Hello, everyone… one… one… one…!

I’m just back from visiting 11,068-foot Mount Baldy! Officially, today is a Utah state holiday, Pioneer Day, which celebrates the arrival of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, but in Utah, it’s illegal to celebrate a holiday on a Sunday! Even Christmas! Well, maybe it’s not illegal, but you certainly won’t get any candy if you go trick-or-treating on a Sunday Halloween. Maybe that’s where Ozzie Osbourne got the name for his band. No candy on Halloween would make it a black sabbath indeed!

Anyway, instead of waiting until Monday to set off fireworks or gorge on funeral potatoes, it seemed like a much better idea to take a hike. The mountains are much cooler than the 100-degree valley anyway, and what better to chill you down than to visit a place called Snowbird? This particular resort is home to world-renowned skiing and a really super Oktoberfest, which starts in August and ends in Oktober! Hmm… It also boasts a tram that can take you all the way up to the top of Hidden Peak, and from there, the possibilities are limitless!

I’ve been here a time or two in the winter, careening down the glistening slopes of Mineral Basin, catching some serious air. Oh yes, this beaver gets air! In the summer, though, the world is quite different. Gone are the puffy tufts of snow. All that’s left of them are white streaks topped with red algae, like ketchup on ice cream. Ew. Of course, there are plenty of beautiful little glacial lilies and indian paintbrushes to color the mountainside. Spring came late to Utah this year, even later in the heights, but even when a mere few flowers have appeared, there is no reason not to frolic in them!

Honestly, Mount Baldy is one of the easiest peaks in Utah to conquer. Why, you ask? The tram, with its high-flying sightseeing, does most of the work for you. The actual hike is maybe half a mile uphill, but it does offer a picturesque panorama of the Salt Lake Valley on one side and the Uintah range on the other. I think it’s important for everyone to climb a mountain at some point in his or her lifetime, if possible. It is good for the body, good for the soul, and great for the ego when you can stand up and shout “Aha, puny humans! This beaver now towers above you all!” Of course, you probably wouldn’t say “beaver…”

See ya when you’re bigger!