Tuesday, March 2, 2010

The February BET


The Davis Area CVB was delighted to host a fun group of people, representing ski clubs from California to Great Britain on our annual Buyer Education Trip held February 25 - 27. The powder was falling fast on Thursday at Powder Mountain. Their mountain hosts took the group all over the mountain, and our own Brandon led them down into Powder Country. They all raved about the size of the mountain, and the experience.

On Friday, the sun came out for our trip to Snowbasin - where Brandon again led some of the group through the slightly tracked out powder - and others skiied on the packed runs. This being the week of the Olympics in Vancouver - we finished the day by taking "the can"to the top of Mt. Allen for a look down the first face of the men's downhill. The views from up there are incredible.

Carolyn at Powder Mountain, and Steve at Snowbasin were wonderful hosts - providing the group with lunch on each day, and amazing experiences and memories.

Likewise, our hospitality partners in town were a hit: the food served at Roosters, Holy Smoke, and MacCools and Boston's Pizza was outstanding, the only complaint from the guests was that they ate too much. The newly remodeled Comfort Inn - Layton provided wonderful guest rooms and a great breakfast every morning.

We heard very positive comments from our guests, and look forward to the groups and clubs that come for a visit in the future. We're confident that skiing will be as good when they come next time, as it was on their BET visit. Because that's the way it is here: we do have the Greatest Snow on Earth, the best resorts in our backyard, and amazingly cooperative hospitality partners.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Hidden Danger

Currently, if you looked at my face you'd think I am a leper. It's the result of years of UV radiation (skiing, boating, hiking, being outside) - and the vanity that comes with a good tan. As if I had placed it in a microwave - what is it that heats up that food anyway? Just cuz we can't see it... doesn't mean the rays aren't cooking. Who knew that the damage would be cumulative?
I met a girl in the gym on Saturday. She said "Aw, precancerous cells, huh?". As she showed me a wide scar that ran the length of the back of her arm, she asked, "Do you know what this is?". "A zipper for your humerus?", I guessed. Not so humorous. "Skin cancer. Years of boating on Flaming Gorge and water-skiing on Lake Powell as a kid. " She's a fair-skinned beautiful young woman - only in her late 20s. "I had a mole there all my life, but it started to change". She went to the dematologist, and sure enough the biopsy was cancerous. They took out lymph nodes in her armpit to see if it spread - it hadn't. She reports that another 20-something in our neighborhood recently had the same experience, same mole, same spot. Only HER lymph nodes showed cancerous cells - therefore, she's on chemo. Bummer.
I have to put a cream called 'Aldara' on my face, twice a week for 8 weeks. It apparently makes the precancerous cells scab up. It didn't look that bad before, no serious wrinkles - it's not like I looked like a 90 yr old smoker - no obvious signs to me. But my doctor could tell. I used to go in once a year for the dermatologist to freeze precancerous cells. Occasionally he'd cut something out. This time he said he couldn't freeze anymore. "Use this cream. 1/4 teaspoon per $20 dose". It works. It's crazy how it works. I'll trade my vanity for years of solar abuse, if it means I don't have to bear a 12" zipper-scar across the forehead - or a patch of skin from my rear on my face - which I've also seen on others.
Be careful out there in the Utah wilds and on its slopes and waters. See a doctor regularly. Lather up with the SPF. No one wants to be a butt-face.