 Populous tremuloides is a deciduos tree native to cooler areas of North America and one of several species referred to by the name aspen It is also commonly called quaking aspen.
Okay, now that we’ve dispensed with the dry part of this blog post, on to the delightful. And aspens are delightful. Truly. Before moving to Utah, I’d never lived in an area where aspens were native. I’d heard people wax poetic about them, but I hadn’t really understood why. My first real encounter with the why of aspens happened in Taos New Mexico. We were visiting a friend who took us for a hike. We were well into the aspen grove and everything was appropriately lovely. But then he told us to stand still and look up. As a breeze came through, the then yellow aspen leaves (it was fall) started moving. Shimmering. Yellow turned to gold. It was like living in the middle of magic. It was a level of delight that hit you, smack in the heart. Here, in Park City, there are aspens everywhere. And while everything is currently green and not gold, sitting and watching the aspen leave is still something that hits with joy. And with all the stresses that life brings, stopping and watching the quakies is a pure way to re-center. So, if you happen to happen upon an aspen/quakie, I strongly suggest that you stop and look up. It’s pretty great. Cheers to your next visit, Your Resort Resident
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 All over the country, more people are out hiking and biking. Running shoes and bike sales are way up. And while these activities were already big in Park City, our numbers are still up. So, where to go?
Because I live at Canyons Resort, heading up the ski runs seems a natural. So, at least once a week, I’ve been picking a different ski run to hike up. Summiting always feels like a victory. And the view is pretty swell. A few weeks ago, on a weekly summit outing, my husband and I were stopped by an “official.” We were told that the Park City side of the mountain was open for hiking and biking but the Canyons side was not. No one would be available to us if we needed help. He told us that he wouldn’t stop us this time, but to be careful and consider hiking the golf course before it opens at 8am. (Okay, that’s not going to happen.) We thanked him and continued up. Since then, there’s a new sign on the Canyons side that basically say, “Proceed at your own risk.” Guessing that’s what it took to make the lawyers happy. But we’re happy as well. And, if like us, you’d be happy to summit a ski run, here are a few things to consider:
We’ve been avoiding the trails and heading up and down the runs themselves. It’s steeper, but way less traffic. Oh, and if you’re hiking up the Canyons side, beware of flying golf balls at the bottom. Cheers to your next visit, Your Resort Resident
One of the things that attracted us to Park City in the first place (yes, in addition to the crazy great skiing) was how much this town cares about the arts. From the world-class musician who make this town a regular stop, to Park City’s commitment to the visual arts, this town is a mixed-media paradise. Our yearly Arts Festival is one of the biggest art festivals in the country. With all of the hiking and biking I’ve been enjoying these last few months, I’ve really been struck by the amount of outdoor sculpture there is here. On most every trail near town you can find one or two pieces. And while I’ve known they were there, this is the first time that I’m really stopping to look at them. Most are metal and in varied degrees of rust. All take into account their location. It’s fantastic.  And there’s more. You likely know that Park City used to be a mining town. Thus we have ski runs named Copper Head, lifts named Sliver Load and an entire resort section named Iron Mountain. What you may not know is that many of the remnants of our mining past have been left up and now stand like art on the side of hikes and ski runs. We’ve literally stopped, part way through a run to read a plaque and stare into the past. Particularly now, with so much of our relief from life’s stresses being outside, having all of this art is enriching. I certainly hope you’re able to get here soon and enjoy it with us. Cheers to your next visit, Your Resort Resident  This week Summit County, where Park City resides, lifted “shelter-in-place.” That said, we are still being asked to wear masks in public spaces and maintain six feet of distance from other people. Also, gatherings should be kept to no more than twenty. Twenty? That seems a big number. It will be interesting to see how the new rules play out. What won’t change is Parakite’s ability to self-heal through outdoor activity. As the snow melts and temperatures rise, the number of locals taking advantage of our enviable trail system increases. Our trails are cared for by Mountain Trails. They do a bang-up job clearing the brush and stumps and general trail maintenances. And locals are great about not littering. I have literally never seen a cigarette butt on a trail and on the few times something is laying on the ground we pick it up and dump it after our hike. But I digress. The point is, daily outings on trial have helped us maintain sanity. Being able to get out, be physical, breath clean air, and enjoy the views has meant everything. And because we haven’t been going to the gym, we hike way more than before. We’re far from alone. It’s been interesting to see people decide what their “stay safe” trail edicate will be. Do they stand off to the side of the trail and look away as people pass? Do they just keep going, head down, but hold your breath when strainers go by? We’ve seen lots of versions of the safe, yet friendly trail pass. On our hike the other day, we were approaching an older gal with a dog. She stepped way to the side of the trail and said, good morning. We said, hey. Then she said something about the weather and it was clear that she wanted to chat. So, we kept our distance and talked with her for a bit. Turns out, she lives alone. Her family is out of state and she’s been by herself this entire COVID time. Her daily hikes are her only chance to change her view and see people. So, glad that we gave her time and we hope to cross her path again. Locals often say that they came to Park City for the winters and stayed for the summers. Why? Our trail system is one of those reasons. You can hike every day for a year and never take the same route twice. Not too shabby. And the amount and expanse of trails often means that there’s something close enough to your door that you don’t have to get in a car to get on dirt if you don’t want to. As I connect with friends in big cities, I’m doubly aware of how fortunate we in Park City are to have this outlet. These friends haven’t enjoyed the outside other than to sit on a balcony since COVID started. Don’t think we’ll ever take our trails and all they provide for granite. The next time you’re able to get here, I highly suggest slowing everything down and getting out on one or more of our trails. Your heart and your brain will thank you. Cheers, Your Resort Resident P.S. here’s what Mountain Trails says on their site about our trails: “Park City’s trail system entails approximately 400 miles of continuous, non-motorized recreational trail. Spanning two world-class mountain resorts (one is the largest in the US at 7,300 acres) and an additional 8,000 acres of preserved open space, Park City has been designated a Gold Level Ride Center by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA). From mountainous, alpine terrain reaching altitudes of nearly 10,000’, to rolling high desert, Park City’s trail system is predominantly buffed single-track interspersed with occasional technical sections.” |
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