Two days of skiing groomers to wet my appetite. The last two days have been 8 inch + of the real deal powder. I took a fall on some rocks, resulting in a puncture wound to my elbow. It cut through my shell, and two thermal layers straight to my elbow. The chick at the first aid station said I didn't need stitches, so I went out to hunt some more fresh tracks.


Check out your boys powder skills. I have been working for about 4 years on my moves....I think I am starting to get the hang of it.







Skiing powder is so addicting its hard to explain. Bottom line, you have the feeling of floating, and snow is flying in your face making it hard to breathe.

Today was more of the same. We got about 10 more inches of the goods, making the snow about mid shin.

What it takes


Getting ready for ski season

Washington

I did the 3’s race today. 3 guys in the race made for some interesting dynamics. Scott and I have been in many a battle this year. We have a pretty even record of defeats and losses when matching up against one another. I believe that Greg has done a few A races. The results show 1 race, but I kind of remember him in another one. Anyways, he had a great race in Augusta, and I dropped out of that race, so its hard to compare the performance. I mean beyond the fact that he was killing it in that race, and I was off the back. Now, the three of us also met at the State 3’s race last week. I tried my hardest to bridge to Greg with Jason W at one point early in the race. We got super close(5-10 bike lengths), but never made it happen. This set the backdrop and the stage for the showdown that was the 3’s race yesterday. The start was faster than I had hoped, and never really let off. Greg took the helm for a few laps. Scott came around me early, we traded quickly on the run section into the pavement. The next lap, Scott comes around me strong, and moved up to Greg, I believe he even rode point for a while. They were gone from there. I’m sitting in just trying to finish and these guys moving away in the mud like a d-9 bulldozer. Mistake of the day was waiting until half way through the race to drop into the 39. It was the first and only temporary relief of the course. Somehow Scott did this race without toe spikes. Somehow my lasting memory of this race consists of me staring at my front wheel, and I can’t hear anything accept my heavy breathing, with the occasional primal moan as I slip in the mud.

State CX Race

A perfect course and perfect conditions came together for this event. The pavement start was fast, the corners were slick, and the mud had some deep ruts. The 3's race was later in the day, so the course was worn in, and pretty technical. I felt good for this race, but when the time came to put out, I came up short. I had a nice battle going with the man beast Christopher, and Jason Watkins, both super strong. When it came down to nut cuttin time, I was the odd man out, ended up 11th for the day. The move of the day that I missed was moving up and latching on to Greg Layke, got close a few times, but never happened. I ate shit on the slick corner warming up, and again on the last lap. I remember Jeff telling a story about getting mud on the gloves, and it basically ending his race. I didnt really think much about it at the time, but it happened to me, and I hit the ground again trying to remount. The 3's race has come along way in the last 2 years. DB won two years ago in a 2? man field, last year was larger, and had a decently strong group, a few ringers were thrown in. This year had some solid talent filled the ranks with mega fitness, making it much harder. A part of me was disappointed with the result, but when you take a look at what we are doing out there, its pretty unreal. The real disappointment came in my bike handling skills. Truly embarrassing for this race. Overall, this was a great time as always.

Ill give a short description of the Mt. Pleasent race I was looking forward to. FUCK. My ego is hurt real bad from that race, and so is my shin that I cut open on my TRP rear break. Check out the skin piled on there. The cut was not deep, but fairly big. This race was the biggest disappointment of the season so far. That's about it.

The St Vincent race on Sunday was a happier story. It was cold and cloudy, which is always nice for what we do. During the warm up laps, I was riding the hill by the lake, but decided to run it every time in the race. After watching the video, I decided that riding would have been better, but with a different line then I was taking. Each lap, I would go to the extreme left to run. There was a nice deep diagonal rut to guide my feet right up. After watching the video, I saw what the real tech was. Most of the fast guys seemed to be cutting from right to left up the hill, and were carrying some insane speed doing so. I just felt happy to use some of the running fitness I have acquired over the past few weeks. The only down side of running this was mud clogged pedals and cleats. I also bent the shit out of my ti saddle with a remount that was too far back. Technique goes a long way.

The rest of the race was great. The hill was the weak spot for me, with the following sections allowing me to carry tons of speed. I found my self super close to bridging up to Casey, but was unable to put out. Ended up in 10th for the day, which I am very proud of.

CX season has 3 more races for me, with Herman being next. The course there is fast! With little rain the course could be similar to the night race, condition wise. From past experience, the stairs and the hill in the back seem to be the most difficult sections. The back section always seems to hold more moisture than the front, so pre-riding will be key. I feel good about my fitness level, but it seems as though the competition has progressed alot more than I have this year. The optimist in me says "you have come along way this year". But the negative Nancy in me looks at my 2009 training log and points out the big holes in the second half of the year.

The off season is approaching, so that means two things for me. Drinking brew dogs, and skiing.

St. Vincent CX...our own little Koppenberg

Memories...the second CX race I ever did was at St. Vincent park, back in 2007. I won the C race in a heads up chase against David Stroote...it was probably the last time I beat him in a race. It seems like a long time ago.

This was the sickest course I have ever done!! I am a sucker for the fast, swoopy turns that throw you into a tight curve, and MUD. Mud that is hard to walk in, run in, ride in, or turn in. This was epic mud, back in the woods, with people lined up on each side. The Euro feeling alone was good for atleast an extra 20 watts. Every section had a way of exposing any weakness. I loved the mud section, but just could not get it together going through there. A bad line here, or a wrong gear there...those types of mistakes add up in a slugfest like this one. A few pre-ride laps would have gone a long way for this race. I learned my lesson on that. The first half of the race in the big ring, trying to play defence with my position. All that did was leave me feeling like Daves tire...all empty inside. My overall position was sub-par for my expectations(15th), the cold beer afterward beat my expectations, so the day was a success in my book. The cold beer really makes it worth getting the shit kicked out of you for an hour. The competition this year has really stepped up, and gotten fierce. It is hard for me to finish a race without feeling like I have been punched in the face. I guess the important part is how quick you get up, and back into the fight. Speaking of taking your beat downs like a man, big congrats to Schwick, Robert and a few others for manning up to the A race. That makes Schwick a mad man for doing his first expert race and A race in the same year. This kid steps into the A race, puts in a MONSTER RIDE, and finishes just outside top 10.

And now, something I am really excited about..BUBBA IN AGUSTA. The weather is crap right now, and that is getting me stoked about this weekend. I hope this will be a shot at redemption in the mud. I fancy myself as a bike handler, so let the good times roll.

BUBBA 6

I was actually able to finish this race with some amount of control. Bike was running great, the HR was in check along with the wind. I got to say that the course was so great for my style. There was a ton of flow to every part, and plenty of areas to keep speed. 3 laps in a group of Denny, Dan W, TK and myslef formed. Denny was the first to go off the back, then Dan. I knew this was trouble with just me and TK. He played the bell lap to perfection. Pretty much perfect timing on the jump, and I could not even bring it down to a sprint. We got a few more weeks left, I am just hoping this is not the top end of my fitness for the year.

I feel weak for bailing on the last Alton race, but shit happens, and I feld compelled to make the LV work day no matter what. There are great things happening out at Lost Valley, and St. Chuck in general. There is a proposed 1.2 miles of trail going in by December. It will be flowing contour trail with some sections of rock, but mostly hardpack that is handcrafted for flossing. That means the Luau will be freaking awesome!! RIGHT?

The Path To Becoming a Hardman

Here is an update, mostly for my benefit. Somtimes it feels good to vent verbally. Somtimes it feels just as good or better than emptying your soul in a race. My plan is to become a hardman. I think 3-5 years of legit training should get me there. I guess its more about the journey than the destination. The hard part is not letting the day to day obstacles slow you down, or get you down. I would like to share my MANTRA. I first read this back in highschool. I look back on it from time to time to re commit myself. This short story by Mark Twight gave me the idea of what to name this blog.

TWITCHING

Twitching with Twight

BY MARK TWIGHT

What's your problem? I think I know. You see it in the mirror every morning: temptation and doubt hip to hip inside your head. You know it's not supposed to be like this. But you drank the Kool-Aid and dressed yourself up in someone else's life.
You're haunted because you remember having something more. With each drag of the razor you ask yourself why you piss your blood into another man's cup. Working at the job he offered, your future is between his thumb and forefinger. And the necessary accessories, the proclamations of success you thought gave you stability provide your boss security. Your debt encourages acquiescence, the heavy mortgage makes you polite.
Aren't you sick of being tempted by an alternative lifestyle, but bound by chains of your own choosing? Of the gnawing doubt that the college graduate, path of least resistance is the right way for you - for ever? Each weekend you prepare for the two weeks each summer when you wake up each day and really ride, or climb; the only imperative being to go to bed tired. When booming thermals shoot you full of juice and your Vario shrieks 7m/sec, you wonder if the lines will pop. The risk pares away life's trivia. Up there, sucking down the thin cumulus, the earth looks small, the boss even smaller, and you wish it could go on forever. But a wish is all it will ever be.
Because the ground is hard. Monday morning is harsh. You wear the hangover of your weekend rush under a strict and proper suit and tie. You listen to NPR because it's inoffensive, PFC: Politically Fucking Correct. Where's the counter-cultural righteousness that had you flirting with Bad Religion and the vintage Pistols tape over the weekend? On Monday you eat frozen food and live the homogenized city experience. But Sunday you thought about cutting your hair very short. You wanted a little more volume and wondered how out of place you looked in the Sub Pop Music Store. Flipping through the import section, you didn't recognize any of the bands. KMFDM? It stands for Kill Mother Fucking Depeche Mode. Didn't you know? How could you not?
Tuesday you look at the face in the mirror again. It stares back, accusing. How can you get by on that one weekly dose? How can you be satisfied by the artifice of these experiences? Why should your words mean anything? They aren't learned by heart and written in blood. If you cannot grasp the consciousness-altering experience that real mastery of these disciplines proposes, of what value is your participation? The truth is pointless when it is shallow. Do you have the courage to live with the integrity that stabs deep?
Use the mirror to cut to the heart of things and uncover your true self. Use the razor to cut away what you don't need. The life you want to live has no recipe. Following the recipe got you here in the first place:Mix one high school diploma with an undergrad degree and a college sweetheart. With a whisk (or a whip) blend two cars, a poorly built house in a cul de sac, and fifty hours a week working for a board that doesn't give a shit about you. Reproduce once. Then again. Place all ingredients in a rut, or a grave. One is a bit longer than the other. Bake thoroughly until the resulting life is set. Rigid. With no way out. Serve and enjoy."You see your face reflected there in a sweating brow, you hate what you see, but what can be done when there's no way out, no way out?" The Chameleons, "Intrigue in Tangiers"
But there is a way out. Live the lifestyle instead of paying lip service to the lifestyle. Live with commitment. With emotional content. Live whatever life you choose honestly. Give up this renaissance man, dilettante bullshit of doing a lot of different things (and none of them very well by real standards). Get to the guts of one thing; accept, without reservation or rationalization, the responsibility of making a choice. When you live honestly, you can not separate your mind from your body, or your thoughts from your actions."If you really want to hurt them and their children not yet born tell them the truth always". Henry Rollins, from the book See a Grown Man Cry
Tell the truth. First, to yourself. Say it until it hurts. Learn the reality of your own selfishness. Quit living for other people at the expense of your own self, you're not really alive. You live in the land of denial - and they say the view is pretty a long as you remain asleep.
Well it's time to WAKE THE FUCK UP!
So do it. Wake up. When you drink the coffee tomorrow, take it black and notice it. Feel the caffeine surge through you. Don't take it for granted. Use it for something. Burn the Grisham books. Sell the bad CDs. Mariah Carey, Dave Mathews and N Sync aren't part of the soundtrack where you're going.
Cut your hair. Don't worry about the gray. If you're good at what you do, no one cares what you look like. Go to the weight room. Learn the difference between actually working out and what you've been doing. Live for the Iron and the fresh air. Punish your body to perfect your soul. Kick the habit of being nice to everyone you meet. Do they deserve it? Say "no" more often.
Quit posturing at the weekly parties. Your high pulse rate, your 5.12s and quick time on the Slickrock Trail don't mean shit to anybody else. These numbers are the measuring sticks of your own progress; show, don't tell. Don't react to the itch with a scratch. Instead, learn it. Honor the necessity of both the itch and the scratch. But a haircut and a new soundtrack do not a modern man make. As long as you have a safety net you act without commitment. You'll go back to your old habits once you meet a little resistance. You need the samurai's desperateness and his insanity.
Burn the bridge. Nuke the foundation. Back yourself up against a wall. Have an opinion one way or the other, get off the fence and rip it up. Cut yourself off so there is no going back. Once you're committed the truth will come out. You ask about security? What you need is uncertainty. What you need is confusion; something that forces you to reinvent yourself, a whip to drive you harder. "I never try anything - I just do it. Want to try me? White Zombie, "Thunder Kiss"
In Dune, Frank Herbert called it "the attitude of the knife,” cut off what's incomplete and say “now it has finished, for it has ended there.” So finish it, and walk away, forward. Only acts undertaken with commitment have meaning. Only your best effort matters. Life is a Meritocracy, with death as the auditor. Inconsistency, incompetence and lies are all cut short by that final word. Death will change you if you can't change yourself.
“If I can change one, then I can change two. If I can change two, then I can change four. If I can change four, then I can change eight. If I can change eight, then I can change.”One Minute Silence, "If I Can Change"

LBL

My top three pics are Valverde, Chavenel, and Andy Schlek. All three have been building good form, and also have some pretty good results this year. Valverde has been somewhat elusive of late due to some issues with the Italians. I would like to see Chavenel do well. He is a versatile rider, and does not have big time team mates to work for.

I have been riding hopes of these three winning the Amstel, and Fleche. No W's for them so far. Andy Schlek put in a great ride on Sunday with a top 10 at amstel, and a 2nd place finish yesterday at Fleche. Andy has been off the map some, but looks to have good form. He was in the winning move with Davide, which is to say, he did not blow up like cadel evens, and was able to keep his acceleration going. But still, for a 37 year old, Davide played his cards like a true master of the trade. He won the race with good legs(not the strongest). But the determining factor was the mental game he played. We did not see much from Chavenel this week. Valverde was in great position for the third and final climb up the mur de huy yesterday. He hit the climb with a lead out from a team mate, 3rd in line. He was also in a great spot when evens attacked. Still no podium finish.

In all I think Saxo Bank has a well rounded team. Right now both of the Schlek brothers are in and so is Fabian. Frank had a bad crash at Amstel, so he might be out. I would rather go with Frank on this. He has had more results this year than Andy.

Time to Put Out

Boonen is on the start list for Gent. Sunday is his chance to defend last years PR win. I cant wait for the action. I really want to see him do it. He is going to have to put out and take the initiative though.

Der Ronde

I watched Der Ronde with MJ and Christopher yesterday. Man what a great race. Devolder made some big moves that got him the win. What a man beast. Hienrich looked to have good form again, but obviously did not have what it takes to win this big dog race. He finished 1:10 back, and only 1 sec in font of Gillbert. For me the disappointment came in Boonen. He was with Stijen the whole race, was on his wheel when Stijen bridged, and was also in the pack at the finish. I would have atleast liked to see a field sprint out of him to get on the podium. This is all under the context of his interview where he stressed the importance of this race. I know there are politics involved with being a marked guy in the peleton, but if he is on form, shouldn't he be able to shut down any followers? And I can help but think "What IF" Boonen would have followed Stijen up to Chavenel(who had a great race BTW). The trio, arguable the three strongest in the race, could have waxed anyone that opposed the move. Maybe Boonen is going for 2x this weekend. Either way, he is running out of chances to etch his name into the 2009 Classics. Just one mans opinion.

Will he be able to carry his form for one more week?

The manbeast on the race winning attack. About 16km to go on the MUUR. He put 45 sec on the chase group in the next 3km, and rode solo to the line with a little encouragement from his manager in the car. He is defiantly grunting while getting his swell on.

Soggy Britches

Saturday was the Gorc workday at Greensfelder. It was going to be a wet one for sure, but I forged on. I dropped my car off at the shop, which is at the bottom of the hill on Allenton, pretty convenient. I brought the bike along to get me to the top of the hill. Secretly, I was hoping that someone (Scott) would roll along and pick me up. Exactly on time, Scott P. rolled up and let me hitch a ride to the top of the hill. At this point, the wind was terrible, but no rain had come around. We got to work right away on a re-route section, about 20 vertical feet above an old section from last year. The new design will contour more of the hillside. The rain began to fall as we were benching. We got about an hour of work in before Bryan shut it down. I wasn't going to say anything while working, but I was glad he made the decision. Scooter gave me a ride back down to my car, sparing me the decent in a raging down pour. I was pretty soaked at this point. Good news on the car, nothing wrong with the transmission. So I quickly headed back up the hill to the Muckerman shelter for some good times and free beer. I also got a look at the sweet new carbon epic. Nice.

I bailed on the Rim Wrecker race. After getting wet on Sat, I was a little less motivated to go through the motions on Sunday. It kind of sucks to miss out on an Epic, but there is plenty of time left for that. Also, not this really makes a difference, my priority race has been move up a month to April 19th. LBL Canal loop race was originally in May. This is a race I wanted to be prime for. On the up side, now there is a great race to go to in April, that is only 3 hours away.





Follow up Pic from the LV race.

It felt really good to lay down some power in yesterdays competition. I have not raced since CX state Champ race in December, so I was felling a little rusty at the start line. I was with the pack on the flat start(nice right?) but got scared as we neared the drop in. I backed off and was pretty much last coming down the hill. I gained a few spots on the climb. By the time we came over the top of the first climb, the group had separated a bit. At that point, my heart rate was cosmic, and the grip on my legs was so bad I though I would get a bruise. I tried to hang on but was struggling to even hold a wheel. The new section of singletrack was pretty sweet in my opinion. Once it is worked in, it will be smoking fast like the roller coaster at Cwood. On the back side of the course, I worked in with some master classs expert riders I think. We had a train going until the second section of singletrack. At that point, I blew up sky high, and it took me about five minutes to recover. I was able to catch MJ's wheel at the top of the gravel climb on the second lap. I knew for sure he had an allen tool, so I bummed it and made a quick adjustment to my seat post that had slipped slightly. I was afraid to over tighten it that morning, and paid the price for that one. I rode most of the second lap with Christopher, but that train ended abruptly with a sidewall cut on the switchback before the creek. No big woop, this race was still fun as hell!!

The stumpjumper rides like a dream. I pretty much have no way of describing it, only the feeling of pleasure. I am happy with how I performed, and cant wait for more!! Bring it on, cause I bringing everything I got.

steps in the right direction

Rode two burning laps at CB on Sunday with Christopher. This ride really sparked the MTB fire inside. The trail was beat down and in good shape. The pace was casual, and we stopped to talk to some other people on the trail from time to time. I havent done three laps this year. Sunday was the day that had me feeling the best out of all the trips down there this year. Tuesday night I tested the legs a little out at LV, and it hurt. It has taken me a few days to recover from the effort, but the fire is still there for Sunday. It is nice to look at the training log and see almost 3 full months of consistancy. The biggest thing I am looking forward to is getting back into the MTB scene. Warm weather, cold beers, and riding hard. See yall on Sunday.

Git er done

Sunday, with the wind wipping a solid crew of five rode out to CC lake. The wind was brutal, but the company made it great. The trip home was even better with the wind to our backs and the spirits high. It almost makes you for get about the two hours of wind you just rode in.

Also this week, I got some riding in at lost valley. First was Thursday night. I ran into Twister at the mound, and we rode some gravel roades together. He showed me a secret path that adds some variety to the area. Mj and I put in a solit 3 hours on Friday, and actually got to ride the single track. A little muddy to start out with, I definatly was surfing in some spots, but as the day moved on, the trail got drier.

Paris Nice has been a great race to follow this week. It is turning into a slug fest, with Schleck and Voiet moving up into the GC. Contador slipped back behind Chavenal, with one more day to go.

C- Bluff

Recently made it down to C-bluff for some Laps. I did the trail in the Clockwise direction to get ready for the Rim Wrecker race at the end of March. I think that this direction of the trail is much more difficult than the CCW direction. The trail was in pretty good shape, with some leaf cover and a stretch of shit bog that really took it out of the legs by the second lap. I was able to lay into it a little bit for about a quarter lap. It felt really great to be carring momentum, carving, and connecting moves. I was a little rusty on the bike handling skills, but it is starting to come back. I was pretty happy with the results so far, and it has fired me up to continue training. In my eyes the post ride Mexican is the way to go. It is a toss up on the quality of Dos Primos vs. Los Portales. I know that I am riding the fence on this one, but I am just a huge fan of Mexican food. Just put it in my mouth! So far this year, I have gotten about 70 miles of off road riding in. So far so good.

Yesterday was Cold. I suffered more on this ride than any other this year. We rode down to the covered bridge through ceder hill, and back up on Old Lemay to 4 ridge. The wind was coming hard out of the north, and the Temps were low 30's. The last 10 miles back I sucked wheel the whole time, and still managed to finish in high spirits. The riding is Jeff co is awesome. There are endless opportunities for mid and long rides, and the rodes are pretty good. There is alot more exploring to be done though.

Hopefully today will be less windy, and I can get some gravel riding in out at lost valley. I need to get some MTB miles in.

Frank Schleck’s Specialized Tarmac SL2 (sick)

Frank rode this for his stage win in the last stage of the tour of cali. Saxo had two stage wins. Fabian took the win in the TT opening stage. Specialized has come through in a big way this year. Their bike designs for MTB and road are so smooth looking.

Saturday morning was cold, with some snow. I still had high motivation, but my riding partner convinced me to do our training session indoors today. The weather was not the coldest that we have ridden in, by a long shot. We have had 5 or 6 rides of smiler temp, and wind, one of which was 18 degrees for a high. I set up a pretty good room. Our goal for the month was a 5 hour ride, and he had not gotten one in yet. I was ahead of the game as I worked in on the Segul death march ride last week. That ride was bad to the bone. It should be a regular ride on Sundays.

Anyways, we watched all of the hill stages of the 2004, then 2003 tours. That killed 4 hours, and kept my mind right. The last hour we watched the Tour of Cali. 5 hours on the trainer, is the longest I have ever ridden indoors. Before today, the longest ride I had done inside was 2 hours. This was also the 2nd longest ride of 2009 for me. Besides a sore ass, the only other thing that hurt was my face. After 5 hours of towling off my face, it was raw and chapped, kind of like my ass, but there was no chamois butter.

Observations:

- Jan looked twice as strong in the 2003 tour compared to 2004

-Pure Black, tall socks are the Tech

-Saxo Banc is looking strong for this season. Frank Schleck looked super on the stage win yesterday.

-Throwing your helmet off for a climb is pro

-A Gold Chain is PRO!!! I need a gold chain!!

For a change

It was nice to not need the full winter get up this weekend. Managed a 66 mile ride with Zach and Scott P. We made it up to the Alton lock and dam. This ride put me over 200 miles for the week. That is a major confidence booster for the base training program. Sunday out team went to bush wildlife, and shot several guns. I got to shoot a SKS and a 9mm. Pretty nice weekend if you ask me.

BALMY

43!

I don't see how it is going to getup to 43 degrees today, but lets hope it does.

A good powder day!

The Snow field with Freshies

The North Face of the Eiger. 1800m of mixed alpine climbing.

One other thing I forgot to mention. On one of my rest days, we went on a short hike in the woods, with a pack on for a little weight. The interesting part of the day was finding these rather nice sculptures in the woods.

Went to the Jungfrau reagion today for the last day of skiing. The website was reporting 25cm of new snow from the prior day. One of my dads friends, a Dutchman named Roger drove us down. He was familiar with the area, and helped us navigate the lifts. It was Super cold a the base, about 24 degrees. This is a good sign for light fluffy powder. My suspisions were confirmed as we rode about 4 lifts up to the top of the area. I spent the morning searching for the right place, and basicly thrashing my new skis on submerged rocks. For lunch we jamed out in sunchairs staring right into the face of Europes most notorious Norwalds. The EIGER. After a Veal sausage, and some beers, I hit a nice power area that still had a few fresh tracks. These were the best turns of the day. The snow was light, about at the top of the boot, and great for dialing in the powder tech. A fitting end for a good trip.

SKI FEST!

Yesterday I went to Andermatt, in the center of Swiss land. The off pist snow was increadable. This is defininatly an off the list type of place, with most of the people here for the back country offerings. We bumped around the different areas, but settled in on an area that was up high, and had some freshies to rip on. The last run of the day was the best, with an untouched section of snow that I traveresed to. It was under a rock band that had shed some snow. You know it is good when the snow hits you in the face. Totally shreader.

The day before, I skied Engleberg. This area was highly toughted by many, and held one of the ski jump world cups two weeks ago. I took the train to Engleberg via Lucern at 6:03am I was on the slopes by 9am. It was cold, and super windy. The snow sucked where there was snow. The rest was wind scoured glacier ice. Pretty tough to ski on in my opinion. I did not get to check out the highest area because of a tachtical mistake on my part that pust me pack at the bottom. After an hour of waiting in line, I decided to bail and drink a beer while walking across town to the other lift. This area had some fresh tracks to lay down, but the snow was a little heavy due to the afternoon sun. Still the terrain was steep enough to get hit by my own snow slough on the way down.

Rest day today, got a little bit of a cold going. Tomorrow, the last day, I head to Grindelwald. This area should be pretty special, as it is in the Jaungfrau region. The skiing will be at the base of the Eiger!