UTAH SKI DAYS

I RAN AWAY FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD TO JOIN THE SKI BUM CIRCUS IN 1983, ARRIVING JUST IN TIME TO CATCH PARK CITY AT ITS TINIEST & MOST CHARMING, ALONG WITH SEVERAL SEASONS OF HEAVY SNOWFALL & FANTASTIC SKIING. UPON ARRIVAL, I SKIED 109 DAYS IN A ROW, TOOK A DAY OFF, THEN SKIED EVERY DAY UNTIL THE RESORT CLOSED. IT TURNS OUT I WAS A NATURAL BORN CLOWN. THESE PHOTOS COVER JUST A TINY FRACTION OF MY SKIING ANTICS OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES, BUT THEY ARE ENOUGH TO GIVE AN IDEA OF HOW FORTUNATE I'VE BEEN TO BE PART OF THE CIRCUS ALL THESE YEARS.

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BALD MOUNTAIN SUMMIT 11,942'

MY BIRTHDAY, MAY, 1988 OR SO. JUST GOT HOME FROM A VISIT TO TEXAS, & RAN INTO "DANGER" DAN MCCAN ON MAIN ST IN PARK CITY. HE WANTED TO GO SKI BALD MOUNTAIN. IT WAS ALREADY ABOUT 3 O'CLOCK, BUT DAN INSISTED IT WASN'T TOO LATE & IT WOULD BE AWESOME. HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT BOTH. TWO HOURS LATER DAN & ARROW & ME WERE STANDING ON THE SUMMIT. WE SKIED OFF THE MOUNTAIN IN 2 INCHES OF SLUSHY SPRING CORN.

IN THE BACKGROUND IS HAYDEN'S PEAK (12,480'). A YEAR EARLIER ON MY BIRTHDAY, I HAD SUMMITED & SKIED HAYDEN'S WITH DAN & TWO OTHER EQUALLY UNHINGED FRIENDS ON A PLANNED (BUT VERY POORLY) EXPEDITION. MOST OF THE COULIOR WE CLIMBED UP & SKIED BACK DOWN WAS AROUND 40 DEGREES & NEARLY 50 DEGREES FOR BRIEF PITCHES.

PUCKER FACTOR IN LEATHER BOOTS ON LONG SKINNY SKIS: ELEVEN

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