Salt Lake City: Mountains, Dust, and a Whole Lot of Altitude
okay, so i’ve just been back from salt lake city. it’s…a place. honestly, i’m still processing it all. it’s not exactly what i expected, which is usually a good thing, right? but it’s also…a lot. like, a lot of mountains. and dry air. so, so dry. my skin is still screaming.
first off, the geography. apparently, it’s at 4,327 feet above sea level. who knew? it’s in this valley, the salt lake valley, and it gets its name from the great salt lake, which, yeah, is salty. who would’ve thought? it’s surrounded by these massive ranges - the wasatch range to the east and north, and the oquirrh mountains to the west. seriously, everywhere you look, there are mountains. it’s kind of overwhelming, in a beautiful way, i guess. they’ve got peaks like twin peaks at over 3,400 meters. it’s a climber’s paradise, i’m told. i mostly just tripped over a few rocks.
and the climate… oh, the climate. it’s a cold semi-arid thing, apparently. bordering on mediterranean and humid continental. which…doesn’t really tell me anything. i just checked and it’s 6.59°c, feels like 6.59°c, pressure is 1023, humidity is 60, sea level is 1023, and ground level is 851. hope you like that kind of thing. summers are hot and dry, with temperatures sometimes hitting 41.5°c. i didn’t experience that, thankfully. winters are snowy, and apparently, the great salt lake causes lake effect snow. who knew a salty lake could cause snow? it’s weird. someone told me that the air stagnates in winter, which explains the pollution problems. great.
apparently, the city covers 110.4 square miles. it’s built on these ancient lake shorelines from lake bonneville, which existed after the last ice age. that’s…a lot of history. and apparently, it makes the area prone to earthquakes. just what i wanted to hear.
and the tourist stuff! they hosted the 2002 winter olympics, which is a big deal. there are tons of ski resorts nearby - snowbird and park city are the big ones. hidden peak is over 3,000 meters. i’m not a skier, so i mostly just looked at the mountains and felt inadequate.
if you get bored, ogden and provo are just a short drive away. west valley city is…there. i didn’t spend much time there.
i’m a little disappointed that the search results didn’t mention any local dishes or famous people. i was hoping for some quirky food and interesting characters. apparently, it’s all about the geography and climate. which, fair enough, i guess. it’s a distinctive feature, i’ll give it that. the high altitude definitely messes with you. the sun feels intense. and the air is so dry, i felt like a raisin.
overall, salt lake city is…an experience. it’s not for everyone, but if you like mountains, dry air, and a slightly surreal feeling, it might be worth a visit. just remember to drink a lot of water and wear sunscreen. seriously. and maybe invest in a humidifier.
okay, i’m going to go moisturize now. bye.
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