YCGL - Sunday, February 19, 2023 - Home again, home again, Jiggity Jig

Hopefully, you can guess from the title that I'm home again, safe and sound.  It was a fun five days with Erik and Eliza and friends.  

Thursday, after the hot tub that I showed in the last blog, we went to the Mahogany Ridge Brewery and Grill.  We had three great meals, Eliza had Yellowfin Tuna, Erik had a Rack of Lamb and I had Baby Back Ribs.  I don't know why, but when I see ribs on a menus, I'm always drawn to it.  I think to compare it to mine, see if there is something I can tweak mine with, and I'm usually disappointed.  I make Texas style ribs, which are dry (no BBQ sauce on it while cooking) and a spice shake that I make.  What most people think of are Kansas City ribs which have a red sticky sauce on them.  These were KC ribs and, surprisingly,  I really liked them.  They had good texture, a little hot zip, just a little grab on the bone and it seemed like more than a half rack.  I was really impressed.  I may have to try making them.  

We also had mussels for an appetizer.   Growing up, when we would go to the beach, we would look for and dig up mussels.  They were generally small, 1/2" to 3/4" long.  Any longer and the birds would find them.  Then we'd put them in a bucket and try to keep some water on them, but eventually they would die and then smellllll.  Now, when I have mussels to eat, I have to get around that memory.  And I have to admit, when fixed with butter and garlic, Scampy style, they are pretty good.  But, I also learned something that night.  If you have to peel open a mussel shell, don't.  If it isn't opened butterfly style, it isn't quite cooked yet and you really don't want to eat it.  I did, and it was definitely undercooked.  And I felt a little rocky later that night.  Just don't.  

On Thursday, Erik had gotten a text from a Boston friend who had flown he and his girlfriend out from Boston to Salt Lake that they were next going to Telluride and would fly to Steamboat so Erik could take his first ride in the plane.  It is a four/five seater Cirrus, 2013, who made fiberglass planes.  They were very unique at the time and it was a beauty.  Friday, we met Andy at the little Steamboat airport and he showed us the plane and talked about the pre-flight check he had already done.  

Andy and Erik

We first flew to Steamboat Lake, about 25 miles north of Steamboat.  Sally and I had camped there about eight years ago.  We had rented a boat and had gone around the most of the lake when a wind gust came up and blew my hat off.  It had been a favorite of mine that I had worn both years in Kenya and fit me well, which very few do.  And it sank like a rock. I whipped around to try and get to it and watched it go down.  It was at about 200 feet north of the wooded point under the wind.  If I had a grapple hook, I bet I could still find it.  

The dam is the straight line right above the wing tip.  You can see the outlet with the stream below it.  I don't know why the big hump in the middle is there, but it must be a control building where the snow has blown up around it.  Just to the right of center is the emergency or secondary spillway.  It a very appropriate location, but seems a bit small to me knowing the area of the watershed behind it.  Sorry, I taught Design of Small Dams every third semester since 1984-2015.  

We did two circles around Steamboat Ski Resort.  This is the whole south face and then there is an area on the other side.  The little red X is about where our condo is located.  We were closer on the second loop and Erik said he could see the condo and the hot tub.  

Erik was in contact with Eliza and she was taking a picture from around the wingtip on the north bowl at about the same time I was!  Wave!

Look at that mogul field.  Not for me!

Then we headed south to the Flat Tops Wilderness.

These are two different sections.  I had never heard of them before.  

Of course, this is the best view from the back seat.  

(If you aren't the lead dog in the pack, the view is always the same.  That's the propeller in the windshield.)  It was one time I was happy not being a backseat driver.  In all, we were up for about an hour.  Back in the 1980's, Jay Puckett and I talked about getting our pilot's license.  It didn't work out easily, as steadier heads, namely Sally and Kathy, prevailed.  Sure would have been fun though.

That evening, we met up with the parent's and brother of one of Eliza's best friends since kindergarten.  We had a great talk, the mom had graduated from Boulder two years after we did.  

Saturday, a Hash friend from Boston flew in to spend the week with E and E.  Emily celebrated by falling asleep before dinner and sleeping until morning.  Which was probably as good a way as any to get used to altitude sickness.  

Then Sunday, while the three of them skied, I drove over to the airport in Hayden and picked up Øystein and Laura, two more Hash buddies.  Øystein is originally from Molde, Norway which we are planning on driving through on our Norway trip in September.  He had some good suggestions about what to see and where to drive heading down to Bergen.  

Sadly, I had to leave later that afternoon, but I'm glad I did.  Here is the gang!

Erik me, Øystein, Eliza, Laura and Emily.  

Thank goodness someone has long arms!

Next Stop is Portland!