Spring is here and summer is on the way and it’s time to get back in the saddle again. Park City Magazine shares Back in the Saddle Again - Take to the trails with early-season mountain biking tips from a pro. Former mountain bike pro, PMBIA certified instructor, and owner of MTB-focused business Women in the Mountains, Erica Tingey shares tips on how to seamlessly get back into fitness after a long winter.
Start slow. Give yourself some space and expect that you’re going to be slow on your first ride out—and that’s OK, Tingey says. “Find a trail that’s not challenging for your first ride back,” she recommends. “I start in Round Valley because there are not any long, sustained climbs.” She also recommends riding the RTS Loop Trail near the Utah Olympic Park, so you can do a few laps. “Find a loop and ride it a few times to feel yourself improving, and to feel your blood vessels and muscles opening up.”
Re-train your vision. Without even realizing it, when you’re in mountain bike shape, your eyes naturally look far ahead to anticipate the terrain and any obstacles. Over the winter, it’s easy to lose that skill, Tingey says. “When you’re getting back into riding, try to look ahead a little bit more than you naturally would. It takes self-control to do this, and to anticipate what’s coming up. The tendency is to look down—force your eyes up.”
Loosen up.“No matter what you’ve been doing over the winter, riding always feels different,” Tingey says. “Your hands might get that itchy feeling from bouncing. And when you’re nervous or tired, you tend to grip too tight, and it’s really hard on your upper body. See if you can loosen up on the climbs and the descents.”
Start with an athletic stance. When you get tired—which can happen quickly during the early season—your posture is one of the first things to decline. Start the year with good habits and think about holding an athletic stance with your core tight, your spine strong, and your neck up. “It might be hard to hold a good posture for all three laps,” Tingey says, “but it’s a good clue to know that when you can’t hold a very good posture, you should call it a day. If you’re not riding in a strong position, you’re setting yourself up for more accidents.”
Turn your fear into excitement. If you’re a bit more skittish on technical sections than you were last year, try to put your nerves to good use. “When I was racing, instead of saying ‘I’m not nervous,’ I’d say, ‘I’m excited to be on my bike,’” Tingey says. “Turn it into positive self-talk. As in ‘I’m OK to get off my bike and walk it.’” She also notes that there’s a difference between trying and doing. “Think Yoda: There is no try.”
Just get on a saddle. If the trails are still too muddy, grab your road bike and to get used to being back in the saddle. “Using your road bike is a way to get some miles in and get used to being back in that position,” Tingey says.
Don’t forget a maintenance check. Whether it’s you or your trusty mechanic, do a thorough check of your bike before hopping on. Check the bolts with torque wrench, clean and lube the drivetrain, and test the front suspension (Tingey says to put a hand on each brake, engage, and stand behind the bike and shock it down—does it feel like it’s going up and down at the same rate as last year?). And, of course, put air in your tires, but maybe a little less than you think. “This year, try three psi less than you ever have and just see if you can get away with it,” advises Tingey.
A reminder: Wait until the trails are dry. “Riding muddy trails ruins it for everyone else for the rest of the season,” Tingey says. “It leaves ruts that aren’t magically fixed from a summer of riding. They are stuck for the rest of the year. You’re really ruining it for yourself and it’s also really hard on your bike.”
Where to find trail updates: Check the Mountain Trails Foundation’s website and Facebook page for the latest trail conditions; Basin Recreation also frequently updates the status on its Instagram and Facebook pages.
Forbes has shared The Best Cities In Utah To Own Investment Property - Based on the Census Bureau’s annual estimates of resident population, from July 2010 to July 2018, Utah’s state population increased by 13.9%, second only to the District of Columbia, and No. 1 out of all 50 states in terms of growth. Utah is an interesting state when it comes to buying and owning investment property. People and businesses have been flocking to the state, and many of its major cities have seen swelling numbers of renters. Major universities, healthcare companies and financial firms like Ally Bank can be found in Utah’s main cities, all of which help boost the economy, and increase the number of residents and appeal of the city to potential investment property owners.
1. Logan, Utah - With 61% of its occupied housing filled by renters, Logan is a fast-growing city whose population is expected to double by 2050. A key feature that makes Logan conducive to investment property owners is the presence of Utah State University, with a student population of nearly 28,000, many of which are renters or looking to rent in off-campus residences. In addition to them, professors, university staff and employees, as well as employees of businesses closely associated with the university, add to a large supply of renters and potential renters in the city. Logan also has the highest gross rental yield of major cities in Utah, i.e. cities with more than 10,000 total occupied housing units.
- Percentage of renter households: 61%
- Number of renter households: 10,039
- Median property price: $235,000
- Median rent: $1,588
- Annual rental income: $19,056
- Gross rental yield: 8.1%
2. Ogden, Utah - Located north of Salt Lake City, about a 30-to-40-minute drive up Interstate 15, Ogden is another great place for potential investment property owners. Property prices are affordable in terms of buy-in, and rents are comparatively high enough to produce a gross rental yield of 6.3%, behind only Logan’s 8.1%.Like Logan, Ogden is a college town, home to Weber State University, which has an undergraduate population of 27,111, according to
U.S. News and World Report. The university’s students and staff provide a large pool of potential renters of your investment property in Ogden. In fact, according to the city’s
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Weber State University is the No. 4 largest employer in Ogden, behind the Department of Treasury, Weber County School District, McKay-Dee Hospital Center, and ahead of
Autoliv, the world’s largest automotive safety supplier, according to their website.
- Percentage of renter households: 44.6%
- Number of renter households: 13,442
- Median property price: $229,900
- Median rent: $1,207
- Annual rental income: $14,484
- Gross rental yield: 6.3%
3. Midvale, Utah - A majority of occupied homes in Midvale are renters, which bodes well for rental property owners. According to Census data from the 2017 American Community Survey, the number of renter-occupied housing units has risen by over 29% from 2010 to 2017. Compare that to the U.S. overall, which has seen an increase of 12.7% over the same period of time. Several major companies have operations in Midvale, with some of the largest employers including Overstock.com, the staffing agency TEKsystems and the financial company SoFi, according to the city’s
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2018.
- Percentage of renter households: 58.5%
- Number of renter households: 7,293
- Median property price: $308,900
- Median rent: $1,503
- Annual rental income: $18,036
- Gross rental yield: 5.8%
4. South Salt Lake - South of Interstate 80, and bisected by the north-south Interstate 15, South Salt Lake is cheaper than Salt Lake City proper, and has a better gross rental yield than the latter city. This is because the median property price is less than $300,000 — whereas in Salt Lake City, it’s $425,000 — while the median rent is still high enough to yield solid rental income over the course of the year. According to South Salt Lake’s
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for 2018, the biggest private employer is Marriott Vacations Worldwide, a leading timeshare company and publicly traded, which was originally a division of Marriott International before being spun off into its own firm.
- Percentage of renter households: 58.6%
- Number of renter households: 5,185
- Median property price: $291,900
- Median rent: $1,394
- Annual rental income: $16,728
- Gross rental yield: 5.7%
5. Orem, Utah - Orem is an interesting case for potential investment property owners looking to get into the Utah market. According to Census data, from 2017 to 2017, the number of renters increased by 16.4%, while at the same time, the number of owner-occupied homes actually declined: From 17,013 in 2010 to 16,200 in 2017. Like other Utah cities on this list, Orem benefits from being home to Utah Valley University. This public university has an undergraduate population of close to 37,000, according to
U.S. News. Besides this vast pool of potential student renters, Utah Valley University is the largest employer in Orem, according to the city’s
Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.
- Percentage of renter households: 41.1%
- Number of renter households: 11,318
- Median property price: $315,038
- Median rent: $1,449
- Annual rental income: $17,388
- Gross rental yield: 5.5%
6. Provo, Utah - Along with Orem, Provo comprises the Provo-Orem metropolitan area, which has a combined population of 617,678, according to
Data USA. The Provo metro area boasts an impressively low unemployment rate of 2.8% in Feb. 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In fact, from Feb. 2014 to Feb. 2019, unemployment in the Provo metro are has averaged 3.1%. Over that same period, the national unemployment rate averaged 4.8%. For investment property buyers, Provo benefits from a high percentage of renters, due no doubt in part because it’s home to Brigham Young University, one of the largest private universities in the country.
- Percentage of renter households: 59.2%
- Number of renter households: 19,475
- Median property price: $309,000
- Median rent: $1,334
- Annual rental income: $16,008
- Gross rental yield: 5.1%
7. Salt Lake City, Utah - The population of Utah’s capital has grown from 184,488 in 2010, to 194,188 by 2017. That’s a little over a 5% increase, and similar to the increase in renter-occupied housing units over the same period: 5%, from 37,735 to 39,626. This trend, along with the majority of the city’s residents being renters, bodes well for potential investment property owners in Utah.
- Percentage of renter households: 51.5%
- Number of renter households: 39,626
- Median property price: $425,000
- Median rent: $1,598
- Annual rental income: $19,176
After scrambling for venues last year, the Park City Institute announced its St. Regis Big Stars, Bright Nights Summer Concert Series will continue this year in The Eccles Center for the Performing Arts. Park City Institute Executive Director Teri Orr announced the new location during an unveiling of the series at the Kimball Art Center.
According to an Institute press release, the series is as follows: — The Brothers Osborne, July 7. The Grammy Award-nominated duo features T.J. and John Osborne, who have climbed the country charts with the hits “Stay a Little Longer” and “Rum,” while collecting CMA and ACM awards along the way.
— The Punch Brothers, July 30. The quintet of mandolinist Chris Thile, guitarist Chris Eldridge, bassist Paul Kowert, banjoist Noam Pikelny and violinist Gabe Witcher formed in 2006. The band’s latest album, “All Ashore,” won the 2019 Grammy for Folk Album of the year. Thile is known for his work in Nickel Creek, and is also the host of the weekly NPR broadcast “Live From Here.”
— Taj Mahal Quartet, and Marc Cohn featuring special guest vocalists, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Aug. 13. Taj Mahal is a two-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, film composer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with artists such as Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Wynton Marsalis.
Cohn, mostly known for the hit “Walking in Memphis,” has performed for Park City Institute three times and as a songwriter has been praised by Time Magazine as “one of the honest, emotional voices we need in this decade.”
The multiple Grammy-winning Blind Boys of Alabama formed in 1939 at the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind and have since performed for three presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
— Gone West, Aug. 16. This pop-infused country group features Colbie Caillat, her fiance Justin Young, Caillat’s longtime collaborator Jason Reeves, and Reeves’ wife, Nelly Joy. The band formed, in part, as a result of their experience working together on Caillat’s 2016 tour. The Park City Institute presented Caillat at the Eccles Center in a sold-out performance during that tour.
— CAM, Aug. 24. Country singer CAM began her career as a songwriter for artists including Sam Smith and Miley Cyrus. Her 2015 Grammy-nominated song “Burning House” hit No. 2 on the U.S. and Canadian country charts, and sold more than 2 million copies. A vocal advocate for music education and inclusion, CAM holds a degree in psychology from University of California Davis, sits on the board of the Academy of Country Music and joined the Recording Academy’s Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion in 2018.
The weather in Utah has been particularly hot lately, which makes me think of skiing and snow boarding of course. Did you know that Park City, Utah might of had the most unique (and unpractical) ski lift EVER. Matt Lorelli of Unofficial Networks share this article posted in the New York Times on December 13, 1964 sharing details of Park City’s “Skier’s Subway” used to transport skiers through old mining shafts. Check out this incredible footage and first-hand depictions of the Skier’s Subway. I know skiers will get creative for turns, but this is taking it to the next level. The Skier’s Subway didn’t last long, and closed in 1969. The entire journey ended up taking close to an hour, if everything worked properly. The Park City Museum claims that most skiers treated the subway as a novelty and returned to more traditional lifts after one ride.
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