Picto Diary - 22 to 31 March 2026 - Angel's Party

Above: Michael McIntyre (file image). Eccles Theater, Salt Lake City, UT. 22 March 2026.

On 22 March 2026 we valeted the 392 (Jeep) at Bombara Restaurant in true blue Salt Lake City. After dinner we, and co-diners, another couple, took a short walk to the Eccles Theater to see the British comic, Michael McIntyre. McIntyre is on his first performance tour of the US. TIMDT got the tix last October. She is crazy about Michael McIntyre.

On return to Bombara to pick up the 392, the valet guys waxed enthusiastic over the car. "Wow... is this one of those souped-up jeeps?" "Yes," I replied. "It even has a note augmentation switch, I said." I hit the note switch for the jeep enthusiast valet guys. Cue better than Harley 392 note. "Wow!" they exclaimed.

I can't imagine the humiliation I would have felt valeting at such a fine establishment as Bombara an EV or a hybrid. I'm glad not to have had to undergo the indignity of that experience. :-)

By the way, McIntyre was great. Full house at the Eccles Theater. Wow, I didn't know a single stand-up act could attract so many theater goers!

For me McIntyre's funniest lines were his story about mistakenly ordering for his own room service dinner from the dog menu at the Beverly Hills Hotel. When the waiter asked if he should set up the service on the floor, McIntyre, incensed, said, "Absolutely not! Set it up on the table." He consumed the dog food meal. Once he realized his mistake, he ordered from the regular room service menu. When the waiter knocked on the hotel room door, McIntyre simulated barking from inside the room then simulated locking the "dog" inside the bathroom. When he opened the door to let the waiter in, disappointingly, it was a different waiter. Anyway, I don't do justice to the story. It was hilarious. Good to see comics out there that can succeed sans scatological joke telling. I'm now a Michael McIntyre follower!

Just as clean comics might be making a comeback, the evidence is becoming clearer that clean, family movies do better than typical Hollywood pedo-effluent. "Project Hail Mary," despite its lead actor, Ryan Gosling, being a Canadian, scored eighty million viewers in its opening weekend. I read the novel by Andy Wier. I'm going to try to see the film soon. If they can one-up the fabulous "Interstellar," staring non-Canadian, Mathew McConaghy, I'm all in!

Above: Deer Valley, UT. 25 March 2026
42 09 478
Not sure how much longer they can go. Hoping for the 25 inch April 1 storm.

Above: Zions Technology Center, Midvale, UT 26 March 2026. Image: View of sunset over the Oquirrh Range.
TIMDT and Mwah (sic) attended a fundraiser for Canyons School District, headquartered in Sandy, UT. We were guests of The Monk, who loyal to his old Jordan High School roots, is on the Board of Canyons School District. Torquemada and Pat, from Sandy were also there.

Above: Park City Mountain, Park City, UT. 28 March 2026
43 08 486 (43 ski outings YTD; 8 runs today; 486 runs YTD).

Today, over a week ahead of schedule, was the last day PCMR upper mountain was open in the snow deprived 2025/26 ski season. The PCMR lower lifts will be open tomorrow for season closing celebrations, like the pond skim. YTD, I had only skied five times at PCMR on my Epic Pass. I owed it to myself, notwithstanding projected mushy snow ski conditions, to ski the final day at PCMR. Also, I hoped to link up with TWO3's crowd, including Title, and Guzzi, at mid-morning break.

Image shows skiers hiking up from Summit House to the top of Thaynes Lift. The Keystone ski run is open from the top of Thaynes. The Thaynes lift base is usually accessed from Summit House by runs served by The Motherlode Lift. But Motherlode and runs it services were closed.

I opted to not make the quarter mile hike up to Thaynes lift summit post break. I had skied seven runs by the break and, considering the very soft and wet snow conditions, was worn out. Under soft/wet snow conditions, I slow down and guestimate taking three or four turns in the space where I would take one turn under excellent groomed snow conditions. Also, each turn required more effort to ensure the downhill ski penetrated the ridges of mushy snow. Not complaining. Just citing how different snow conditions can alter the ski experience. I'm very happy with the considerable workout I had skiing today.

Apart from the lower lifts, Three Kings and First Time, only Crescent, Payday, Bonanza, Thaynes, and Silverlode lifts were operating on the upper mountain. Skiing was limited to the following runs: Home Run, Claim Jumper, Treasure Hollow, and (with a quarter mile hike) Keystone

I took a mid AM break in the Summit House. TWO3's crowd wasn't there, but Guzzi's wife, Baby Formula, joined me five or so minutes after I had arrived. Baby Formula told of caring for her 92-year-old dad who just stopped skiing last year. I mentioned that acclaimed Utah skier Junior Bounous was still skiing at over one hundred years of age. Baby Formula noted that she thought Junior Bounous had suffered a ski injury this year. Anyway, point being, my skiing at eighty years of age doesn't sound like such a big deal in the context of skiers like Junior Bounous and Baby Formula's Dad. Skiing at 90. Something to which to aspire.

After the break I skied from The Summit House to the van, parked just beside the base of the First Time Lift. Due to the snow conditions, I took my time, stopping four or five times on the way down. As was skiing pre break, post break was quite the workout considering the more frequent and deliberate turning required by the mushy snow conditions. Sometimes, skiing down skiers right where earlier shade had slowed the snow melt, I was able to find less mushy, cut-up snow conditions.

I can't say that today will be my last day of skiing this season. Alta, Snowbird, Brian Head, and Solitude stay open well into April. In past years I have been known to ski those resorts two- or three-times post Deer Valley and PCMR closing dates.

PS. Last night we had my fifty plus year friend Espresso, his daughter, Chronicle, and Chronicle's eleven-year-old son, Pythagoras over for dinner. Pythagoras, in addition to being an excellent skier, is a math whiz, requiring tutoring well above his current grade level. We had the NCAA March Madness games on silent on the great room TV, Pythagoras is a bracketologist. He was ever the gentleman in making polite, intelligent conversation with adults, but bracketologist that he is, he carefully eyed to game performance from time to time. Apparently, Pythagoras is in the doghouse for some infraction never mentioned. He pointed out that to get out of the doghouse, his parents required that he read Tolstoy's "War and Peace." He didn't seem to be bothered by it. Pythagoras is one smart well parented and well grand parented kid.

Above: Park City Mountain, Park City, UT 28 March 2026.
Mwah (sic) with Jonesy's ski run in the background. The image highlights the grim snowfall, the worst during our twenty-five years of living in Park City. Notwithstanding, kudos to PCMR and Deer Valley for putting up a pretty good, groomed snow skiing season.

Above: Iron Canyon, 31 March 2026.
Tom struts in the 'hood.

Above: Sugar House Health Center, University of Utah. 31 March 2026.
TIMDT awaits check-up with her pulmonologist, Dr. Scholand. TIMDT. A trooper. Ever chipper, with a positive outlook, despite her interstitial lung disease. Good news, she tested negative for pulmonary hypertension. She's on a new medication designed to stem disease progress. TIMDT rightly takes pride in her kids and grandkids. She loved taking the oldest grandchild, Drums, while on his spring break, to an SLC tailor to be measured for a sport coat. Amused, she tells about the low-key sales process of the genial tailor which was a stimulus for her to make unanticipated purchases of slacks, tie, dress shirt and Florsheim shoes.

Above: Sugar Beach, Wasatch Bagel, Park City, UT. 31 March 2026. Angel's annual end of season ski party. Image: If skiing passion, intensity, skill, frequency and longevity were the criteria for determining societal status, these guys would be at the very top of the pyramid. Some have been near daily skiers for over 55 years. Richard, part of the group, not pictured, has had a ski pass at PCMR for each of the 57 years it has been open. TWO3, also not pictured, is one of the mainstays of this old ski bum group. Guzzi, second from right, is the youngest of the group, but he is on his way to being a consummate Park City ski personality, like John Haney, to his right. George is on the far right and Jim is far left in the image.

I was with Angel, second from left in image, his first day of skiing, fifteen or so years ago. I witnessed him straight lining down PCMR's double blue Prospector run and remain upright. I gave him a nick name. "The Crazy Cook." Then he was the cook at Wasatch Bagel. Now he's a part owner of Wasatch Bagel. But the Crazy Cook nick name no longer applies. I'm renaming him Jean-Claude. Today, Angel is a self-taught, excellent skier, skiing with the best of them, accomplishing 120 ski days per year. Wasatch Bagel owner, Kreg Van Stralen gave a mighty paeon to Angel forecasting that Angel's annual end of season ski party would morph into one of the signature Park City "in" events of the year. I believe it. Angel's is a wonderful story of entrepreneurialism, grit, and commitment. Tonight Angel threw a great party!

Addendum:

And Klaus Obermeyer, now 106 living in Aspen, skied a few runs (or maybe just one?) on his 102nd Birthday so he could claim his 100-year pin having
skied every year for 100 years. He explained to me that he first "skied" on barrel staves at age 2. There is no such pin, but he imagined there should be. Aspen skiers claim bragging rights with their 100-day pin, having skied 100 days in a season.

A little trivia for the ski enthusiasts.

Tom,
Aspen, CO