bright sunshine right on through next weekend. So, Harvey worked all day, with a traditional walk along the Jordan River, Kayla did some shopping in anticipation of our trip to Louisiana next week for the celebration of the 90th birthday of Kayla's mother, we went out for dinner, and Harvey worked some more this evening while Kayla took care of chruch work back in Portland.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007
It's a broken record: warm; bright sunshine; work; walk; dinner out; more work; off to bed.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The next verse is the same as the first: warm; bright sunshine; work; walk; dinner out; more work; off to bed.

Thursday, March 15, 2007
Ditto, except that we went to the Sugarhouse section of town for dinner at the Lonestar Steakhouse, which proved to be excellent. Kayla had the small filet and Harvey had the Texas Ribeye. Both of us had the signature Lettuce Wedge salad and the incredible baked sweet potatoes, then shared a delicious slice of key lime pie.

Friday, March 16, 2007
A very busy day of work for Harvey until around 3 PM. Then we went and had the Blazer washed, picked up a few short sleeved shirts for Harvey for our trip to Louisiana next week, and went to the Airport to pick up our good friend Amy Brooks, who is here from Portland for a visit with us this weekend. Once we collected Amy at the Airport we went straight downtown, walked around a bit, and went to Cucina Toscana for a very special dinner. Came home to the apartment, watched some men's NCAA Tournament basketball, and headed to bed early - big day coming up tomorrow.

Saturday, March 17, 2007
A very enjoyable and full day of activities with our visitor Amy Brooks. We began with our traditional "sticky bun" breakfast at Hopper's Grill, then drove north on I-15 to Brigham City and the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. What a change from our visit there last year when only small portions of the water were free of ice and the birds were congregated there. This year there was NO ice at all, so the birds were mostly well away from the roadways. However, we did see lots of Tundra Swans, geese, ducks, and at least one white pelican. It was so warm (in the low 70s) that mosquitos were out by the thousands (see photos below), which was quite a surprise. The biggest thrill came before we even got close to the Refuge, when we spotted eight Sandhill Cranes in a field on the road to the Refuge. They were majestic! Moreover, after our trip through the Refuge as we drove back by the same field, we were treated to seeing two Sandhill Cranes cupping their wings and swooping down to join the eleven that were already there (three more had apparently joined the group in our absence). These truly are huge birds - most impressive.

From the Migratory Bird Refuge we headed back south to Layton and Antelope Island, which turned out to be a glorious afternoon with wildlife of all sorts at every turn. Buffalo, antelope, jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits, and chucker grouse by the score (see photos below). At one point we watched as roughly 50 or a herd of 300 buffalo crossed the road directly in front of us. The total heard is only 600 in number, so we were watching approximately half of the herd today. We got some great shots of two Prong-horned Antelope as they crossed the road right in front of our Blazer. Later in the afternoon we went to the Visitor Center, which had closed at 5 PM, and notices motion down the hill from the main building. It turned out that the jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits, and chucker grouse had just become extremely active and were scurrying around everywhere we looked. What a thrill for all of us!!

As the sun set across the Great Salt Lake we drove back to Layton for Amy's first meal at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant. She did it up right with chicken & dumplings, all of the trimmings, and a couple of desserts. Three tired puppies made the drive back into SLC just in time to catch up on the NCAA basketball scores and waddle off to bed. Even though it will definitely be spring skiing tomorrow, we plan to introduce Amy to "our" ski resort by skiing a few hours and having lunch on the mountain. Should be fun.

Photos of the Day
Amy and Kayla fight over the last sticky bun at Hopper's Grill.

Two lovely birds at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.

Two (Tundra) Swans a-swimming (and notice the billions and billions of mosquitos in the air).

Hundreds of Tundra Swans languishing in the Bear River Refuge.

The two queens of the mountain - one of them giving at least one thumb up .

A lovely view on Antelope Island.

Kayla noticed this cute little cottontail rabbit during our walk on Antelope Island.

About as close as one can get to Prong-Horned Antelope - guess where? On Antelope Island of course!

No wind at all made for this beautiful "mirror image" shot looking East from Antelope Island toward the Wasatch Range.

Where the buffalo roam - the Ranger said that there were about 300 in this herd (not all showing, of course).

My favorite shot of the day, with Kayla in the foreground and buffalo in the background - nice lighting, no?

We watched a large portion of the herd cross the highway right in front of us.

This is the only really good photo we got of a chucker grouse, but we saw dozens of them.

Sunday, March 18, 2007
This was the day to take our friend Amy up to Alta, so she could at least partially experience the skiing that Kayla and Harvey love so much. We started the day with a hearty breakfast at the Cracker Barrel (Amy was bound and determined to experience their biscuits and gravy). The drive up Little Cottonwood Canyon was a different experience for Amy this weekend - it's pretty dramatic. Amy lounged in the Rustler Lodge while we made a couple of runs or very hard packed snow. Then we joined her for lunch at Rustler (Harvey claimed to be famished, having finished breakfast around 10 AM), after which we decided conditions didn't merit continuing to ski. So, we drove down the Canyon and took a walk along the Jordan River instead. Then it was time to head out to our 5:30 PM dinner reservation at Taifoon (most of the weekend was "hobble in, gobble up, and wobble out"). After dinner we got Amy to her flight on time and insisted that she plan another similar excursion next year.

Photos of the Day
Amy and Kayla enjoy the surroundings and the food at Rustler Lodge.

Amy and Kayla strike classy poses on the bridge over the Jordan River.

Are you supposed to toast with Thai tea cups? Amy and Kayla seem to think so.

Driving home from the airport after dropping Amy off - we thought the plane in the photo might be hers.

The sunset a bit later - Salt Lake City has some beautiful sunsets.

Monday, March 19, 2007
A routine day of work. Nothing worth reporting.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Another routine day of work. Nothing worth reporting.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Four inches of new snow overnight, so we decided to do a little skiing today. Waited until after 10 AM so we could check for exit row seats on our flight tomorrow - no such luck, but at least we printed off our boarding passes. The snow was described by the ski shop staff as Sierra Cement - very "unusual" and difficulty to ski. However, we made numerous runs on all parts of the mountain, breaking for lunch at Collins Grill and calling it quits around 3 PM. We got a few good photos (see below). Returned home, took a short nap, went to the Cracker Barrel for dinner, hit the hot tub for awhile, then packed for our trip to Louisiana tomorrow.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Wed March 21st, 2007 at 06:30:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 93"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 4"
Snowfall(Past 24 hrs): 4 "
Snowfall this Season: 333"
Sky Cover: Snow Flurries
Ridgetop Winds: Light S
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 29°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow Flurries
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 29° - 35°
Wind: Light SW
Snowfall: 1-4"
Extended Forecast: High pressure will settle across the region tonight. A weak storm may impact the area on Friday.

Photos of the Day
Kayla on the Wildcat lift with fresh snow on the evergreen trees.

Harvey contemplates going under the rope beyond the ski area boundary (NOT) .

A nice skier volunteered to take a picture of both of us, with pretty territory in the background.

Unusual clouds over the mountains provided a neat background for this classy skier.

Kayla enjoys her traditional steamer, while Harvey's latte awaits his return .

Thursday, March 22 through Sunday, March 25, 2007
We were in Natchitoches, Louisiana helping to celebrate Kayla's Mother's 90th birthday. Will return to blogging when we return.

Monday, March 26, 2007
A routine day of work. Nothing worth reporting.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Another routine day of work. Nothing worth reporting.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Ten inches of new snow overnight, so we left early (7 AM) and arrived at Alta around 8 AM. Had breakfast at Goldminer's Daughter grill, were in the Wildcat lift line by 9 AM, and were on the slopes by 9:20 AM. Conditions were good, but not great - due to the hard pack lurking 10 to 15 inches below the powder surface. However, with the exception of a fall by Kayla during which she twisted her pinkie finger on her right hand to the point that she feared she had broken it. An X-ray at the Alta Clinic showed that it wasn't broken, so they taped it to its neighbor (ring finger), we had lunch at Rustler Lodge, and then skied until 3 PM. It looks like this storm will wind down tomorrow, so tomorrow will likely be our last day of skiing for this year's odyssey. Dinner at the Cracker Barrel was good, as always. Two tired puppies will be hitting the sack tonight.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Wed March 28th, 2007 at 05:30:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 96"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 8"
Snowfall(Past 24 hrs): 10 "
Snowfall this Season: 345"
Sky Cover: Snowing
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 17°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 17° - 25°
Wind: Moderate N
Snowfall: 5-9"
Extended Forecast: Tonight we are expecting 3-6 inches of new snow with temperatures in the mid teens. For Thursday, snow flurries.

Photos of the Day
Kayla in a beautiful fresh snow setting.

A pretty mountain view taken from the Wildcat Lift.

Thursday, March 29, 2007
Surprisingly, the skiing was better today than yesterday. Kayla wasn't feeling well, so she didn't ski. Harvey planned to pick up Krispy Kreme donuts to take to the Ski Shop, but the store we used last year was closed. So, Harvey left his credit card at Goldminer's Daughter and invited all of the Ski Shop staff to go over for breakfast or lunch as his guest. For some reason, only one person took him up on it! Therefore, Kayla is preparing a cake and some brownies to take up to the shop tomorrow morning. Skiing today was really very nice. Harvey skied all around the mountain: several runs on Wildcat; several runs on Collins, including two trips down Ballroom Bowl; one run on the Backside; and several runs off of the Supreme Lift, including a beautiful run in the Catherine's Area. He was pretty well bushed by 2 PM, so he picked up his traditional latte and returned to the apartment. We had a delicious dinner at the Black Angus Steak House and spent the remainder of the evening on email communication, work, and updating the blog. Plans are for skiing tomorrow morning - likely our last day of skiing for this season.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Thu March 29th, 2007 at 04:30:00 PM
Settled Snow Depth: 99"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 1"
Snowfall(Past 24 hrs): 5 "
Snowfall this Season: 354"
Sky Cover: Snow Flurries
Ridgetop Winds: Light NNE
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 24°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 17° - 30°
Wind: Light NW
Snowfall: 2-4"
Extended Forecast: The large slow moving upper low centered over western Colorado will continue to affect the northern Utah mountains through Friday. High pressure will bring a brief drying and warming trend Friday night and Saturday....

Photos of the Day
Interesting clouds shroud Little Cottonwood Canyon on the way to Alta.

Harvey decided this illustrated the proverbial "between a rock and a hard place."

This photo taken from the Catherine's Area back toward the Supreme Lift illustrates "Enchanted Alta."

Friday, March 30, 2007
Kayla ended up preparing cupcakes and a separate cake in a pan and scratched the brownies. We both went up to Alta for our last day of skiing this season and deposited the goodies with the Ski Shop staff. Conditions were quite good, with powder stashes everywhere, and the slopes were almost deserted. After a farewell lunch at Collins Grill (see photo below), we skied a few more runs and called it a season. Said our goodbyes to the Ski Shop staff, loaded up our skis, poles, and boots, and headed down the Canyon anticipating our special dinner planned for the evening. We held our Annual Meeting of the Carruth Compliance Consulting Board of Directors at the lovely Log Haven Restaurant, a new "find" Kayla made while searching for unusual dining experiences. The dinner menu was most interesting and we took full advantage: First Course - Wild Key West Jumbo Shrimp (Kayla) and Fire-Grilled Corn Soup (Harvey); Salad Course - Spinach and Arugula Salad (Kayla) and Mixed Green Salad (Harvey); Entree - Pork Chop "Havana Style" (Kayla) and Smoked Chili-Seared Ahi Tuna (Harvey); and Desert - Trio Coconut Delight (Kayla) and Pear Tarte (Harvey). Fantastic meal in a romantic setting! Believe it or not, we did actually discuss business plans for the future as well.

Snow Report
Current Conditions as of: Fri March 30th, 2007 at 05:30:00 AM
Settled Snow Depth: 99"
Snowfall (Past 12 hrs): 1"
Snowfall(Past 24 hrs): 3 "
Snowfall this Season: 356"
Sky Cover: Snow Flurries
Ridgetop Winds: Light NW
Mid Mountain Temp:(°F) 14°
Highway 210 Status: Snowtires or Chains Required in Vehicle
Forecast for Today
Sky Cover: Snow
Temperatures °F (9am-4pm): 14° - 32°
Wind: Light NW
Snowfall: Trace"
Extended Forecast: Snow flurries today and then clearing. Next chance for snow will be Sunday.

Photos of the Day
Kayla wanted a photo with her "backed up" into one of the lovely snow-covered trees.

Some of the Collins Grill staff: Elmo, Mel, Ron, and De. They took excellent care of us at lunch time!

Harvey "missed the boat" on this lift and Kayla looks back wondering what happened!

Harvey tries unsuccessfully to hide amongst the snow-laden branches of this tree.

Kayla enjoys a glass of German Riesling wine at the Log Haven Restaurant.

Harvey and Kayla "toast" each other with a chilled cucumber and mint soup at Log Haven.

The long and the short of it was that we had a wonderful dinner at Log Haven.

Click HERE for a final video clip of the season - Harvey enjoying his last run of the season!