We decided to stop in Park City, famous for Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival, so that I could adjust to some altitude before visiting Bill’s son John in Leadville, Colorado,. Leadville is above 10,000 ft. The last time we were there, we spent a glorious golden day of autumn hiking. I felt wonderful all day, but then I was altitude sick all night.
This time, we are planning to enjoy Leadville for two days in a row.
We have been in Park City before, too. My son Ben and his wife Marin lived in Salt Lake City for several years, and we enjoyed exploring Utah. On one trip we went to Sundance. It was really fun, but we managed to not see a single celebrity.
On another visit, in the summer, we hiked up to Empire Pass. The day was memorable. There was a pair of golden eagles that were soaring overhead calling to each other. It was also memorable because I took off my backpack when we sat down to rest and forgot to put it back on. Bill was gallant enough to sprint back up for it. But he’s never let me forget about it, either.
We rested up and enjoyed a nice patio dinner in Old Salt Lake City at Wasatch Brew Pub the first night. Our plan for the next morning was to visit Empire Pass again.
We didn’t see any golden eagles this time, but the little wildflowers were lovely. There were also some of the tiny blue butterflies I loved to see in Missouri, and a handsome spotted variety that I’ve never seen.
The area has changed a lot. When we last hiked here, there was one ski resort below. Now there’s a string of them across the valley.
We stayed at Kimball Junction, near the former Olympic venue. It’s a raw new built-up maze of traffic circles and crosswalks. Best feature: a modern transit station with electric buses.
We could get a free ride into Old Park City with no more than a ten-minute wait. Good food and pretty shops with astonishing prices. But I love to look!
