Soldier Hollow Resort

We had a young competitor in this weekend's Junior Olympic meet at Soldier Hollow in Midway UT.  It was our twelve year old son's first race. After only a few weeks on cross-country skis and practicing with the Devo team, he skied some great races. We are pretty new to this 'official' cross-country skiing business. We've owned classic skis for years- every year we'd go out once or twice a season and putter about in the forest but I never dreamed there was much more to it than that. There is waxing, proper skiing technique and of course some very humbling aerobic exercise. 

I've fallen completely in love with skate skiing- a sport I've always wanted to try but never actually gotten around to trying before this winter. A lesson or two, a little finesse and you've got yourself a superb winter workout.

Soldier Hollow was the sight of the 2002 Winter Olympic Cross Country skiing events.  Leaving us in 2011, with a world class ski area to enjoy. Soldier Hollow also has a Charter School (K-8th grade) on the premises, two of our children attend school here and love it. We love the small class sizes, quality curriculum and that the students get to enjoy skiing with their classmates twice a week in the winter months.

It was a thrill to see kids of all ages and from all over the western United States come to compete in skate and classic events this past weekend. What a enriching family sport that encourages a healthy lifestyle and enjoyment of the great outdoors.

Midway Utah

We've done it, we've moved to Midway just like we've always wanted to. We've been here about two weeks and love it in this little, no stoplight town located on the back of the Wasatch mountains. Here is the view, looking south, from our front door. Deer Creek Reservoir is covered with misty low clouds, Soldier Hollow Resort is tucked into the hills in the middle of the picture and Mount Timpanogos is the tall mountain on the right. Fall is such a gorgeous time of year in Northern Utah.

Midway is a hotspot of geothermal activity. Craters pock the ground, lots of buildings are built or accented with "pot rock". The Homestead Resort boasts a hot spring in a crater with about 100° F /37° C water temperature- for soaking, snorkeling or practicing your scuba diving. Zermatt Resort also has hot springs for swimming, the temperature of the water is about 90-96° F /32-35° C.
Then there is this hot spring... right in Midway (at the end of Pine Canyon Road), it is free, used by everyone (even though it's on private property), now get ready for the crazy part... the water temperature is about 110° F /43° C all of the time. It's a serious mind-over-matter situation. It takes some stamina to go underwater to your knees, torso, shoulders- but all the way under, swimming laps underwater? It takes a real water lover to get to this level of super hot water enjoyment.
I can't wait to get in after a day of skiing...

7 days and a skateboard

scenic route fuel tv from oi documentary services on Vimeo.

This is a TV spot that I directed, a fun trip too, without the kids (sorry kids). We traveled for 7 days going through Capital Reef National Park, Zion National Park, Big Sur and many places in between. It is very nice to get out and look around. Music by Deer Tick.

Great Salt Lake

It occurred to me the other day that I have lived in Utah for 20 years and I have never been to the Great Salt Lake. Deciding to fix this oversight- we packed for a day trip and headed out. From what I could find out from google searching, Antelope Island is a great place to venture into the water, so we gave it a shot.
I'd heard and read all sorts of nasty reviews of the Great Salt Lake, but, let's face it folks and recollect what the Great Salt Lake is- the 2nd saltiest lake in the world (only the Dead Sea is saltier). Of course it's going to be a barren wasteland full of bugs, bad smells, mud and a salty residue on everything...
Being warned (and warned again) of the unpleasantness our adventure would entail- this is what we found as we arrived on Antelope Island. A gorgeous view of expansive water and desert, well-kept covered picnic areas, clean sand, showers and bathrooms. Not too smelly, and a breeze keeping the bugs at bay.

Getting to the water was a bit gross, depending on how you feel about gnats. The sand on the edge of the water was covered with thousands of gnats that moved in waves when you stepped forward. Kind of funny- kind of disgusting. The gnats weren't really interested in you (they didn't bite) as long as you kept moving. So into the water we went... very floaty, surreal feeling. You just bob effortlessly near the surface, this picture was taken with both hands on the camera. No need to expend any effort to stay afloat.


Little dude did some serious shrimpin'. Tiny pinkish brine shrimp are all over in the water, easily caught in a water bottle.


I couldn't head south, back home, without seeing Saltair and the surrounding area. So we headed west on I-80, past the airport, just as the sun was getting low in the sky. We went for a glimpse of Saltair but found ourselves enjoying the extremely photogenic Temple of the Birds and it's neighbor- 'burned-out-train-car' (for lack of a better name), just to the east. We just couldn't stop with the pictures. Oh the evening sunlight and colorful graffiti combined for some clever pics.

We weren't the only ones talking pictures, we counted 3 engagement and 1 bridal photo sessions going on as we wandered about. Here is the rare picture of the train car without any random strangers (oh wait, there is just one...).

Time to head home as the sun set, what an unforgettable day. To see a ton more pictures of the day- look here.



Here's a little video from out day at the Great Salt Lake. All I can say is thank goodness they are gnats and not bees.

get your cameras ready

San Pete County

We stopped off at Joe Bennion's pottery shop, Horseshoe Mountain Pottery in Spring City this week, on our way to pick up our Birch Creek Ranch camper.

Lots of pots to choose from- in the end we picked out a cereal bowl (we tend to be a little hard on those at our house). I wanted a medium-sized mug, for sipping tea, but there were only small and XL ones available (hint there, Country Joe).

I have always been a big fan of this stained glass window in the shop, I don't know who made it, (friend of the Bennions?) but it intrigues me.

Love the wild nature of the front flower beds.

We got stuck behind a sheep drive heading out of town. We were taking it easy, hanging back to keep the cowboys and the animals happy, when two trucks manned by locals went busting through- scattering sheep here and there. Man and beast drove on, so we did too.


I kept daring the kids to get out of the car, run along with the sheep, get some hands-on interaction, but no one would take me up on it. Cute little wooly fellers.

teach your children well

birch creek service ranch (rough cut #1 march 23, 2010) from Solpin Films on Vimeo.
Last summer our 12 year old daughter went to Birch Creek Service Ranch, a camp in San Pete County Utah for making good kids even better. She loved everything about it and heads back this summer, her brother as well (for the boys session). As a parent I cannot say enough about this camp, it is in my experience just as important for kids as traveling the world. For more information about the Birch Creek Service Ranch visit their website here.