It Was An Absolute Failure

Everything was a fail... even the picture

What was an absolute failure?

Everything.

Okay not everything that day.

But the skiing...

That was with no doubt in my mind an absolute failure.

We were planning on skiing at Snowbasin with my aunt & uncle that were visiting. But it didn't exactly go as planned.

So we show up and half the lifts are on wind hold... That's just fine and dandy.

It seemed as if a hurricane was about to attack the mountains, it was just that windy.

When we were getting on the gondola they told us the skies weren't allowed outside the gondola because it was so windy. So we had six people along with six skies inside the gondola. Let's just say my dad's skies didn't even fit inside.

I swear that gondola could NOT move any slower. I probably could have walked up that mountain faster than that gondola was moving.

I am aware I used gondola at least once in every sentence. Yay... grammar!




While skiing down I was pelted with chunks of ice that were blown from the trees. And even if I didn't turn at all I went the speed as if I was doing pizza skiing.

We almost fell of the tree and
died

We get to the bottom and take our skies off and get in line to go up again and the official lifty was like "Sorry this lift is now put on windhold so you're not allowed to get on."

Ruuuddee

I've only done one run and know you're going to make me go sit inside and buy your food until you open again. Not fair.

So that's what we did.

For an hour.


Then we asked the ladies at the information desk if and when they think they'd open the lift again. They were like sorry, we aren't opening again.

So I drove and hour both ways to get here just to ski one run, have a hot chocolate along with some fries and the go home. Yay.

Luckily they gave us a voucher for another day next year, but still.

Five Things That Occurred To Prove How Windy It Was:

• When everyone was in the lodge and we came out, all the skies and snowboards were blown over and were just laying there on the ground 
• When my brother and I were skiing our one and only run down a fairly steep slope, the wind almost stopped us from moving at all
• Even the little beginner lift was put on windhold which is protected by a ton of trees
• I fell over while walking because the wind pushed me over (it might have been my clumsiness but the world will never know...)
• Enough proof right here: The resort never opened again because it was so windy...

When we got back to my house I just wanted to sit on my lazy butt and watch Pretty Little Liars.

(DON'T SPEAK TO ME ABOUT THE SEASON FINALE BECAUSE I'M ONLY ON SEASON TWO AND I NEED TO CATCH UP ASAP BUT IF YOU SPOIL ANYTHING LIKE SOME PEOPLE HAVE FOR ME I WILL DISOWN YOU FOR LIFE.)

But no..... that didn't happen.

We had to go for a hike.

I only agreed to it because we hiked up and then got to sled down.

When we get to the trail head my parents point to the top of the mountain and I was like "Uh-no I'm not hiking all the way up there!" But they're like okay you can wait here in the parking lot for the next four hours while we hike. Fineeeeeee....

Here were some of my thoughts while hiking the dreadful peak:

My legs are going to fall off and there's nothing I can do about it.

Dysfunctional picture of me hiking the hill

Another bear is going to come out of those trees attack me again and then eat us all and no one will ever know.

What my brother and I actually said almost a million times. "Are we there yet?" "How much longer" "Can we just go from here." 

I think I'm gonna die.

We're lost. This isn't a real trail head, they just wanted Tyler and I to be trapped up here in the wilderness and die alone.

This sled should have a rope attached so I can just drag it and not have to carry it. 

Why'd I agree to do this?

When I'm sledding down this, I'm gonna run into that tree, this tree, that tree over there, and this tree that fell down probably from someone else running into it. 

We finally get to the top or the hill and we had a pretty great few of Park City. We began to sled down the mountain and it was such an adrenaline rush. I was so surprised I didn't crash into a tree and break my face.


So here's a video from the Sledtopia run and I guess it's not embarrassing... but it's a video. So it counts. Ha.

Oh and those clips aren't sped up at all I was actually going that fast. Intense, I know.

Action shot of my dogga wogga Zack-a-wackers 

Me and my swaggy butt sled and go pro

#nofilter

I Don't Do Science

This past week I got to miss school to go to another school. I know, awesome!

But this school was wayyyyyy cooler!!!

It's in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and it's a school that's all about science, (called the Teton Science School.)

Instead of sitting in a class room all day just waiting for the weekend to come, I was outside learning science hands on.

Before I went on this trip, science was definitely my least favorite subject but after learning outside in the actual world rather than a classroom, it caused me to enjoy science so much more!

I heard from past students told this trip was fun.

But that my friend, was an understatement.

This trip was the most amusing, entertaining, exciting and all around awesome school trip ever.

Each day we were on the tips of our toes just dyeing to know what adventure we would encounter next. Wether it was snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, doing the dishes, singing every where ever we went or building snow sculptures. I definitely made many memories and funny stories I'll tell over and over again. (Most that include Ally & Caroline.)

Here are the highlights of my trip:

• Marty the Moose sculpture along with our flash mob at dinner.
• Watching Ally ride the struggle bus while trying to climb up the hill on cross-country skies
• Cutting down willow trees as a stewardship project
• MAFIA!!!

  

  We took selfies during the night hike even though we
  may have sacrificed our vision for the next few hours

• Caroline's animal call video
• Building the snowman that was as tall as me
• Our water baby experiment 
• Seeing Le Tetons (Muy bonita) 
• Going down steep hills that were hardly even a hill and epically falling
• The night hike and everything that happened along the way
• Cleaning Hoo-Rahs while singing and dancing
• The cursed YOLO
• Lane's story about chasing a coyote

And along the way we actually learned tons of stuff. (I know shocking, it's not like we're on a school trip while at a science school or anything like that...)


So I was told I had to make sure to use science words in this post so here's my list of science words:

• Adaptation

  

  Our bus rides were better than yours

• Snow Layers
• Scat & Tracks
• Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
• Facets & Rounds

Okay just kidding. I can actually put those vocabulary woods into context.

WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH UNLESS YOU ARE MENTALLY PREPARED TO SEE THE NERDY SIDE OF ME, AKA THE SCIENCE SIDE.

The first night here we learned about the GYE (Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem) and all the species that live inside it using the acronym ASCAR. (A for alpine S for sagebrush C for conifer A for aspen R for Riparian.) Later on we had learned about behavioral and physical adaptations species have to help themselves survive the winter. FUN FACT: Did you know aspens have a layer of sunscreen on them to protect their photosynthetic bark underneath. We also dug three snow pits six feet deep and learned about the snow layers along with the difference between facets & rounds. Sara also learned that she likes to dig holes along with her hibernation cave. It was really cool trying to identify tracks out in the wilderness and kinda strange observing animals poop inside a container. The final thing I learned was the French fur trappers must have not seen some ladies in a very very VERY long time. (Hence the name Le Tetons.)

This trip was so much fun and if anyone who reads this has the opportunity to go, I 100% hands down, recommend it.

P.S. If you want to check out the blog for this trip, you can find other students who went and their fun experiences here.

Swag Like Eddy

First and foremost I think this post deserves a round of applause.

Because for the second time ever I actually did my post before Friday!

I've officially completed all my life goals.

Anyways... last Saturday was pretty epic.

It consisted of skiing, ice castles and one of the greatest concerts ever.

It all started when Ullr decided to give us what we wanted.

Snow.

It's been coming down so majestically for the best few days and the powder Saturday was the definition of perfection and happiness. It was as if I was skiing on top of the clouds. One of the greatest feelings ever.

But now Mother Nature has utterly demolished my happiness.

Rain? Thunderstorm? Was that really necessary?




After skiing I went to the ice castles with my two friends Madison & Lane.

This is where we're gonna get married. (Don't judge.)

The ice castles were like the castle Elsa built in the movie Frozen. "Do you want to build a snowmannnnn?" Not that we have slush... OF COURSE!!!!

The ice castles had slot canyons made out of ice (hence the name), a maze, and two princess (Cinderella & Snow White.) Those princess's were the creepiest princess's I've ever met, and I've met many many princess.

But the coolest part out of all of this was the slide. You climbed up a claustrophobic tunnel in the castles that led to the slide. It was completely made out of ice that I kept sliding down that part I was supposed to climb up and it put some random persons butt right in my face, it wasn't at all pleasant. When I got to the top I had to do down feet first and make sure I tucked in my elbows. I was going about as fast as the Luge olympians, not really but you get the idea. But they should have worked on that slide a little better because so many ice bumps hit my back and it felt like I just got a thousand shots in my back.

After performing our wedding dance and many other strange dances inside the castles we went to a band concert at the Eccles Center.

It was a band called Stay Human, and I swear they are gods sent from above.

My awesome band friends and I with Stay Human.
(Then there's Lane...)

I can't even put their awesomeness into words.

But the saxophone player Eddy...

I almost have swag like Eddy?

Do you?

Probably not because Eddy is the swag master.

Who's Eddy?

I already told you, the swag master.

He's also in the band Stay Human, which I already mentioned above...

Last Saturday was one of the greatest days I've had in a while but I can't wait for this Saturday.

Why?

Guess.

Excuse Me Ullr, I'm Over Here

This is a team effort.

I can't do this by myself.

I need everyone's help.

And when I say everyone, I mean EVERYONE!

But most importantly...

Your help!

What do I need your help for?

Calling to the snow gods!

Duh...!

(I know I'd be a great sales person, you don't need to tell me.)

My very intelligent father tells me that there's a Norwegian Snow God, named Ullr, and many sources from the internet confirm this. But, according to Wikipedia, there's also a Finnish Snow God named Heikki Lunta. So not only are we calling to one snow god, but two!

Why am I so persistent on calling to the Snow Gods? Simple. We. Need. Snow. It's just down right depressing how little snow we have.

Normally during Sundance we have a huge sledding party (Sleddance) on my GIGANTIC sledding hill but the past two years it hasn't happened. And currently it's dirt and bushes with a sprinkling of snow.

This is very imperative to call to the snow gods because currently they are very confused on where it is supposed to snow. Cause excuse me Ullr, but it's supposed to snow in Utah not the East Coast!

So I need your help to change this weather pattern, call to the Snow God, but most importantly, make it SNOWWW! And here's how I plan to do it.

The Four Steps To Call To The Snow Gods So They Will Make It Snow!

1. Sacrafice!

This is said to be the most important step because this is what initially attracts their attention. You could sacrifice your brother, mother or even grandmother depending on how urgently you need it to snow. Okay... just kidding! DO. NOT. SACRIFICE. YOUR. GRANDMOTHER. UNDER. ANY. CIRCUMSTANCES. I mean if anything sacrifice a brownie and some hot chocolate to the snow god. Maybe even a pig... Oink oink!

2. The Snow Dance Ritual 

Um.... I couldn't think of a better way to explain this than to show you myself. So enjoy this horribly humiliating video of me doing my snow dance ritual...

P.S. I don't have any friends to do The Snow Dance Ritual with but I'm sure you do. So do a snow dance ritual with them, because the more people you have, the stronger the force!

3. Hopes Of A Snow Day 

There are multiple things you have to do to convince the snow gods you are truly committed. You might remember doing crazy silly things in elementary school when there were hopes of a snow day. Yeah, well those silly little things are apart of this process of making it snow. And if you want it to snow you have to do each and every single one of these things.

Make sure when you go to bed tonight you wear your pajamas inside-out and backwards (bonus points if they're footsie pajamas) along with a spoon under your pillow. But before you do that you have to run circles around the table and flush ice cubes down the toilet. Make sure they are actual ice cubes, no crushed ice, it's a very common mistake. But most importantly you have to throw ice outside so they get the hint of exactly what it is you want.

4. Pray

Simple as it sounds. Pray to both snow gods individually and wait for the magic to begin.

Do I think these things actually work?

Of course I do!

Who do you think I am!?!?!

Jeez.

I mean my dad (the one who knows everything) did tell me about one time when my he was little, vacationing in Maine, he had a 103 fever and the forecast was rain. So you know what he did? He went and did a snow dance calling to the snow god, Ullr. Then he claims that his fever disappeared almost instantly and the forecast changed to snow.

That's enough proof for me and should be for you to.

Because you are going to call to the snow gods wether you like it or not.

At this point, you don't have a choice.