Salt Lake City, UT

Back to Salt Lake City! It was my first time returning since I last visited in 2022, and we coincidentally stayed just a stone's throw from the house I was living in then. It was really great to be back; I love the close proximity to the mountains and even found myself enjoying the quiet suburban area. We were out there for a friend's birthday, and so a fairly large group of us were hanging out.

The main focus of the trip was definitely snowboarding and skiing, of which we did plenty. I was still working while there, and so I didn't get as much in as some of my friends. But it was still quite a lot! I'm also happy to say that I officially conquered black, and even double-black, diamonds while out there. I think I've been more than ready for that for quite some time now, but was also not really seeking them out. However, once presented the chance, I took it!

My friend Wesley made a fun recap video from the trip, so this is definitely the best way to see the adventures that were had. I was in the blue, wearing my backpack. Can spot me?

Here's a photo of the entire group, during the birthday celebration we threw for Casi. Me and my buddy Alek saw the giant cut out horse at the party store and ran with it. Almost literally. From left to right: Kris, Wesley, Lisbet, Kristen, Casi, Colin, Alek, Mary, JD and myself.

The Airbnb we stayed at had both a fireplace and a hot tub. It was really nice to come home from a long day of snowboarding and have those waiting on us.

A picture from the summit of Snowbird, which was definitely one of the best mountains I've been to. The photos really don't do it justice; at 11,000 feet elevation you really felt like you were on top of the world.

JD took this cool photo of the birthday girl, Casi, admiring the view.