This is a picture of Jay and Susan, my in-laws, perched on top of Twin Lakes Pass after a half-day hike. This goes to prove that the mountains of Brighton, Utah are accessible for and the hiking amenable to all age groups. Jay just celebrated his 75th birthday. Can you imagine better in-laws, especially the ones that adore nature like I do and continually want to be active? There is no sitting around with them around. We had a wonderful birthday lunch on top of Twin Lakes Pass with fresh strawberries, turkey and sprout sandwiches and cold clear Brighton water. If you spent a weekend here skiing in the Wintertime when 20 foot snowdrifts are common, you would understand just how crystal clear, cold, pure and refreshing the taste of Brighton water is. The highlight of my day, speaking as a Mom, was that my kids didn’t dare whine with their grandparents in tow. I wish they were around when it was time for the kids to clean their rooms.

Utah mountain air. Couldn’t have been due to the great night’s sleep I had at La Vista because I had one equal to that last year sleeping at Chez Louisa. Hmm. Could it have been that it was noticeably cooler? Nah. Not 10 minutes after I got back and showered did it start pouring rain. We haven’t hadrain for over a month. We really need this moisture. Think I will sit and relax in the beautiful living room and watch it rain onMountMillicent, one ofBrightonMountain’s most breathtaking views, knit a few rows, and take a nap.

The Charity Car Show was organized by Ryan Stevenson who suffered a spinal cord injury in a snowboarding accident two years ago. The Brighton Ski Resort Parking lot was full all the way back to the Brighton Store. The Show featured around 200 classic and custom cars with proceeds going, appropriately, to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation which funds innovative spinal cord research and helps improve the quality of life for people living with paralysis. The best part was the unofficial parade of these incredible cars going down the Canyon roads at around 5:45 pm. Got to see them in action.

As I continue to mention to all of my guests that come to Utah to rent Mount Majestic’s ski homes in Brighton and Solitude in the winter months, our area of Utah is full of adventure and nature during the summer months, as well. In the winter, “Ski Utah” is the common tagline. In the summer, I should coin the phrase “Hike Utah”.

For example, today, my friend Linda and I hiked down to Solitude from Brighton to attend the Wasatch Wildflower Festival which was started to not only celebrate the blooming of wildflowers but to show people how to care for them and to expose them to the finiteness of the ecosystem. Included in the festivities were art shows, theater, live music, food and, of course, hikes and walks which Utahans enjoy with great regularity.

This year is a particularly good year to attend the Wasatch Wildflower Festival because the Wasatch Mountains have had a lot of moisture this past spring. The many 6-8 inch snow storms we had in May and June have yielded green shrubbery and wildflowers with bright and strong colors of every sort.

We chose to take the moderate wildflower walk by boarding the Sunrise lift to the top then enjoyed a short walk to Solitude Lake. We were met by many curious ground squirrels and enjoyed a few hours of meeting people from San Diego, Hartford and even a big group from Minneapolis who were in Utah for a family reunion. We chose to hike back down the hill to the bottom so we could get an ice cream at the Stone Haus Restaurant before heading back home.

July 20, 2008

Other members of my family embarked on a tandem trip over the pass to Park City and then on to Francis, Kamas, Oakley and then back to Park City for dinner and a sleepover at the Washington School Inn which is one of the famous bed and breakfasts in this area of Utah. My daughter is the resident vegetarian in the family and chose Thai cuisine for refueling. All were sore and tired from a long afternoon of biking but fun was had by all.

View the Quigloo Pictures

So these dudes spent a week at Brighton shooting some crazy shots both inside and out. Who has time for that? Seriously though, I am delighted because it gives a larger audience a great showpiece of how all Mount Majestic’s ski rental properties are unique, way cool, and have great powder. There are limitless ways to enjoy a week in the mountains at one of these homes. Next week we have a group coming in from all over the west for a surprise 40th birthday reunion. I will try to get some shots of that!

I have been watching the new Millicent Express quad lift going in this summer.

It is a bittersweet moment for me as I remember this charlift’s debut in 1974. I loved riding that lift as a kid, feeling the two-seater chair swaying it’s way up to the top. As a parent, I was numbed by the fact that there wasn’t a bar to protect my babies riding up vast expanse of the Milly bowl.

This new high-speed quad chairlift is 3920 feet long with a vertical rise of 1109 feet. With the new Millicent lift all Brighton’s terrain will be accessable by high-speed quad. This provides a fast ride up while dispersing skiers across the vast terrain, providing shorter lift lines. The new day lodge at the bottom of the lift is slated to be built next fall.

This is hard work and often takes the better part of a month to procure and stack enough wood for each home to last through the winter months.

Next comes the stocking of basic supplies and deep cleaning. Carpets and windows must be cleaned before the weather turns, which can come as early as the beginning of October. The laundering of all bedding and blankets and linens and touch up repainting and miscellaneous handy-man work will happen last.

We at Mount Majestic Properties make it a priority to provide our guests with a home fit for a king. All our home owners take pride in their ski vacation homes and are concerned for their guests’ safety and comfort. It is our policy to greet our guests upon check in to show them how the hot tub works, where the extra towels are stored, and answer any last minute questions and concerns. We even will deliver discount lift passes to the home.

About 65% of our guests each year are repeat customers which tells us we are doing something right.

Jupiter Peak Steeplechase

Not only was the scenery incredible but so were the people running the race. Each year, I always seem to leave with a new best friend. There is something about sweating alongside someone for 3 hours that prompts each of you to share the most intimate details of your lives. Alas, another lasting relationship was formed.

This year, that lasting relationship was my companion, Herb, a park city resident and nurse practitioner. Herb is a veteran of 50 mile races and was doing this race just for another training run. That and his medical expertise made me want to stick close to him at all times!

After basking in the post-race high and cheering crowds, I drove 20
minutes over Guardman’s Pass to meet my family for a well-deserved
lunch on the outside deck of Molly Greens pub at Brighton Ski Resort. To finish off a perfect day, we came home and soaked in the hot tub for 30 minutes, and finally had a nap on the porch at Chez Louisa, one of the many Utah ski vacation homes I manage.

Jupiter Peak Steeplechase