I added to the collection today after a photoshoot down in Lehi. Perfectly Posh is a direct sales company specializing in fun body products from lip gloss to foot scrubs. I couldn’t resist taking home more swag to try.

But I must finish my bottle of Sebamed first. There are no fancy labels, no decadent scents; it’s just plain ‘ol moisturizing body lotion. But is it???

The rather large bottle sits on my nightstand as part of my bedtime ritual. I reach for it without thinking.

Whether it’s after a day of skiing, rockclimbing or hiking my hands and feet are in dire need of a rub down. My face too! Sebamed is a lightweight, hypoallergenic lotion that contains chamomile extract and allantoin for moisture and hydration. I put it everywhere. No rashes, no breakouts, just lightweight moisture. It goes on smooth; not greasy. The high concentration of gycerin and sorbitol, with a light 7 percent lipid compound, helps preserve skin’s natural moisture balance. The label says that the product is formulated to a pH balance of 5.5 level- the pH of healthy skin.

The bottle has lasted me all winter and should take me through most of the summer. However, I love trying new things so stay tuned to read about other products perfect for a mountain life.

$12.99. http://www.sebamedusa.com/

At the Advice of a Physician
While most people know about the health benefits of sport and recreation, the health and well-being that results from contact with nature is less understood. Take for example the story of Isabella Bird Bishop (1831 – 1904), the first woman inducted into the Royal Geographical Society. Isabella was said to have been frequently ill while in her home in Britain with “vapours and other non-descript ailments”. At the advice of her physician she traveled to Canada and the Rocky Mountains in the US where she reported being in good health.

Time in Nature Under Review
Through the history of industrialization, our relationship to nature has changed. In the 1900’s, 40 percent of people lived on farms, yet by 1990 this figure had already dropped to 1.9%. Skip forward to the 21st century and we find that people spend less time in nature then even 50 years ago. Just how dependent we are on nature for our well-being is only just beginning to receive serious attention from researchers working in the fields of ecology, biology, psychology and psychiatry. According to research by Anita Pryor, at the School of Health and Social Development at Deakin University, this move away from nature is taking a toll on public health. Figures from the World Bank and the World Health Organization warn that mental health disorders, which currently form 10% of disease throughout the world are anticipated to rise to 15% by the year 2020. At this rate mental disease and depression is poised to become the greatest worldwide health issue in the future.

Existing studies clearly show that while humans are totally dependent on nature for our most basic material needs such as food, shelter and water, we also depend on nature for psychological, emotional and spiritual needs. Being in nature, or simply viewing nature has been found to provide, “feelings of pleasure, sustained attention or interest, ‘relaxed wakefulness’, and diminution of negative emotions, such as anger and anxiety”, as described in Prior’s research.

An Easier Pill to Swallow
The experience of nature has been shown to have therapeutic benefits on our health. For instance, contact with nature can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, improve one’s outlook on life and reduce stress. Spending time in nature has also been shown to help reduce the risk factors associated with addition. Dr. Robert Greenway, working at the Sonoma State University Psychology Department in California studied the effects of outdoor trips on his students over a period of 30 years. What he found was that 90% felt more alive, more energetic and reported an increased feeling of well-being. In addition they also said that the experience made it possible for them to help break a mental addition. Many Park City residents and visitors will intuitively understand the health and well-being benefits that can be gained from nature. However studies that provide empirical evidence to support this experience are important as they help to provide strategies for communities and policy makers to prevent and treat diseases such as mental illness. Ayurvedic, Tibetan, Native American and Traditional Chinese medicines dating back 5000 years all promote the importance of maintaining a physical, emotional and spiritual connection with nature for well-being and health. As strong scientific and research into the healing benefits of nature begins to accumulate, Western medicine may now have the opportunity to catch up. For urban dwellers seeking well-being, whether through resources for addicts in Tennessee or therapy in California, they may simply find that in the future the doctor will prescribe the mountains of Park City Utah for some contact with nature to heal the body and mind.

 - Robert Chapman, Ph.D.,  Associate Director of Sport Science and Medicine for USA Track & Field

Park City “Sweet Spot”

Park City’s elevation of 7,000 ft is just what the Doctor ordered according to recent studies. Training at elevation at the 7,000 to 8,000 ft elevation level was found to be the “sweet spot” in a recent study by elite athlete endurance performance researcher, Robert Chapman. Along with his team of researchers they focused on a group of athletes training at the same altitude for 28 days following the same workouts. A quarter of the athletes lived at 6,000, a quarter at 7,000, the same at 8,000 and 9,000 ft. According to his results those living in the 7,000 to 8,000 ft elevations performed the best.

There are many events in and around Park City which help emphasize the value of training at altitude, such as the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase at PCMR.

An Oxygen “Retrofit”

With less oxygen at high altitude, breathing is more difficult, at any pace, than at sea level. It also affects the volume of blood the heart can pump. As a result, the body adapts to the lower oxygen content in the air by creating more red blood cells. The elevated level of red blood cells then allows your body to get more oxygen to the muscles. However it takes between 21 and 28 days for the red blood cells to double. According to Chapman’s study, training somewhere in this range produced the optimum results. However, Chapman also acknowledges the benefits of a shorter training period at altitude. These include working out in a group, training in a great location and getting out of what can be a stressful day-to-day routine.

Timing it Right

Another factor in high altitude training considered by Chapman’s research is the time frame within which an athlete should compete after returning from training.  Coaches generally recommend competing within 48 hours of returning or in the 18 to 22 day range. According to leading research both of these might be correct. A study of 6 elite athletes following a “live high train low” program, tested the athletes for heart rate, mechanics and economy. Of particular interest were the results of breathing tests that suggested the 48 hour period was ideal for competing. Days 7 and 13 were the most challenging and by days 18 to 22 extra breathing caused by altitude stops. Extra breathing requires more energy and muscles as well as additional work to regulate the flow of blood, which is why athletes also performed better once it had ceased. In another study focused on Kenyan runners training at altitude, it was found that by day 28 the red blood cell count had returned to normal. Normally, a red blood cell lives 180 days, however, as soon as a person return to sea level, the body quickly begins to kills off the immature red blood cells.

Other Impacts of Going High

Given the important effect of altitude on breathing, traveling to altitude can have serious implications for a person suffering from lung disease. According to the Institute for Altitude Medicine at Telluride, a person with asthma can benefit from reduced levels of pollution, and the presence of fewer dust mites which are a common allergen yet don’t live at high altitude. Individuals with chronic lung disease and difficulty transporting oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream were found to do worse at high altitude. For anyone with a chronic lung disease visiting high altitude, they simply recommend using oxygen. Children and youth with cystic fibrosis (CF) often do poorly at altitude, however the institute references a report of a young adult with mild CF who hiked to over 16,500 feet without incident. For visiting moderate altitude doctors may recommend using extra oxygen in combination with other aggressive CF medications. Lower oxygen at high altitude can also cause other problems. For instance carbon monoxide poisoning is much worse. Caused by lack of adequate ventilation in cabins, cooking in closed tents and improperly ventilated snow shelters, carbon monoxide binds to the molecule that carries oxygen in red blood cells and will not allow the release of oxygen to body tissues.

New Twist for the Future

For elite endurance athletes new research by Dr. Chapman indicates there may be limitations to high altitude training for some individuals. According to his research, 50% of the elite endurance athletes demonstrated a phenomenon called Exercise Induced Hypoxemia, meaning there is insufficient oxygenation of the blood. For these athletes, even training at a moderate altitude of 3,000 ft, was found to cause a significant decline in performance. Those who responded best to high altitude training were able to train at the fastest speeds and produced higher levels of EPO, a hormone that controls red blood cell production. These athletes exhibited greater red blood cell production and peak oxygen intake improvement. Chapman suggests that these results may eventually lead to a pre-screening procedure to determine who would benefit most from training at high altitude.

But if you do want to eat in Park City sooner rather than later make sure to call ahead before driving all the way up to Main Street just to find the ‘CLOSED’ sign out. The good news is that when they do reopen there will be plenty of two-for-one coupons available. Ask locals, they know who’s got the deals and pick up a Park Record newspaper for printed coupons.

Closed Through May 6:

Blind Dog, Good Karma

Closed May 5-19:

High West Distillery, Mustang, Shabu,

Closed until the end of May:

350 Main, Reef’s, Flanagan’s, Wahso, Prime Steakhouse, Silver

Closed until the end of June:

The Farm, Talisker on Main

The summer season kicks into gear when Park City Mountain Resort opens May 24. Lounge on the plaza in the cool breeze, try the alpine slide, zipline or alpine coaster, lift-served mountain biking and hiking or even challenge the family to a round of mini-golf.

Deer Valley Resort opens June 15 for lift-served hiking and mountain biking. Deck dining at Royal Street Café in Silver Lake Village is one of my favorite summer activities along with the outdoor concerts at Snowpark Lodge.

There are the free Wednesday-night concert series sponsored by Grand Valley Bank Community Concert Series starting June 19,  the Deer Valley Music Fest (ie Utah Symphony Outdoors) June 29, July 6, July 12-13, July 19-20 (Steve Martin and the Indigo Girls, relatively), August 2,3,9,10; and the St. Regis Big Stars, Bright Nights Outdoor Concert Series July 4, 15 (Los Lobos and Bruce Hornsby), August 4, 17 & 24 (Lyle Lovett and Jewel!), 31 (One Republic/Sara Bareilles).

When Canyons Resort opens June 7, lift-served mountain biking and hiking, the best zip lining in the state, catch and release trout fishing, pedal boating, and putting golf. Expect free, world-class concerts from the likes of JJ Grey & MOFRO, The English Beat and the Ben Miller Band that draw thousands of stoked visitors. July 20, 27, August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31.

Most parents consider Keen for summer days at the waterpark or well-trodden trails through their back woods. But Keens have been my go-to shoe for back to school and beyond. With fun colors, durable materials, water-resistant construction, Keen’s (should-be) patented comfort, and lug sole, kids really don’t need anything else on their feet except socks.

My little fashionista wears skirts and dresses even in snow. The knee-high boots not only look great with her clothes but I don’t worry about cold, damp, smelly feet like I might in those traditional rubber rain boots. I can thank the KEEN.DRY waterproof membrane and moisture-wicking fabric lining for that. The plaid-print flannel collar adds a touch of flare and helps prevent chafing. Finally, the side zip lets her don them herself which means there’s one less thing to do on our race to the car in the morning.

Uggs are cool but hot and they’re not made for dancing in the rain. Sage’s Keens are. The Darby is on closeout all over the web. Grab a pair while you still can. $66.

Like most eastern Canadians, he grew up snowboarding and playing hockey. However, Mike quickly learned he wasn’t a fan of splitboarding in the backcountry. “It sucks,” he says. Fat, rockered, shaped skis on the other hand are making it easier than ever to experience big mountain terrain. So his Alta friend talked him into learning to ski. This year.

I met Mike on day 90 of his very first ski season. He told me he had never worn ski boots before November (2012). That day, I bore witness to what determination, athleticism, clinical thinking and time can create. In other words, Mike rips. Of course, as a ski instructor, I can find several areas to ‘tweak’ but as a regular Alta ski bum, I stood back and cheered as he followed me through some of my favorite shots in heavy spring crud.

Mike has learned by watching videos, good skiers, and replicating what he sees. Not a single lesson from a “professional.” Okay, well he was taking mental notes behind me. But honestly, Mike skis better than most people who have been skiing all their lives. I can only imagine how he rides. When I first asked to tape him he said shyly that I should wait until next season “when he’s better in the bumps.” I told him next season he wouldn’t be a story. He reluctantly gave me those few turns for the camera.

I asked Mike on our last lift together, “So, if someone asked, ‘Are you a skier or are you a snowboarder’, what would you say?” He paused. “I’m a skier,” he said with confidence. Yeah. Alta has that effect on people.

He doesn’t look that much like a superhero, does he?!  Maybe that’s encouragement for the rest of us…

In addition to Scott’s grueling racing and training schedule, he is a committed volunteer, spending time with schoolkids to share his experiences and his passion for accomplishing your goals.  We should all be so motivated!

Visit Scott to see excerpts from his latest book at scottjurek.com

I hear we are going to have a seriously wet April. Better buy that Bird spring pass.

Park City Resorts

Deer Valley Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013

Deer Valley Resort official website

The Canyons Ski Resort

Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013. Don’t miss their final free-at-3p après concert on the Plaza this Saturday- The Pour Horse is a Salt Lake based quartet that produces a mixture of rock, funk and blues with a little bit of a jam band-esque feel.

The Canyons Ski Resort – Official Website

Park City Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013
Park City Mountain Resort – Official Website

Provo Canyon
Sundance Resort
Anticipated Closing April 7, 2013. Will open for summer operations April 18! Guess with a 30″ base it won’t take long to melt off.

Sundance Resort – Official Website

LCC/BCC
Alta Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013, then Fri-Sun. through April 28. No uphill traffic until May.
Alta Ski Resort – Official Website

Brighton Ski Resort
Night skiing ends April 6. Anticipated Closing April 21, 2013. Take advantage of their Tax Day Relief promotion, April 15. Lift tickets $20!!
Brighton Ski Resort – Official Website

Snowbird Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing Memorial Day Weekend (May 27), 2013
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort

Solitude Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013, Lift tickets are $49 until close; free if you stay at one of Solitude’s lodging properties.
Solitude Mountain Ski Resort – Official Website

Northern Utah Resorts
Beaver Mountain Resort
Closed

Beaver Mountain Resort – Official Website

Powder Mountain Resort
Closing April 7, 2013
Powder Mountain Resort – Official Website

Snowbasin Ski Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013
Snowbasin Ski Resort – Official Website

Wolf Mountain Ski Resort
Closed
Wolf Mountain Ski Resort – Official Website
Southern Utah Resorts
Brian Head Resort
Anticipated Closing April 14, 2013. Don’t miss the Spring Carnival on Sat., April 13, with fun events from 11a-4p.
Brian Head Resort – Official Website
Eagle Point Resort
Anticipated Closing April 7, 2013
official website

You would think that since Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and the Will Smith family vacation in Utah that some seriously big names would show up for a celebrity race but it was more of a family affair for this year’s Operation Smile Celebrity Ski Challenge.

There were quite a few more kids (instead of adults) going neck and neck and significantly less recognizable faces at Canyons Resort this weekend. Lea Michele, Cory Monteith and Lucy Hale- Operation Smiles’ headliners and biggest draw were no shows. Last year, you had Billy Bush announcing with the same glib, jovial finesse he has on Access Hollywood but this year, Utah native and host of Spike TV’s Flip Men filled in for Bush and the spirit of this fun spring event waned. 

Still, Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz (Arte and Tina from Glee), Jason Ritter (Parenthood), Kate Walsh (Private Practice) and Mark Eaton took turns arcing in the slush near the bottom of Doc’s.

Smile’s Ambassador Zachery Levi (the voice of Flynn Rider in Tangled) also stepped in but without popular stars like Modern Family’s Ty Burrell and Jessie Tyer Ferguson (Phil and Mitchell) and Monteith combing the Plaza there was a definite lack of star power. Which is too bad considering the attention this charity deserves.

Operation Smile has provided more than 200,000 free surgeries for children and young adults throughout the world born with facial deformities. One in every 10 children born with a cleft will die before their first birthday. The children who survive might be unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. They’re teased and, worse, rejected.

Vampire Diaries’ Michael Trevino showed his support this weekend. (Apologies for the background noise).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cuifp-TSKQ&w=560&h=315]

This year’s event raised enough money to help more than 900 kids. But it could be more. My fingers are crossed that more Hollywood TV stars hear how much fun it is to come to Canyons, make turns and support a worthy cause that they sign up for next year’s event. Just the same, the crowd enjoyed themselves, raised money for a charity that literally puts smiles on the faces of kids throughout the world and, with any luck, next year’s event will lure back Rachel and Finn, Phil and Mitchell.

P.S. How cool would it be to see Alec Baldwin take on Donald Trump and John Krasinski hand it to Mariska Hargitay. It’s completely plausible seeing as how NBC President Jennifer Salke and her teenage son Henry created this event. And while you’re at it, Guys, can you please talk Finn and Rachel into doing a duet on the stage after the race?

June was the lazy, hometown resort for locals and backcountry skiers. Those in the know would scramble to June and its world-class terrain parks and superpipe to avoid the swarms that descend on Mammoth every weekend.  It also offered unmatched, lift-served access to the Sierras and unbound exploration from here to Yosemite.

Fortunately for backcountry skiers, the US Forest Service softened the closure blow. Inyo National Forest leases June’s operating permit to Mammoth so when Mammoth yanked their operations, the Forest Service rules went into effect- “the land will generally remain accessible to the public for backcountry skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing. Under the plan, ski patrollers are authorized to prohibit access to the area during avalanche control activities. The ski area remains prohibited to entry by snowmobiles and other motorized use by an existing Forest Order, except by special use authorization,” the Mammoth press release states.

And so June was “open” for skiing this year.  Local mountain guide Doug Nidiver commented, “It’s surprising how many tracks there were this season.”

Even better is that dogs are allowed now!

At times the parking lot was full but not today. We packed up the water, the ProBars, the skins and the poop bags and headed up the service road toward the Chalet. The rise of the J1 lift and its face looked intimidating. I couldn’t wait to ski it but climbing it? Not so much.

We stopped for a water break and views on the Chalet’s deck and Nidiver reminisced about riding the lift, taking in the views, having a tasty meal- “the food was excellent up here” and then venturing out of bounds. Locals had long whined for a backcountry lift where they could pay a reduced rate for lift-accessed OB but that had never happened.

Today, we skied the ski area. The conditions in the hot sun have shifted to spring corn and crust. It didn’t matter where we went so it was easy just to trek straight up the face.

Four hours later, we reached the 10,000-foot summit. We had no trouble skinning except that my hip flexors were a bit out of shape.

After the Kodak moment we ripped the skins, clicked in and dropped into Deer Bowl. We had to be nimble with the breakaway layer but after the first ten turns the trail turned into a smooth table of corn. Over the face and down IQ, the snow became dimpled with sun cups but we were able to ski all the way back to the car. Nearly 3000 vertical for the afternoon.

In my head, I could hear the whoops and hollers of my fellow Utahns enjoying the 10 inches of fresh powder back home. Sigh. But there’s something to be said for solitude, sun and blue skies for the end of March. I had a wicked body buzz going and a deep appreciation for spring skiing. I’m not sure that I would want to be anywhere else today.  I’ll be back in Utah soon enough!

P.S. It’s not official yet but all signs are pointing to June reopening for winter 2014.