The Lodge at Blue Sky
Coffee Table Book
Design: Stabins Design
Title, Text & Captions: Miller McMillan
Just released, Unbridled is a 270-page journey through The Lodge at Blue Sky, a 3500-acre resort a horseshoe’s toss from Park City, Utah.
The book’s design and photography captures the wildness of nature and the experiences it inspires.
Like trail markers, my poetic text and captions take the reader on a path of discovery and awakening.
The Lodge at Blue Sky is a luxury resort in the Auberge Resort Collection.
Please scroll down to read my writing.
Excerpts
WINTER HAS A PERMANENT RESERVATION
Winter arrives in gusts and grey, tossing a thick crystalline blanket over the land. The cool is refreshing, the air crisp and pure. Evergreens are unmoved, standing stoically, perpetually green. The aspen and maple bid farewell to a passing season splashed with myriad hues, and descend into a deep reverie.
Wildlife feel winter’s arrival, and retreat. The elk, deer, mountain lions and their relatives peer out from temporary wilderness homes. Creeks feel winter in a different way. Snow lines the banks, and rippling waters proceed through the depths of winter.
Fishing is perennial on Alexander Creek and the Weber and Provo Rivers. Trout maneuver through pristine waters, studying lifelike flies that tempt along the surface. Holes are dug in ice-covered lakes, where lines are dropped with an invitation to the finned diners below.
Winter also marks a transition in human behavior. Overnight, the land becomes a natural playground, where white powder paths feel the arrival of snowshoes. Skis and boards join the expeditions, and snow bikes take hardy trekkers to remote terrains.
Loftier ambitions rise via helicopter through canyons and over peaks deep in the Wasatch Mountains to a private ski area. Looking down, captive eyes behold herds of elk and deer.
The Yurt is a warm stop on a mountain peak for lunch or dinner near a blazing fire. Back at the Lodge, our signature restaurant, Yuta, presents contemporary American cuisine, served with fireplace, full bar and a side order of captivating mountain views.
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En route to remote locations, a heli-hiking journey affords dramatic views of the Uintas Mountain Range. A soft landing follows, where alpine meadows, forests and rugged terrain are a hiker’s paradise. In winter months the copters shift their course toward distant slopes for snowshoeing and skiing adventures.
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SPRING INVITES CELEBRATION AND EXPLORATION
No calendar is needed to know spring has arrived. The eyes tell the story with flora emerging, fauna awakening. Peering through the forested land, the home of mountains, creeks, forests and fields, the elk conclude their winter solace, shed their antlers, and begin growing them anew.
They gather and migrate from the forest to suddenly verdant fields. The deer shutter their sheltered winter habitats and find a mixed cuisine of grasses and plant growth. Horses scout the pastures, finding newly arrived grasses, and move the cows up the mountain to a fertile grazing land. A rescue and sanctuary welcomes all creatures for nurture and healing.
Blue Sky is a land to explore during freshly minted landscape of spring. Coyotes and foxes and an occasional mountain lion reward alert eyes and a peaceful presence. Spring’s reveille summons airborne creatures wearing feather coats. While the California gull accepts honors as Utah’s state bird, avian species by the dozen celebrate the arrival of spring.
Watchful eyes will focus on nature’s prolific progeny of pheasant, geese, hawks, falcons and hummingbirds and all their airborne cousins. The ornithologist and casual gazer will witness flocks aloft performing acrobatics against the vivid blue sky.
Flora join the exodus from winter’s harsh rules and months spent in dormancy. Leaves open cautiously, then with full abandon on cottonwoods and maples.
New life and vitality are on display in vibrant colors, flavors and scents. Onions and garlic set the table for the chef’s newest creations. Trout is well represented in the excellent company of fruits, vegetables and imported cheese. Yes, spring has arrived.