What IS above Deer Valley?

It's funny to me that I grew up in this area, but haven't ever explored the land right around Park City. Funny because I love to ride the mountains in the winter, my friends live there, and one of my favorite authors, Pam Houston, writes about her dog taking on mountain goats there.

Well, after cruising the Deer Valley Resort area, with all of its beautiful houses and interesting winding roads and ski bridges we ended up at the Pass! Awesome! It was a little high up so breathing was harder than usual, but we had a great time hiking up to see the view and even managed to find a few small crystal points on the trail!

We finished with lunch at the Wasatch Brewery and made it back to Salt Lake before the sun went down!

Fisheye

These images are from my fish-eye camera, from last fall! Ryan and I took a trip into Central Park on a day when (crazy!!) we both had the same day off. I love these images, and the digital quality is unfortunately not as good as the original prints ...but enjoy them, none the less!

Carnival III: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Note the mountains in the distance, isn't that a comforting sight!?

Carnival II: Salt Lake County Fair

Wyoming III

Carnival

Oh sweet county fair ...how I love thee.

Ghost town

Ah, ghost towns. Abandoned western history at it's very finest. There is something fascinating about wandering around an old dried up town in the west ...it is something that I love. So romantic, so interesting ..and a little bit spooky.

Last Sunday we ventured out some back Wyoming roads near Evanston and explored Peidmont, a local ghost town. It dried up when the railroad built the Aspen tunnel and moved away from the area. Founded by the Byrne and Guild families, it was supported by a series of kilns, built by Moses Byrne, that slow burned wood into charcoal.

The day was quiet, smelled of mint and damp grasses, and rained on us just enough.

...poor.

Spotted this downtown:

hahaha....

Shortcut

There is a dirt road shortcut between where I live, Salt Lake City and my parents house in Wyoming. When the roads are in good condition (and sometimes not so good condition) we take it! Here are some photos from our Sunday shortcut:

Miss. Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings!!

Awesome, awesome show!! Utah, you do a good free-show line-up, and here is the proof!

Snowbird in the summer!!

One thing about the Rocky Mountains is that anywhere you live along it's route, be it Utah, Montana, Colorado, you have awesome access to big mountains. A giant rocky playground. These mountains are awesome in the winter, covered with deep, awe-inspiring powder, but!, if you also stick around for the summer months you will find yourself immersed in knee deep wildflowers (I love them!!), clear running streams and cliff faces of rock to give you vertigo just thinking about them!

While Eva was visiting with us we took a trip up to one of the most awesome ski resorts in the country; Snowbird. Feel free to have a moment of silence here if you are one of those riders that understand Snowbird in the winter..

..well, we went in the beautiful summer month of July and being 30 minutes from my house, I think the following photos will prove that it was a great day!!

Eva forgets to return...

Eva, lovely, lovely Eva has chosen the Grand Canyon over a return trip to Utah. Could it be the lack of beer at the rodeo ...or the denial-ed entry to the Carrie Underwood concert? Perhaps it was watching a field of hot air balloons turn and attack, or getting stuck halfway down the carnival slide! Whatever her reason, Utah in August will miss her.

Safe driving Eva ...shoot us a postcard from Hungary!!

Crystal Mining; Crystal Park, Montana

My travel virus is back, and aside from work and sleep, all I want to do is drive to all of the cool places that are once again within a days drive of where I live. Montana, which is absolutely beautiful this time of year, is one of those destinations. 5+ hours north of my house, my mom, my good friend Peri and I found ourselves in the middle of the Beaverhead National Forest digging at Crystal Park for Amethyst Crystals!! Awesome. Add a few hot-springs, throw in a grand lodge built by the heiress to Proctor and Gamble, a multitude of mounted animals and you have yourself a proper Montana vacation. Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them:)


Our first cabin ...nice from this viewpoint, but scary on the inside.

Max, guarding breakfast!! ..he kept trying to lure Dingo into the kitchen.

Friendly, stuffed elk.

Digging at Crystal Park!!

Miss Peri Spencer ...finest Idaho girl to ever land in Texas!

The diggy-diggys and the cheerleader beer: helping people find crystals for years.

Booty.

:) :) :) :)

Montana II

Montana I