A cold front moved through over night, bringing the first real feel of fall in the air.  This quick change will moderate in the next few days, but this really signals the ride toward the Winter Season.  I got back to town after a very interesting journey to the far reaches, where I visited with folks I have been remiss in visiting.  I had a great time and saw friends I had not seen in many years.  It is always nice to make contact and see the changes.  Up on the hill, the top facility is shaping up quickly and more of the structure’s extent can be seen.  Here is a shot of the concrete walls and foundation lay out.  On the ride up the Tram, I took this shot of Jaws without it’s cover of snow.  This illustrates the stark extreme nature of the Upper  Cirque.  It is amazing to think about charging this piece of the hill.  I don’t even like to get close to this drop without snow.  Oktoberfest is in full swing with a really big turn out for the festivities.  The Cristy’s Sports ski shop has it’s entire stock of last year’s new skis and boards on sale at Must Have prices.  Now is the time to buy for the Winter.  There is also a large selection of outer wear available, also at great prices.  Here is a shot of just one section of the Wall of Skis just waiting for you to snag a pair or two.  Out on the deck was where all the festivities were going off.  I ran into two friends I have known since my very first year all those years ago.   Art was yodeling and playing the accordion at the first Oktoberfest I experienced back in ’76.  He also was the Tram operator during that year as well.  I haven’t seen him in many years. Also, here is my good friend Louie, who is 93 this year.  He gave up skiing just 3 years ago when he was 90.  It was great to seem him here during the Summer.  It would not be Oktoberfest without all the great beer and wine that was flowing all over the deck.  Here is the a shot of the beautiful Felice in her finest Oktoberfest costume serving the wine to the guests.  There was quite a  long line for this station, so I had to get this shot off quickly.  The fun continues tomorrow, so get up there early to get good parking.  All the lots were filled when I was leaving and folks were parking on the road.  The more the merrier.  There is also a band playing over on Chickadee in the afternoon, so stay and enjoy the music while sitting on the grass.  It won’t be long now and we will be back in the thick of it.  There are hints of the colors changing already.  Syrup won’t stop ‘EM!!!

August is flying by like the Little Cottonwood Creek in the spring, and it will just be a blink of the eye and we will be back on the hill.  I came down  from the High Desert to touch base with how things are shaping up on the hill.  The Mountain Biking trail is getting high marks and the folks are really loving it.  The Cool Air Concerts have ended for the season as Oktoberfest will begin tomorrow for the fall season.   There is so much going on with all the activities that the addition of the Fest is going to be extra special fun.  Here is a shot of the Twins free of the old snow and ready for the fresh coat that is not long in coming.  Check out all the colors in the sedimentary layers.  It is like it was painted by the BIG BRUSH.   Here is a shot of two ladies who were experiencing their first Tram ride to the peak.  They were really amazed by the extreme terrain we have here.  It is hard to imaging that all this gets covered up under so many feet of the Goodness.  It will be here soon indeed.  I also stopped by to see THE CHEF and how is garden is coming along.  He is harvesting arm fulls of veggies every day.  Here is a shot of a cucumber blossom that was glowing in the sun up on the trellis.  The bees were having a field day pollinating all these blossoms.  He has bee hives in the back yard and he had to add extra hive segments to keep up with the industrious little guys.   I got to  taste some of the fresh honey that they made right there.  It is very cool to see how his yard is blooming.  The structure on the peak continues to shape up as the concrete foundations are being poured.  It will be really fun to see how it all turns out.  I am back off to the High Desert to deal with more pressing issues involving the Morphogenic Field.  Stay Frosty!!

We have quickly arrived here in August, signaling the downhill slide back to the Winter Season.  The first exhibition Pro Football Game was televised yesterday, and that is a clear indication of a very quick return to the goods.  I made a visit to the Chef’s garden the other day to see how it is going, and here are a couple of shots of it in all it’s verdant abundance. Here is a shot of me standing in front of his huge pumpkin plants, backed by the Sunflowers that are just starting to blossom.  He is pulling arm fulls of produce out of this garden every day.  He made a huge salad with vegetables he picked just moments prior to eating it.  It does not get fresher than that.  The corn is still a ways out, but the tomatoes are just beginning to ripen.  I hope to get a few of those and make some fresh pasta dishes myself, when he has enough to give away.  The Fresh Air Concerts on Saturday night continue to be off the charts excellent, with some of the smokin’est music I have heard all Summer.  Octoberfest will be beginning soon, so that will be well worth the effort to get up to the hill for the festivities.  Well, I am back to the deep research these days, but it won’t be long until we are back at it.  Stay Frosty!!