Wednesday, March 9, 2011

A Little Work, A Little Skiing, a Little Running

I am in Salt Lake City about an hour before I give a faculty workshop at the University of Utah law school (or the UU as they call it). I came two days early to ski. Day One was straight from the airport to Park City and a near white out at Deer Valley as it snowed something like 18 total inches beginning in the mid afternoon and continuing through the following morning. Tuesday was near perfect conditions at The Canyons a mountain I had never skied before. Today, I took a five mile run up through some parks to the beginning of the Wasatch State Park. Halfway through the run, I joined a group of extremely clean cut runners with a police escort in front and back and a video truck filming us on the side. One of the guys mentioned that I was the only one who wasn't being forced to run. This led me to believe that I was with a group of prisoners on somekind of chain gang run. I nervously edged to the side of the pack in case I (or they) had to make a break for it. Then one of the friendlier ones told me that they were the new recruits for the Salt Lake City police force and were being sworn in tomorrow. I stayed with them as we circled Canyon and Bonnvilee roads and split off at the state capitol as I headed down past Temple Square back to my hotel. Too beautiful for words and a delightful change from the flatlands of the midwest.

3 comments:

  1. I once presented research in Utah in late fall -- that faculty does a tremendous job with a workshop, by the way -- and had a morning run up the canyon from downtown on the day I had to depart. Finishing down the canyon with the sun rising was simply wonderful.

    I hope you left some snow for the rest of us . . .

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  2. Thursday was 65 degrees by noon downtown. Cooler but sunny in the morning where I skipped 3 hours of rushed skiing with my eye on my watch so I don't miss my afternoon flight. Instead I went deeper into the canyon on an 80 minute run. Its simply unreal and made me really really happy.

    Workshop on Wednesday was a lot of fun. Smart engaged friendly faculty. They even invited staff which I had never seen before. We invite students. Do you guys do either?

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  3. Only if there's a particularly appropriate student or staff member -- e.g., a research assistant or administrative assistant who has been helping on a related project. It's a good idea. There can never be too much intellectual exchange at such an event.

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