So in order to be the ultimate snowsporter, I got some skis so I can mix it up on the slopes. First, the skis:

Atomic Access 181

These are kickin' skis. 100 under foot so they're good for the Utah powder, rocker in the tip and tail for nice float, and stiff enough to carve the groomers. They're 181 long, so they're much longer than anything I've skied on before, but I'm growing into them.

Getting back into mountain biking is a lot more physically demanding than skiing. We biked around our hood today on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail and then explored the University of Utah campus. It's going to take some time before I've got enough stamina to really tackle the miles of trails in the Wasatch foothills, especially when the elevation is so demanding. I'm really digging that Cyclemeter App on the iPhone. Here's the elevation graph for today's ride:

Now that it's finally warming up in SLC, we went for a hike in our zip code to see what The Living Room was all about. Not much, it turns out, but hiking around the foothills is a spectacular experience. The vegetation is unlike anything I've ever seen or smelled. It's going to take us years to explore all of the trails in the area.

I downloaded Cyclemeter (great app!) from the App Store, but I forgot to turn it on at the start of the hike. That's why the route doesn't loop:

View Larger Map

If you watch TV during prime time, you've no doubt seen the GM commercial featuring its CEO, Edward E. Whitacre Jr., claiming that the "new" GM has paid back its federal loan, "in full, with interest, years ahead of schedule." After hearing that I immediately thought that GM is starting to turn things around, thanks to cars like the new Camaro.

Well, Forbes did some actual research (unlike the majority of the press) and found that Whitacre's claims are a total fantasy.