SAY I LOVE YOU ON A MOTORIZED SLED

How many years of chocolates, roses, lingerie and bad dinners do you think you can string together before you finally say enough is enough? I mean honestly, do we all need a holiday to say “I love you” to that special someone the same way that a card at Walmart says it in seven different languages for a buck-fifty?

When are you going to decide as a couple that you’re going to do something that doesn’t involve a last minute run to the Hallmark store, a cheap box of candy hearts or a long, agonizing perusal of the menu just so that you can tell the waitress, “I’d like the Moon Over My Hammy, over-easy, wheat toast and a side of ranch please and can you also get my husband a life?”

I’m declaring this the year that we “Do Something Atypical on Valentines Day” and I’m not referring to your private-private life, because I’m really hoping you will still keep that behind closed (locked) doors (we don’t want to scare the kids), but rather a time for you to break out of the usual Valentine’s Day monotony and get into something that both of you will remember twenty Valentines Day’s from now.

If you’re in Utah and you’re fresh out of ideas – hit the fresh powder. Utah is known as a skiing and snowboarding, after all we did host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. But if you’re not a fan of sliding downhill (or pushing yourself to the point of exhaustion on cross country skies or snow shoes) than I can definitely see a snowmobile in your future.

Utah has some of the most scenic, absolutely spectacular snowmobile trails in the world. There are guided tours, groomed trails and back-country trails with fresh powder to choose from up and down the Wasatch front. The Uinta Basin is a gorgeous place any time of year but imagine riding a snowmobile through pristine white country, the only sound you hear for hours is the hum of your snowmobile’s engine as you traverse nature’s beauty.

There are trails at Mirror Lake in the east, in the West Desert past the Great Salt Lake, Fish Lake in Central Utah and a stunning ride in southern Utah near the Cedar City through Brian Head, Cedar Breaks and Duck Creek. Daniels Summit near Park City is a popular destination if you want to get out of the city but don’t have time to venture too far out.

Before you go
• Dress appropriately. Nothing spells frostbite and/or hypothermia like the guy who wears a pair of Nike Air Jordan’s to a half-day snowmobiling excursion. Layer your clothing so that you can shed a few layers if it gets too warm, and put them back on when the temperatures drop again. If you’re starting to feel a bit loopy, you can’t stop shivering or you just feel like there are ice cubes forming in your chest cavity, its time to alert a friend or your guide.

• If you’re a beginner or novice, make sure you are accompanied by someone who is familiar with the machines and knows the trails by heart. Many nightmares in the mountains of Utah started with people who bit off more than they could chew. So pack a beacon, stay close to your guide and listen very carefully to their instructions.

• Pack water and a light snack. Just because you’re surrounded by mountains packed with dozens of feet of snow doesn’t mean that you will be okay to chew off a bit of snow to stay hydrated. Eating snow lowers your core body temperature and opens you up to a whole mess of bad scenarios. Stay hydrated, take some chapstick to keep your lips moist, have a snack to give you the energy and strength to maintain control of your machine and alert your guide or a buddy if you’re starting to feel lightheaded or drowsy.

If you’re interested in spending a wonderful time with your sweetheart on an experience of a lifetime, check out some of these tour operators for more information: danielssummit.com, deervalley.com or rockymtnoutfitters.com