Hello, everyone. Unless you’ve been held captive in a small, climate-controlled box for the last week, you will have hopefully noticed all the volcanic ash that has been falling from the sky recently.
Oh, Mama says that’s snow?
Well, cool, but what are you going to do with snow?
Until this Friday (when Brighton officially opens), and even after, you can go and hike up Alta to get some turns in. Some of my friends went yesterday and said that the snow condition was somewhat variable, with a possible sighting of ‘death cookies’ (little chinks of ice or dirt here and there).
If you happen to be unlucky, like me, and all your ski gear is in the mail from some other state, you can rent an entire setup for $12 from the Outdoor Recreation program. For future reference, you can also rent anything from a sleeping bag to snowshoes or a sled.
Which brings me to my next point…don’t do crack.
What I mean by that is there are plenty of places to sled for those of you that are less inclined to hike (i.e. suffer) up Alta for 40 minutes. However, sledding can be exhilarating and much less time consuming for the homework handicapped. (400 South during a snow storm, for example, may give you an equal or greater thrill-though I am not advising anyone to break any laws…) For the more cautious and sane, there is a mini-hill before the foot bridge coming down campus from the dorms that I have been snow skating on quite a bit. It is also definitely sleddable.
There’s a good hill on the golf course off North Campus Drive, just before Central Campus Drive. Please be nice to the greens, though.
For off-campus sledding-which is far superior-there is a good hill at Sugar House Park. Just take 1300 East all the way until you hit Sugar House and the hill is on the left.
You’re probably wondering where you can get a sled at this point-much as I was two days ago. Don’t go to Fred Meyer unless you want to spend $20 to $30. They do have a $10 option, but its durability is questionable at best.
I suggest a dollar store or Wal Mart for dirt-cheap snow transportation. (Sears doesn’t sell sleds!?!) Outdoor Rec has them for something like $3 to rent, but I have always been a fan of the lunch tray.
Lastly, if you are a true sledding aficionado, you can go seven miles up Big Cottonwood Canyon to places called Doughnut Falls or The Spruces. They are both on your right and probably offer the longest sledding runs you can find. If anyone knows differently, let me know so I can go get my speed suit. (I wonder what the Guinness Book of World Records says the fastest speed ever traveled in a toboggan is?)
Now, I know there are those of you who hate the snow-why are you in Utah again? Actually, come spring, perhaps I’ll have a bit of sympathy for you. But until then, here are a couple of Mexican restaurants that hit the spot, and will send your mouth way south of the border, where it’s still nice and warm.
I have to start with my favorite, which is Molcasalsa. This place is by far the best Mexican my Yankee taste buds have ever encountered-and it’s cheap. Try the carne asada and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. You can find it on 3300 South about a mile down on the right.
Also worth checking out is La Macarena. It’s good, it’s spicy, it’s cheap and it’s on 1300 South and 145 East.
Hopefully you will all have a good, fun-filled weekend, and if you go out, remember to be safe and courteous to old people like our parents. They anger easily.