Sylvana & Matt (#1) are visiting!

Our friends from LA came to visit us this weekend and I took my first vacation day to show them around the Salty City. Apparently when you're a grown up you can have vacation days :) Soooo, on Friday we went to Snowbird and rode the tram. Here's what we looked like when we were walking through the parking lot:
The tram at Snowbird takes you up to 11,000 feet so that in the winter you can ski down or in the summer you can hike. You need tickets to ride though, so we got some :)

(notice the angelic like light shining down on us...that's because we're good people...)

Here are Sylvana & Matt demonstrating they can follow directions to the tram:
Here's what it looks like where you get on the tram:
The tram has windows on all sides so you can look out:
Once you get out at the top, you can look around...or try to push each other off the mountain (only if you're the best of friends though...)
Here's when Sylvana decided to be nice again:
Aaaaaand really nice?
So after we walked around up top, we took some more pictures:
And even made some shadow puppets:
Than Matt climbed some rocks:
After we climbed down a ways, we realized we would have to climb back up to get back to the tram...poor planning on our part :)

Anyway, after our walk (or hike as Sylvana called it) we traveled downtown to see the Temple:
There were a bunch of weddings going on, so we stood around a gawked for a while. Then, as I was trying to take a picture of Matt's ear, the Temple got in the way:
The end.

Hiking in Park City & LOTOJA

So...we've been pretty awful about posting anything lately...but we did just start residency a few months ago...GOSH! Yesterday and today we were busy with our ALSO course (Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics)

and Matt was on call last night. In all, we've having a great time, but a busy time :) Anyway, since we've updated last we have managed to have a little fun :)

For example, we went hiking in Park City:

We climbed and climbed and then took the ski lift down to the base of the run...sweet view, isn't it? (I made Matt hold on to me so I wouldn't fall off and break into a million bits.) It was fun but FREEZING and raining for the last mile of the hike...luckly, our friends brought a poncho (which I stole and made my own):

Sweet :)

A few weekends later, Dana, Elliot and I made up the support vehicle for Frank & John to ride the LOTOJA (a bike race from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY). It all takes place in one LOOOOONG day, but there are some beautiful areas you drive through on your way to the Teton Mountains:

I'm pretty sure this would be an ideal place to live...mountains and water...who can beat that?!?! So, I called Matt and asked him to look for grown up jobs here :) I'll keep you updated!
Anyway, here's what Dana & I looked like when we were there:
So the other person in our car was John's son, Elliot. He's 7, so we had a lot of discussions of bugs and anything else I told him was gross (burping, vomiting, etc.) We also sang songs that we would make up to familiar tunes...mostly Indiana Jones. It was a pretty mature day for everyone involved :) Ooooh, and Elliot hated getting his pictures taken, so I did this:
He was so mad :) This is us waiting for Frank & John at the finish line. Here are some other race pictures from before, during and after the race:

The starting line
Frank getting ready to start

Elliot at one of the feeder stations...he made a new poster for his Dad at each one :)
John at the end...yay!

For Emily:

I just took this today from our balcony...

Everything is sunshine and rainbows here in Utah :) Now come visit!

Mt. Superior in the Winter

Just found this pic from last winter while looking through iPhoto. I think it's good for comparison. Pretty crazy that I just hiked it.

Mt. Superior and Monte Cristo Hike

Yesterday we were lucky enough to celebrate "Pioneer Day" (a Utah holiday in remembrance of the Mormon's journey to Salt Lake City) with a day off from work. Our good buddy Pete was in town on business, so while Audrey raced in the Pioneer Day 10k with a couple friends, Pete and I decided to hike Mt. Superior from Alta.

This is a view of Mt. Superior from the Alta parking lot (elevation 8,530 ft), the arrow is where we're headed (elevation 11,132 ft). As you can see it was a pretty nice morning for a hike.


About an hour into our journey we came across a cave, this is me spelunking.


Our first major milestone was making it to Cardiff Pass, from the top we were able to look into Big Cottonwood Canyon.


After hiking the first part of the ridge (above Cardiff Pass) there was this cool outcropping of rock with the town of Alta far below in the background. This is me being dumb.



This is an attempt at artistic photography (it won't be the last), I think that's Alta in the background.


More art, this time with Snowbird in the background (remember you can click the pics to expand them).


As our climb continued it became less of a hike and more of a scramble.


More scrambling (we're getting close to the peak).


Even more scrambling.


Here's my crappy attempt at narrating a video.

We made it (in 2.5 hours no less)! The summit was extremely rocky.


This is me at the top of the world (not really).


More views from the summit.




The town of Alta below.


Views of Alta in the summer.


Another view of Alta (that's Devil's castle in the distance).


On the way down there were wildflowers surrounding the trail.


More wildflowers.


One last attempt at art.


That's it!

Fastest Dog in the World (at least when he's chasing deer in the backyard)