Flight was from Tampa, and one reason for leaving so early was to try the economy parking lot. Seems they took a new approach to economy parking--it's now a covered garage with a regular shuttle to the terminal. Very nice.
Now we start the Good News/Bad News feed.
G.N. = I got to the gate in plenty of time (1 hour early) to get an exit row…
B.N.= It was in the middle and was one of those exit seat rows that didn't recline
G.N. = I rushed to make my connection in Atlanta and walked from the arrival gate right onto the airplane for the next leg…
B.N. = I didn’t have time to ask for an exit row and even though it was a window seat, my "neighbor" was a giant. (Maybe she was Samoan, returning to school?)
G.N. = I slept the entire flight after we leveled off--4 hours of desperately needed shuteye…
B.N. = given the space limitations, I ended up sleeping in odd positions, resulting in a sore neck (damn).
G.N. = Although it was a connecting flight, my snowboard bag arrived with me…
B.N. = The Delta baggage gorillas must have been having a tug-o-war with it because it was badly torn on the top edge.
G.N. = I had forgotten which car agency I rented from, but the first one I tried (Thrifty) had my reservation (shortest line too)…
B.N. = (not much, but now that I've started like this…) I left all my travel papers--including my voucher for a free lift ticket--at the car counter and had to go back (but Jessica had saved it, so Yea!).
The car is cute-ish (Ford Focus) and big enough for the one person who is me. On to Park City!
The ride was uneventful, highway most of the way. I found the hotel easily, Chateau Après, and everyone was friendly. It is a bit of a dump--somewhere between an old Day's Inn and an old Motel 6--without the amenities we tend to take for granted (like an ice bucket!) but it is cheap and adequate for the one person who is me. And, of course, location, location, location. It's less than 600 mincing steps to the slopes.
Odd, they gave me room 115, my identification number with the firm. Hmm…it's a "firm" trip after all. Coincidence? I think not.
I got my board all set up, dressed (no small feat) and headed out by 1:30, actually on the mountain shortly after 2. As I mentioned the program they have gives away a full day's ticket the day you arrive with just an internet voucher and a boarding pass. OK, 2 hours for free, big deal. What I didn't know was that it was good for night skiing too. Well, night riding, actually. Are you there KITT?
I didn't waste any time--fell getting off my first lift, awkward, but with a low newbie quotient. This taught me why people use stomp pads on their boards--new board + snow = slickness.
I was amazed at how quickly it came back, and also at how hard it felt to turn toeside. Very odd…toeside (on toes, facing the mountain) was my favorite side before. Board just didn’t seem to want to go there; heelside turns were fine. I worked my way around the mountain, at least as much as I could in 2 hours, gaining confidence and speed with each run. No blacks today, but I found a few double blues that were fun (Prospector, Silver Queen). My favorite run of the day was probably Payday (I did it enough, day and night). I managed to hold off going into the trees until late in the day, and then just the edges (tiny bits of powder left from days ago). On one run I rode up the lift with some younger guys (my guess, early 30's) and came down with them for a bit. I must have been showing off a little, because I got going w-a-a-y too fast for a good part of the run. I lost them when I stopped to recover and they went on. Damn those young legs!
Speaking of which, my legs and wind were surprisingly strong. Of course, they could have been better if I had held to my exercise schedule (or had one) pre-trip, but I feel I held up pretty well, all things considered. I fell a little, maybe twice, nothing major, and nothing stupid. All in all, a good warmup day.
One disturbing thing I noticed was the tendency to get cramps in my back and rib muscles. Very odd--have never gotten them there before. My feet would hurt for a while, but then it would randomly go away; maybe something shifted in the boot. Also odd.
The best part of night riding is the continuity from the daytime. There's not a rush to make the last lift or a worry about get stranded (as long as you've made it back over to the night area--that's another story, too boring to relate here). Early in the session it is still sort of light, and the trail lighting fills in the rest. It's still warm enough to not be icy, and the crowds thin considerably, especially early when anyone with sense has stopped for dinner. The downside is that there are only a few runs open, some blue some green. Still, a lot of fun for the first day.
I did quit earlier than closing (9 PM, go figure) and cleaned up. Then it was a struggle to find a spot for dinner (got out late), but I ended up at Squatter's Pub.
They brew various beers sold locally with interesting names, hopefully you can make them out in the picture below. My favorite name is a toss-up between Provo Girl Pilsner and Captain Bastard's Oatmeal Stout.
Apparently they make something for the Mormon population as well….
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