When the Mood Strikes, Head for the Hills

A photo journey through Snowbird, UT

I have been craving shooting lately. The tame kind, with a camera, you know. For some reason, we have not gotten out this year to just take in, on digital space, the beauty of all that is around us. Call it busy life, call it laziness, whatever it is, we have not been shooting in a while.

About a week ago, I was in one of my “let’s pick up and leave” moods that strikes still, luckily, every now and again. Because I always want  to make the most out of my very limited time to travel, we decided to go somewhere close (so we can get there comfortably right after work on a Friday) but somewhere new. As hard as that sounds to believe, there are still plenty of “new” places for us, right around our county.  So, we ended up in Snowbird.

Known to skiers as one of their favorite getaways, Snowbird is now being advertised as “a winter and summer resort”. And that tagline is not a lie: there are plenty of things to do in the summer, for old ones and little ones, for the more active kinds and for us, the more laid back, lazy ones, too (make sure you see the whole album for all the possibilities).  

The drive up the mountain from The Utah Valley, on winding roads and around piney slopes is a thing of beauty and a dreamlike experience: as you drive higher and higher and the terrain becomes taller and taller, and more remote, you have a very surreal and yet very material sort of sense of leaving every piece of the noisy world behind and stepping into a new universe – of peace, solitude, freshness and awesomeness.

Once you make it to the resort, you feel like a new world, very small, very contained and yet very sufficient has swallowed you whole. The resort is not very big and it’s nested in the heart of Little Cottonwood Canyon. It has several hotels, several restaurants with world renowned chefs and hostesses, a grocery, store, a pharmacy, several gift shops – you know, everything you can possibly need in a short stay.

 The grocery store was called 'General Gritts'. Reminded me of The South. 

Unlike the semi to very high end resorts around Park City, Snowbird gives you a feeling of normalcy and down-to-earthness. You’re not blinded by the super rich, nor made feel uncomfortable. The crowd is very diverse here and it takes literally all kinds: families with (many or not so many) kids, singles, on mountain bikes, young couples or retirees. There is something everyone finds to do, and everyone seems to go about doing it, without hindering everyone else.

On our first night, to add to the serenity, we were welcome by this beautiful moon, while eating on the patio of the El Chanate (“Blackbird”) restaurant, outside The Cliff Lodge:

 And speaking of El Chanate: I have had Mexican fried ice-cream before, but this plate was beautiful: 

And the churros (on top) were delicious. I have never had them and the waiter told me they’re like donuts. But they are not. They were doughy and not very sweet, but very tasty – a balanced taste of chocolate and cinnamon, and if you know anything about me you know I hate both – but these were well balanced, even for my taste!

The resort was built in the 70’s and early 80’s. And the buildings and some of the décor still has that same wood panel – kind of vibe to them.  But some of the restaurants, like The Aerie and The Atrium have had some overhaul re-dos, and they have a more contemporary, simplified, and slick feel to them.

This is the sit-down dining room at The Aerie (they also have an all couch and armchair lounge):

The architecture of the whole place is somewhat interesting. The buildings copy the physique of the mountain for the most part, its incline and tallness. It is slopey, and every single floor has a beautiful view of a mountain valley and of vegetation up close, at the same time. At any given floor you can be at level 5 or ground level, simultaneously. And then, you have trails that lead you to the bottom of the valley, or to another altitude level / floor where you have more facilities. The architecture mingles in well with the natural beauty of the surroundings. Nothing pops as out of context – it’s all a beautiful marriage between god-made mountain and man-made abode.

I have seen some of the most interesting mountain architecture in Snowbird and Alta (its neighbor city to the North) alike: 

 The Cliff Lodge, in Snowbird

 Store by the roadside in Alta

 Rental shop in Snowbird

On Saturday, we took the aerial tram (sort of like a gondola, but bigger) up Hidden Peak – which, at 11,000 feet, is the tallest mountain of the resort. You "climb" up from 7000 ft to the top in less than 9 minutes. Be prepared for your ears to pop!

The views from up there were amazing! We could see all the way down to Utah Lake and the Salt Lake Valley … mountains and winding roads and streams and the whole world as far as your eyes could see! It was a crystal clear day, with almost no clouds in the sky so the visibility was endless! 

More than anything we did this weekend, just looking at the mountain and taking every piece of its beauty in was my favorite!

Vistas galore! Your eyes will hurt from staring at such beauty!

Snow is still melting, even in July, on this mighty hill! Some parts of it were thicker than 5 feet:

From the valley, you see just barely traces of snow, but up here, they become bottomless pots full to the brim of the white stuff:

I really loved getting back to shooting nature, in its close-ups and distant beauty!  Although we didn’t meet with the moose nor the mountain lion, just finding bugs and insects and beautiful, fragile wild flowers was enough. Everything up there was fresh, lively and so excited the sun was finally out and the earth was warm.

 My husband took a picture of this lady bug 

After exploring Hidden Peak for half and hour or so, we decided to climb down about half a mile, to The Peruvian Express station – one of the chair lift stations on the mountain. The hike was very easy, and it was all downhill:

 

You can see the Peruvian Express Station (the blue building) in the valley - we are atop Hidden Peak while taking the picture

 Once we made it to The Station, we also found the Peruvian Tunnel, a 600 ft tunnel that pierces the mountain to provide access to the Mineral Basin, or the other side of the mountain. There is always something awe-inspiring when in the heart of the earth – and this tunnel was no different, although it was not as closed in and claustrophobic as a cave or a mine proper:

 

For the first time in my life, I think, I was a bit nervous on the chairlift! I am not sure what it was, whether the distance to the ground was bigger, or the architecture of the chair itself was different, more tipped backwards than other chairs – I am not too certain, but I was almost shaking all the way down the lift, as we approached the resort: 

 The ride downhill was scary (for me), but always worth it!

One more word about the wildlife! They had signs everywhere picturing a moose and warning us not to feed them! They should replace the moose with ground squirrels, though, as they were everywhere and they were friendly as all so they can talk you into feeding them. Lots. As you can tell, by how close I could get to them, they were not in the least shy:

Once we were back in the valley, we just took everything at a slower than slow pace. We walked around, we people watched, we ate snacks and had drinks on a patio, we spent some time on our own balcony, drinks in hand and mountain on top of us. We read, we surfed, we napped. We had dinner at The Aerie and for those of you who love fresh trout – it was delicious, on a very yummy polenta cake. 

On Sunday morning, we had a  beautiful and plentiful brunch on the patio of The Atrium, where, for the first time in my life, I had two plateful of fresh sushi for breakfast. Talk about decadence and being on vacation!

More than anything, this weekend, we breathed in and unwound! The pace was slow and the possibilities were endless to just … be.

Click on the picture for experiencing the whole album. 

Enjoy and, if you can, go and check it out yourself.

What could be more relaxing in life than just hearing the wind through the pines and watching the butterflies hop and skip the rocks in a mountain stream?! Not many things, if you asked me.

Why WY?!

“ In some strange, difficult to explain fashion, most normal Americans seeing these far Western states for the first time find themselves curiously comfortable, feel somehow that spiritually, if not physically, they have come home.” (Dude Rancher Struthers Burt – quote from a Jackson Hole Museum exhibit)

The hardest question to answer someone right before or after I travel is : “Why do you go there?!”. As in:

“What are you doing this weekend?

I am going to Jackson, WY.

Why?!” – with the most puzzled look and an almost disgusted frown.

I am forever mystified by such questions. How do you answer that without being pretentious and also being relevant, at the same time? If they can’t see the why … what is there for you to teach?!  

So, I thought, for the sake of those who will wonder why we would pick up and drive for 6 hours on a cold, wet Saturday to a place that is even colder and wetter than Utah at that time (Memorial Day Weekend this year), in the middle of the mountains, with nothing but woods and prairie grass all around, I would make a list of why you should pick Wyoming for your next trip, too.  

I’ll tell you why we picked it in the first place but then, as we were there, we discovered why we were so right in doing so. Jackson, WY is a rich, happening place, stewing in history, with tons of stuff to do, and beautiful, breathtaking country, even at 33F in a light and chilly drizzle, mixed with snow!

We picked Jackson, first, because we stumbled upon the small town on our way back from Yellowstone last year. Ever since we glanced at it, over a short lunch break, we wanted to come back. Once we were back, we never, for one second regretted the choice we made to spend our long weekend there.

The town is fairly new (120 years young), but looks like a Western movie set. The sidewalks are paved with wooden planks, and your shoes resound as if you were wearing spurred boots. The buildings are old, and most of them original, 50+ year old buildings. Everything is preserved in such a manner, to remind you of the past – the two story buildings, the colorful paints, the wood siding on most of them, the compact wall-to-wall proximity of each building.

Everything reminds you of the days gone of the olden times of the first sheriffs and saloons, of a time when these lands were just being laid out and parceled up, divided into counties for the first time at the will of the gun and of the fist. A time of “dudes” and “dudines”, a time of madams, a time of passionate fights for what everyone believed was their own, when only in fact it belonged to the one who fought the hardest. It’s another page in the American history, much different than the rich Eastern one, but nonetheless important and revered.  

Aside from tracing the footsteps of settlers, these are some other things that you might consider when you pick your next destination to be Jackson:

This town is brimming with art. According to the wiki, Jackson is home to several world class art organizations. But you don’t need the online resource to realize this truism! There is an art store at every corner – and for a pretty popular tourist destination, this town has almost no “cheese”. Even the t-shirt stores are clean, elegant and, yes, artsy. One of the free magazines you can pick up in a box in the street is the “Art Association of Jackson Hole” newspaper – the community is so strong, they have their own paper, which speaks of exhibits, what artist is in town that month, and they offer the most art classes in any medium you can imagine, all over town.

I wanted to leave with a token of that, but everything, and I mean, even a small tiny wooden box costs a fortune there. Everything is one of a kind, too, so it’s understandable. 

 Indian art at a furnishing store

The art is inspired by the beautiful mountain surrounds, and rich wild life, as well as by the ancient Indian heritage, which is strong in these parts, as you would expect from any Western place.

We also went to Jackson to just be close to the mountains, and live in a cabin for a weekend! There is nothing like the touch, the feel, the smell of wood and the quiet that it envelops you in.

The food is delicious! Everything is fresh and local – and everyone takes pride in that. The Snake River brewery is considered a small brewery but they won the most awards I have ever seen in one place. Not only do they serve buffalo and local trout, but they even take pride in using the Snake River water for their beer: their slogan is “Run our river through your liver”. A bit graphic and cheeky, but that’s Jackson.

You come across foods you don’t get to eat in other places, like fresh elk, bison or trout. I strongly encourage ordering these – they taste like nothing else – fresh, tender, with tons of natural flavor -   the flavor of the mountain.

The names of some of the food establishments are unique (and again, cheeky), and add flavor to the environment, like the two Thai places “Bon Appe Thai” and “Thai Me Up”.  Nothing is boring in this small town – at least at first glance. Everything is just a little bit “twisted”.

Another reason why you should come to Jackson is – the best Spanish omelet in the world, hands down! OK! I have not been to Spain, so, maybe not in the world, but the best that I have ever tried – the salsa makes the dish here – delicious, fresh, spicy without being too much, on a bed of egg, cheese and sour cream.

We ran into the most fun store we have ever seen – a drink and spice store called Vom Fass. They import wines, liqueurs, cognacs, brandies, whiskies, oils, vinegars and spices from all over the world and sell them under one roof. You get to sample everything before you buy. You get to buy everything in custom made glass bottles, of various sizes. It’s very personalized, and very chic. We just got into too much trouble there, for sure. Adult playing is highly encouraged.

 

Our "treasure hunt" findings at Vom Fass

At the Jackson Hole Museum, you find out about the first settlers and how mesmerized they were when they first got to Jackson, how and why they never left, although life was not always easy – especially in the long, harsh winters. It’s a short visit, as the museum is not very big, but I definitely recommend it if you like to learn more about the area, what’s unique about it, and its history.

The Elk Refuge is unique in its own right, in the country and even in the world, having the largest herd of elks anywhere on the planet. The scenery is beautiful, even on a foggy day: lush, green pastures, surrounded by green hills, and into the distance by the Teton mountains. And a creek running through it. I cannot even begin to imagine how much serenity you’d encounter living here. We didn’t see elk, if you’re not counting the ones lying dead and rotting, but it was a nice ride through a very peaceful scenery, on a quiet, rainy, brutally chilly day.

Probably the one most famous trademark of Jackson are the four elk antler arches around the town square park – each corner of the park is guarded by one huge arch, completely made of antlers that boy scouts collect every spring on The Refuge. They donated these arches to the city in one of their endeavors. They are raw, natural and blend into the surroundings organically beautifully.

There are a lot of dead creatures around town – all stuffed and on display. If you have issues with that sort of décor, maybe you need to bring an open mind on your visit. These speak of what people have done in these parts, for generations – hunting is a huge tradition around here. At the Gun Barrel Steak and Game, the kill is savored and the guns are respected and in display cases. Very Western, very American, in my own opinion.

You should also go to Wyoming, for the people. They are some of the friendliest people I have met. They are never rushed, and always polite and mindful. Curious, yes, without being intruders. They give good advice and directions for where to eat and where to have fun. They know their land, and they are proud of it. And where else in the country would you eavesdrop on a lazy conversation , on a cold, rainy spring day, at a local diner, that goes something like this:

“So, what are y’all doing today?

Oh, not much. Me and John will just sit in a saddle and have a coupla’ O’Douls.”

Yes, the Wyoming horseman is for real!

There was so much we still wanted to do! We never got to ride the tram up the mountain from The Teton Village, because of the fog. And we never got to go horse back riding, because of the rain and cold. So we are surely going back – hopefully on an obnoxiously hot summer day! But everything we did see and do was absolutely memorable!

When driving into Jackson, or away from it, you drive by beautiful farmland, hemmed by beautiful mountains. You spot cows, horses and an occasional antelope or pronghorn farm, too. Man and beasts live very closely here, and there is God plenty a room for both, for sure under the great Western sky.  

 A pronghorn deer, along the side of the road towards Jackson

Nothing describes these beautiful places and the life in them better than Grace Gallatin Seton –Thompson, “A Woman Tenderfoot”:

" It is three years since I first became a woman-who-goes-hunting-with-her husband. I have lived on jerked beef and alkali water ... I have been sung asleep a hundred times by the coyote's evening lullaby ... I have been nearly frozen eleven thousand feet in air in blinding snow, I have baked on the Dakota plains with the thermometer at 115 degrees, and I have met characters as diverse as the climate. I know what it is to be a miner and a cowboy, but best of all I have felt the charm of glorious freedom, the joy of the living and of the doing, of the mountain and of the plain."

And ultimately, isn’t it all about the freedom?! The freedom of seeing, and doing and just being. As my French teacher used to say: “Just go. Travel. It doesn’t matter where, it doesn’t matter how far. Even if you just go to a place just to find out that the air tastes differently there – that is all you need and it makes the going worthwhile”. Every place is a different thing to each of us. But we won’t know what it means to us, how it can enrich us, till we go and live the surprises.

So, next time people will ask me “why Wyoming” with a frown, I’ll simply say: “because the air tastes like buffalo and elk mixed in with a touch of fresh blueberry and Snake river Pilsner”. Just go! 

 

Under the elk antler arch, on the wooden sidewalk, in Jackson town square. Click here to see the whole album from this trip. Enjoy! 

It's Here ...

Curtains blow in the midnight wind. Pillows cool …

Little girls, book bags on backs, pushing each other through sprinklers in the morning on the way to school … Giggling.

Traffic backed up in Friday rush hour – wall to wall RV’s heading out  …

Can’t hear myself think from crickets yelling … Mourning doves cooing in the shade … Cherries are sagging, lazily … Hikers and bikers hanging on mountain trails like beads on string …

Yard is cracked. Sighs when water hits … Junipers browning under the midday blistering sun … I am craving ice cream for once  ... The smell of sizzling beef in someone’s back yard … and of OFF on my skin …

It’s not even Memorial Day yet. It’s gonna be a long one … I hope. 

I love the freshness of the mountain in the summer:
walking through Sundance in May. 

The Food and The People in Haven

 

There is this place around Salt Lake City where you can hide for a couple of hours and seriously forget about the bottom line! The Log Haven Restaurant, in Millcreek Canyon (www.log-haven.com).

I have learned fast and early that any place around here that’s “in a canyon” will delight the eyes with beauty and serenity. Every trip along any canyon is an adventure and a completely refueling opportunity.

Log Haven’s location  is no different. You drive along steep walls of Utah colorful rock, on winding roads, grounded by pine, aspen and hardwoods. There are campgrounds, waterfalls, a creek, parks and trails along the way. Once you get there, the world is locked quietly behind you. The front door of the restaurant faces a waterfall, and the landscape is wild, and although very much planned, it gives you the illusion that it was untouched. The building looks like an old log cabin – chameleonically blending in.  

 

The view from our table towards the front alleyway -
can you even see it, through the aspen trees?! 

Inside the dining room

But there is more to the place than its surrounds. They welcome you in their “living room” and ask you to wait for your table in front of the fireplace, on their oversized couches and armchairs. They ask you about your day and they tell you what parties they have next door – they usually rent several spaces in the facility to private parties. When we were there “this young girl was celebrating her 100^th birthday”. We thought it was a wedding by the décor, but in a way, it was – when you commit to your 101th year of life, I s’ppose.

The host (the same one we had 3 years ago, which should say something – made me think it might be the owner?!) shows you to your table and gives you the menus – nothing fancy, right?! Except maybe for the live piano jazz music coming from the foyer – an elderly gentleman is playing, while taking short sipping breaks for his white wine glass.

And then, you meet your waitress - we had waitresses on both our trips. They were both a bit “different”. They are perfectly … American, but they roll their Rs. They pirouette. They say “thank you” if they notice you breathing. If you say “thank you” back, they say “thank you” because you said “thank you” – and they do not stop till they are the last ones saying it – in  a very … Japanese greeting sort of a way.

They have a knife bent in an L shape lengthwise with which they clean every single crumb that you happen to leave on the table – compulsively. They giggle while describing the dishes you’re interested in ordering. They shiver with pleasure and roll their eyes as if describing an orgasm when they talk about their desserts. They say “fromage” instead of “cheese” and “mousse” with French pursed lips. They say “beurre” instead of “butter”.

It could become a bit embarrassing, you see, but that’s when you get the point that this is not your ordinary restaurant! You didn’t just drive all the way here to just fill your gut with food. You came here to be treated, and entertained, and spoiled visually and socially, dined and to forget about your world. You are in the mountain, and you are eating wild duck and berries with local harvested everything’s. 

 

This is my dish: (honey grilled organic) chicken breast (bone in - yeah!),

hominy - millet cake, fennel salad, blackberries, local feta

 This is what my husband had (the special): NY Steak, lobster tail,

asparagus, mashed potatoes and beurre clear.

I loved his monogrammed plate!

 And that brings me to the food. I have had a hard time describing food that is really delicious, because I believe that food, just like wine, is such a personal experience! I like my chicken dry, and my cow pretty dead! But I love my fish raw. I know a handful of people would fight me on all of these accounts! So, all I would say is – just go, try it, and tell the world what you think. But I can only guarantee you won’t be disappointed, no matter what the order will be!

They do a great job of everything, and their ingredients are always fresh which makes them so extra  flavorful, especially the veggies and the cheeses (still trying to figure out how they get fresh lobster out here, but …). The goat cheese they use comes from this dairy in Salt Lake (Drake Farm) that we discovered on our own, by just visiting the Farmer’s Market every year! Their cheeses are amazing so they really stood out for us!

The recipes blend in the area, as well – bison, trout, mushrooms, wild turkey, lots of various peppers, pine nuts and lots of berries.

Everything that they bring out is pleasing to the eye also – which always make me feel special. It’s not just food. It’s culinary art – and that is why I don’t mind ever spending the extra dollar. I feel like I pay for the extra care they put in every piece of onion they put on my plate!

Unless you’re really well off, financially, of course, this is not the place you would go for your every night dinner. But every once in a while, it’s good to escape, do something different and go on a culinary vacation, close to home, while finding out what your local harvest tastes like. The Haven is for that one time.

Life Happens!

And so it does! It doesn’t ask us if we’re ready for it, nor if we’re ready to move on. It just does. Life, that is. It happens!

And Lennon was right: while we’re busy making plans of whatever nature they might be (existential to purely mundane), life swishes by. And one day, we will wake up with a pile of memories, asking ourselves: “Good God, where were we?!” And there we were: paying bills, working, being stuck in the commute traffic twice a day, updating the Facebook status on the phone, in between red lights,  peeking at the Google News feed  – every day, yelling at our spouse, buying groceries, feeding cats, harvesting tomatoes … and it just went by … Like a dream. And whether we will like it or not – this would be our life.

Surely, life is so much more than these loops of  commonplaces strung together, but when do we get the time to weave anything else more “uplifting” in it?!

Lately, I have felt very much this way. I have felt very much in touch with the ordinary, day-to-day running around, but not very much in touch with the deeper (or higher) me. Sure, a curly, dimpled kid still makes me chuckle, I still notice my cats’ antics and I smile, I somehow find 5 minutes (literally!) of time before I snore my night away to read a passage in a book I happen to grab from the new shelves…But there are so many other things I want to do that I simply have no time or energy for!

No more in-depth, avid, breathless reading. No more crafts. No more writing – at least not as often. No more cooking just for pleasure. No more yoga. No more friends get-togethers. No more friends.

I used to have a life, I tell myself . Now, I have a routine. Makes me mad sometimes. But today, these observations make me regroup and align some priorities! Just wanted to stop, breathe and make a note of it!

I have been so wrapped up in nothingness lately, I even missed this beautiful iris coming out of dirt, this spring! It took my breath away this afternoon, when I was watering my new bushes and it peeked its purple head from around the corner of the house. It stopped me in my tracks. And thus I knew: I must make time!

And so, with the birth of this elegant, beautiful flower,  the late spring begins, and hopefully, my (full) life re-starts … 

 May 2012