Sunday, December 29, 2019

Announcing Mountain Milonga Retreat 2020, August 7..12

UPDATE: we aren't so sure that we can hold the M2 in the current situation

Time to break the amazing news! We are back at the same classic location and with an excellent time slot of Aug 7..10 of 2020, plus the traditional afterparty tango tour of beautiful Utah through August 12. Our dear friend Gaby Mataloni, a whirlwind of talent and energy,  joins the M2 crew for the first time, with her amazing internationally renowned partner Vinicius Souza, making their first ever US stop at our Retreat! And old friends of M2 are back as DJs, Olga Bogatova and Cliff Coulter, joining the regular team of your dedicated crazy DJs, musicians, and volunteers. Stay tuned, it's just a teaser, and tell us if you want to be in and if you want to help. Happy new year 2020 all! See you in August  <3





Saturday, June 1, 2019

Mountain Milonga 2019: Aug 2-6

Mountain Milonga Retreat 2019 will take place on August 2-4 2019 at the traditional location  at the historic Wasatch Mountain Lodge at Brighton Ski Resort, Utah.  Registration is now closed!


More about registration: as the tradition of the past Retreats dictates, the first 48 hours of registration were restricted to "the alumni class", the passholders of the earlier Wasatch tango events including both Mountain Milonga and SLTF.


WHAT'S NEW FOR 2019:
Our team includes the incomparable Eleonora Kalganova,
and the internationally acclaimed DJ El Espejero
  
WHAT FOLLOWS THE FAMILIAR BLUEPRINT:
7 milongas * live music * 8 classes * music jam
all meals provided * grand asado night * wild mushroom hunt
outdoor adventures * massages * body/mind
bunk-in tango dorms * tango chalets
the same trusted crew of the organizers
 FAQ and maps * Our team * Full schedule



Mountain Milonga Retreat is a unique tango adventure in a rustic 1929  ski lodge at 9,000 ft elevation up in Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range (yet only 45 minutes from the Salt Lake City airport). The tradition began 17 years ago as a signature summer celebration of the local tango community. Great floor, great vibe, and mindblowing asado. Over the years, the “M2”, as it is affectionately known,  grew into a 3-day retreat combining a good deal of a tango marathon, a bit of a workshop, and a lot of a communion of tango friends.

We will feature a beautiful constellation of regional and international teaching and DJing talent, yoga and on-site massages, and the all-volunteer kitchen crew. And yes, we are still signing up part-time volunteers. Being a part-timer volunteer takes only 3 shifts of 3 hours or less, and it is both a great experience and a solid value, coming with a $75 pass discount + a $60 lodging discount.

Always remember that it isn't your usual city-based tango event! We'd like to remind you that the Mountain Milonga FAQ page is always important to read and re-read, and to suggest updates and additions as necessary.

MMR-2019 Facebook Event page is another great way to get in touch with Mountain Milonga people and to share tips and questions and excitement!

Schedule and team bios are coming up soon.

The Mystic Milonga afterparty is scheduled for Monday-Tuesday Aug 5-6th - please do not plan to be back before Tuesday midnight if you join the fun, because we'll plan to dance on sunset and then drive several hours to Salt Lake.


Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Mystic Milonga 2019


*** UPDATED July 26, 2019 - we are at capacity // carpools section  added ***
A general blueprint of our famous rolling party which will span Monday Aug 5th and Tuesday Aug 6, 2019 (details, maps, and photos continue to be updated - suggestions welcome). The payment link for the reservation is up and running (the $75 payment should "approximately" cover lodging, food, and milonga pavilion rental - but gas cost sharing / food cost overruns / premium lodging may be a bit extra)

Carpools draft plan: Scott Kelley, Steve Grant and Ezhevsky to borrow Dm's car. Tatiana and Vera with Lorraine. Sarah, Jennifer and Eunyong with Rob. Chris and Irina S with Warren. Chelsea L and Enid with Brian. Chris Kat with David H. Grisha with Irene. Nate, Joni and R+Y do't return to Salt Lake but may help with carpoolers on the leg in.

Aug 5, 2019, Monday
12 pm – 2:30 pm or laterCarpooling from Salt Lake city (180 mi)
(later start possible for those who drive straight to Mystic w/o visiting the Fremont petroglyphs )
on the road!
3 pm – 4:30 pmMystic Hot Springs Afterparty: Fremont Indian PetroglyphsFremont Indian State Park (map)
4:30 pm -7 pmMystic Hot Springs Afterparty check-in & soak
Monroe, UT (map)
7 pm – midnightMystic Hot Springs Afterparty: Asado dinner and Monroe City Pavilion Milonga
Midnight – ???Mystic Hot Springs Afterparty: soaking under stars
Aug 6, 2019, Tuesday
All day … till midnight or so?Afterparty sightseeing tour and Sunset Danceon the road!

Leaving in the early afternoon on Monday Aug 5th for Fremont Indian State Park (with an optional adventure petroglyph tour) - Mystic Hot Springs check-in and soak - Asado party at Monroe Pavillion - more soaking under the stars and comfy sleeping in vintage cowboy cabins, different-era vintage hippy school buses.
 
A PRELIMINARY lodging layout (as of July 26) is below - please inquire if you want a change, please note that private units come at a slight premium (to be calculated later but estimated at slightly less than $30 per unit).  Three people expressed interest but didn't commit yet (question marks). The layout may change if we sign enough people to make it necessary to used all shared-unit beds.  Also note that we still have a few units available - and campsites as well. Don't delay - sign in while they last :)


Maria EGrow CabinQueen
----Grow CabinTwin
Tatiana GNature BusQueen
Irina SNature BusTwin
Sarah KNature BusTwin
Scott KelleyBen Busdbl1
Steve GrantBen Busdbl2
Dale LearMy Cabindbl 1st floor
JoniMy Cabindbl 2nd floor
Mars living roomsofa
Chris SMars Itwin 1
Rob GallimoreMars Itwin 2
Chelsea LMars IIQueen
EnidMars IIIQueen
Lorrain Vera1865 Pioneer Cabindbl
1865 Pioneer Cabinfuton
Chris PeakeRipple BusQueen
Jennifer WAlthea BusDbl
David HThe Other One aka New BusKing
Natasha GBerta BusDbl
EunyongGypsyDbl
DmitryPond
Brian SalisburyTerrapin I
Nathan EarlyTerrapin II
GrishaTerrapin III
Walter FreemanTerrapin IV



Tuesday Aug 6: relaxed breakfast @ the Mars Hostel in Mystic, and the we begin a road tour which will last the whole day, returning to Salt Lake quite late.
Where should we go this time? The most recent Mystic tours took us to the spectacular Bryce Canyon National Park, hiking its classic Navajo Loop between Bryce's famous multi-colored spires, and before that - across San Rafael Swell (including roadside overlooks, Black Dragon Wash petroglyphs, and Temple Mountain ghost town), ending in the classic Sunset Dance at the Goblin Valley State Park. Once we went to Zion.

Last year, I already proposed a radically new itinerary: an 80-mile drive to Red Canyon with a very short hike there; then to the lava flows of Mammoth Creek and the lava tube a.k.a. Utah Mammoth Cave; then to the high-elevation overlook of Cedar Break National Monument; and optionally, an 11-mile detour to the famous petroglyphs of Parowan Gap on the way home (images and map below)
Red Canyon is a reduced-scale version of Bryce Canyon NP

Mammoth Cave Lava tube is a short through hike
with flashlights - and sleeping bats may be a bonus

Cedar Breaks from the North Overlook at the cool 10.500 ft el
Parowan Gap is the Mecca of Solstice-worshippers
But I'm also open to doing the more classic Bryce, or Black Dragon + Goblins, one more time. Not everyone has been there, and some people just can't enough of those stellar locations (also shown on the map below). I also have another untested possibility of going to Kolob Canyon section of Zion National Park, and then stopping at Parowan Gap on the way back. Please let us know!!!
Kolob Canyon offers a spectacular overlook and nice
creekside hiking to a redrock alcove, but it isn't as visually stunning
as the more-visited main canyon of Zion National Park