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Show Nits Main Street Norwegians Walk Up the Mountain Photographer The High-speed Chairlift Might Be a Waste of Time Park City’s Fastest Finest, Quality Photofinishing 5235 Main of Sugarloaf Mountain at 11,051 feet. I fig- LORI ADAMSKI-PEEK gets skiers up the hill in a hurry at take the lifts. By Brian F. Goetz Oo: other any given day here in Utah you can choose activities that range from fellow winter recreationists. It felt awkward being on a ski lift with all these strangers. Kind of reminded me of being on a bus. I was a bit worried about having to sledding to snowmobiling and anywhere make conversation with these people. in-between. You can cross-country ski on groomed or Fortunately, that fear was promptly put aside by the speed of the lift. No sooner had I sat down when we were nearing the top and I had to get ready to dismount and ski down. Whoosh. I sure did get in a lot of skiing that day, so many runs in fact that it was all kind of a blur. I mentioned that experience to my friend Andy, who was out from New York City for his annual week-long trek to the mountains. We were skiing Aita and were, in Andy's fresh snow, you can telemark ski on “pins,” you can don a new pair of “fat” skis and ski in powder like an expert, you can snowboard just about anywhere there is enough snow, while you can snowshoe almost everywhere else, or you can have a snowcat or a heli- copter whisk you to the more remote regions. Recent technological innovations have made these endeavors available to the masses and so you will find the Wasatch Mountains full of people enjoying the “Greatest Snow on Earth” in all kinds of ways. But for most people enjoying a winter activity in Utah means going downhill skiingat one of our world-class ski resorts. Not to be outdone by the technological innovations in equipment, most skiers will find that these resorts have been busy upgrading their facilities and increasing their access. Double chairs are being replaced by triple chairs. High-speed detachable quads are sprouting up all over. And some resorts have gone as far as installing lifts that hold six people per chair. I rode one of those lifts for the first time last year. “Six packs”, they call them. Capable of carrying 3,000 skiers an hour up a mountain. Approaching the lift I was met by the familiar line of about 150 skiers and snow- “Because we are Norwegian. ing is not to just ski down the mountain, but also to ski up. It gives us a lot of time to enjoy the and look skied yet. waste our - words, “having our best time” burying our- selves in some fresh powder. No quads or “six packs” at Alta, but luckily, some short lift lines. The Germania lift was steadily carrying us up to 10,400 feet when Andy turned to me and said, “I can top that Brian, what do you think about hiking up these mountains to ski instead of taking the lifts? I met some guys from Norway who are doing just that.” Andy proceeded to tell me about these Norwegian’s he had met in the bar the night before. “Yeah, there are about seven of them. Really friendly guys. They told me that they had saved up all their money to fly out here and ski Alta. They, don’t buy lift tickets either. They hike up the mountain, ski down, hike up again, ski a second run and then head to the bar. They've been doing that for almost three weeks now.” As we sat and rode above Alta’s snow coy- boarders. I was prepared for the usual wait, however, it was only a couple of minutes ered pines and diamond runs I envisioned the time and distance it would take to hike before I. found myself PISA, between five from, the resorts base at 8,550 feet to the top | ‘ For us, ski- beauty, get to know the mountains for the snow that has not been That way we ski all day and do not time waiting and getting cold rid- ing lifts. We also have lots of time to talk and joke too.” , “But what about Lillihammer and the Olympics? Didn't that change things and bring improvements to your ski resorts?” | asked. “Sure, but that is just Lillihammer. Norway has lots of mountains and not many * Two-hour Slide Processing (E-G) * KODAK Create-A-Print™ * Black White * Custom & Enlarging, Processing Negatives or Slides * Portrait & Commercial Studio | 649-6465 * Unique Photo Frames & Accessories TRIUMPH Not too long ago, the Bor family faced a heartbreaking challenge: without work, they found ao living in the Family Homeless Shelte Today, they’ re > working and living in their new home. Without support programs for the homeless, the Bor family might still be facing the tragedy of homelessness. Please support the Homeless Trust Fund and the programs it funds statewide, by donating what you can—a dollar or hundred—on your State Income Tax return this year. It will make a pivotal difference to people like the Bors, who needed just a little help from us to get home again. / THE HOMELESS TRUST FUND. IT HELPS PEOPLE GO HOME lifts or resorts, so we hike.” “So why do you come all this way when you can ski there?” | continued. “Oh, we have beautiful mountains and PEACE ON EARTH Good Will Toward Manatees lots of snow but not like Alta. This is the best snow in the world.” Later, driving down Little Cottonwood Canyon, Andy turned to me and posed an ironic question. “You know, I was thinking. How do you suppose those Norwegian’s @ would react to riding on one of those high speed “six pack” busses up the mountain?” “Oh, I suppose that they would be amused,” I responded, “but | bet that they'd still go hiking. After all, they are Norwegian. In the long run, given the choice, they'd probably rather drink a cold six pack than ride one.” So the next time I consider heading out This for some winter recreation I'l] have an added perspective regarding my choices. On one hand, I can pay upwards to $54 to wait in line, ride the lifts, and ski down with the masses or, on the other hand, I can spend the day hiking up mountains with my friends, do a couple of runs.and head for the bar. @ a > PPE trerer EEE TE fat ee holiday For more rN YS Ee Adopt-A- information, 1-800-432-JOIN Tt ADEE contact: Save the Manatee, Club 500 N. Maitland Ave., Maitland, FL 32751 ARAL oe re TEETER season, Manatee, for someone you love. They’ll receive a photo and biography of “their” manatee, an adoption certificate and a membership handbook. Your contribution will go toward efforts to help protect endangered manatees and their habitat. ¢ SAIWIL NIVLINNOW “six-pack” Park City Mountain Resort. Street * One-hour Photo * Passport Photos LEER £49Vd PHOTO; High-speed ured two hours at the least, all for 15 or 20 minutes of skiing back down to the base. | turned to Andy and commented how unusual it was that these guys would come all the way to Alta only to ski two runs a day. “Yeah, I said the same thing to them last night,” Andy remarked. “Their response was that they weren't just two runs, but two great runs. Those guys are having their best time, too,” I think that Andy and I ended up skiing anywhere from 12 to 15 runs that day. After catching our final lift up Germania, we skied through the trees down to the new Rustler Lodge bar. There, we met up with the Norwegians again. “Hello, my name is Magnus,” one of them said to me. “Hi, ’'m Brian,” I said as we shared a hearty handshake. I couldn't resist asking him why he and his friends would come all this way to Alta to hike up when they could (5646) alabders UEC EERE ED EE ’ |