A really fun day bowling!

Mommy arranged a fun bowling day with another couple and their kids on Tuesday.  Skyler has bowled one other time and he was rather excited to go again.

Mommy showing him what to do.

Mmm, bowling alley corn dog!  Actually, their food was really good.

Using the "ball walker".

The score board.  Skyler ended up winning the game!

My new want!  Pabst pool table light!

Winter Wonderland part 2.

After our hike Monday, we headed North to Hardware Ranch to see the elk and ride a sleigh.  I never would have imagined how amazing it could be riding next to 700+ wild elk in a horse drawn sleigh!  It started to snow as soon as we got in the sleigh and that only added to the magical winter wonderland experience.

BIG snowblower in Sardine Canyon!

What it looked like when we pulled into the parking lot.  That's a lot of elk!

Definitely a winter scene.

LOTS of people!  Our wait time to the sleigh was 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Clown kid in the line.

We're on!  We got our wait cut short when the cowboy asked if there was a 2 person party.  Skyler got to sit on our laps.  Horse Billy is on the left, Amanda is on the right.

One sleigh in front of us.  There were 4 sleighs total.

We had front row seats!

The elk are fed once a day in the morning.  All of their hay is grown on the ranch.  They raise over 300 tons of grass hay each year!

Snow starting to fall.  Imagine 100 years ago being a cowboy in this?  It makes you thankful for modern housing.

Cows and a young buck.

Our host figured that he was 3 or 4 years old.

Elk hair is comprised of two layers, fine down like hair underneath longer hollow hair on top.  This is why they can just lay in the snow without getting cold.

Lots of elk doo!

Horses' ass!

A couple of spike males in the distance.

None of the elk were bothered by the horses or sleighs.  They've been feeding the elk since 1945 so they're pretty used to it.

Calf laying in the snow.  

It was rather surreal being right in the middle of an elk heard.

This got interesting really fast!  Amanda stepped out of her harness and our host radioed for help on the meadow.  3 other sleighs came racing over and surrounded ours so the team couldn't go anywhere.  

The other sleigh driver handing the reigns of his sleigh to a passenger.

There's Amanda all tangled up.  She weighs 2,000 pounds and each movement would rock and jerk the sleigh!

Whew!  Back on track.  More elk!

Billy was steaming from working so hard.  Both horses were rather sweaty.  They rotate out teams and the horses only have to work Friday through Monday.

Just munching on this tasty grass hay.

Starting to snow a little harder.

Elk butts!

Only one big buck in the whole group.  He seemed to be guarding his herem or at least the entrance to the meadow. 

He was probably 10 feet from our sleigh.  I didn't zoom in at all to get this shot.

Bye buddy!

The hay shed and horse corrals located to the West of the meadow.

Getting stormier!

Our wildlife experience didn't end though.  Deer spotted right next to the highway!

"What?"

Main stret Hyrum still had a nice Christmas light display.

Winter Wonderland part 1.

We had a big day yesterday!  We started out in Millcreek Canyon on the Desolation trail so the hound could get some exercise.  It was spectacular!  So much wintery goodness!

She wasn't sure if she wanted to keep going but we got her motivated.

Still cautious.

Mommy and Skyler heading up the rear.

Nothing but white pillowy greatness. 

Our trail was nicely packed from all the foot traffic.

It was narrow at times.

Evergreen awesome!

Now she was a happy hound!

Our little family.

Southeast view towards Big Cottonwood Canyon.

Waiting for the rest of us.

Running!

Majestic mountain magic.

Ears up and running!

You can make out the Pipeline trail to the left in this pic.

It was deep if you got off trail.

Gorgeous Juniper.

A bit of color.

Just plain beautiful!

Snow as far as the eye can see.

Packed trail.  This would almost work for a Fat Bike...

A memorial to what we presume to be a suicide.  There was a Snowbird employee pass hanging from one of the limbs.  :(

Panoramic view.

East view.

The happy couple that "does things together."

West view.  Notice our temperature inversion down below.  :(

Be sure to see part 2 tomorrow, here's a preview!

Yep, we really got this close!