Heidi Aphrodite

I went to Snowbird’s Oktoberfest on Labor Day with my brother, his father-in-law, and my 5-year-old Nephew.  On the way up, my brother’s “muscle car” got a little overheated and we had to stop and wait for it to cool down for a few minutes, but other than that, we had no trouble getting up.  Because it was Labor Day and starting to get crowded, we parked at the far end of the parking lot but were fortunate enough to catch the shuttle to the resort to save my nephew’s little legs.  I had remembered to put sunscreen on my arms that morning (putting it on my face is a given), but I changed my mind about the top I was going to wear and forgot to put sunscreen a little further down my upper back than normal to protect the skin that was exposed in this particular top.

I didn’t think anything of it until I was standing near the bottom of the Alpine Slide for almost an hour, waiting for Zach and The Lad to move through the apparently very long line and get their turn on the sleds.  I could feel it burning, but couldn’t really do anything about it because I didn’t have sunscreen with me, I didn’t know when they’d be coming down and I had to have the camera ready, and my hair isn’t quite long enough to cover where I was getting burned.  I could have moved into the shade where the electric bull was, but I was annoyed enough by the teenagers there.

So I got a sunburn.  A sunburn bad enough to feel like a bruise and then peel a few days later.  For the first time in YEARS.  I was so mad.  The rest of the day was a lot of fun–The Lad had a GREAT time watching the people and going on the Tram (which, quite honestly, scared me more than I care to admit…stupid acrophobia) and eating bratwurst and listening to the music.  It’s a gorgeous place and the staff were really friendly.  I ran into some friends and their kids, and I saw a critter (I think it was a marmot) scurrying along under the Alpine Slide track.  We got to the top of Hidden Peak after I held on very tightly to the railings inside the tram and closed my eyes and breathed deeply a few times, and the temperature up there was probably 20-30 degrees cooler than it was at the resort, and the view was breathtaking.  I didn’t go near the edge, of course, and seeing The Lad and my brother so close caused my heart to stop a few times, but it was worth it.  I love the air that high, and I love being able to see so far, but I don’t love being near edges with long drops like that.  And I got a sunburn.

But it was a very fun day and I’m glad I went.  Happy Labor Day to me!