Archive for April 2010
Good Winter Riding
Just a year ago I was living my adolescent dream of playing in a British punk band. I met Leather Zoo while managing a Snowsport Team in Livigno, Italy. We were trapped in a three-bedroom apartment located above a stall housing about 300 cows. The smell was very natural and organic, but after four months, a little fresh air was needed. So the Zoo (the band not the cows) invited me to Sheffield, England where I filled in for their drummer who was unable to make some of their UK venues. For two weeks I lived a dream. One of the venues – The Packhorse in Leeds – was a major venue for little-known up-and-coming bands of the ’60s and ’70s such as The Who and Led Zeppelin. After flying into Midlands Airport, I had five 
hours of rehearsal before our first gig that evening. Fleur de Lys was the first song we played that night and it has stuck with me ever since. Leather Zoo often tours around Europe every summer and fall so try to catch them when they come by. Their sound is organic and raw, drawing on a number of personal experiences and talents that the band possesses – especially the allusive “Mr. Woddy.” They are excellent people, awesome musicians and amazing athletes. Mel and Biff have quite a history of cycling behind them – but both are too modest to talk about it.
Thus, when I was out the other day on my classic ride, this song came to mind. It reminds me of spring and the sudden liberty felt after a long, smelly winter. This route is simply a spin around the Lac du Bourget just outside of Chambéry, France. The climbs aren’t too severe (not like the Col de Colombière or Col de Galibier for example), yet the Col du Chat and the Col de la Chambotte are challenging enough after a winter of downhill skiing. Little known is the fact that the Lac du Bourget is the largest and deepest natural lake located entirely within France. The 
poet Alphonse de Lamartine was inspired the lake’s magnificence in 1820 and wrote “Le Lac, addressing questions such as the futility of the past, human memory and love; only the beauty of the countryside can conserve these “souvenirs” better than any poet. I couldn’t agree more. This bike ride around the lake retains some of the greatest memories of my life. Often I’d bike it with a friend who has since moved back to Massachusetts, but the ride itself is always a trip down memory lane – I’m never riding it alone even when I’m by myself. And so I hope you enjoy this film of the ride and my Leather Zoo soundtrack.
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More Magic Powder from Vail
If I’m reading this analytics thing correctly, there were over 500 views of this blog yesterday. In just one day, 500 views. I can’t thank you enough: I was certain to have lost readership in the four weeks I was out and about. But apparently viewership has increased – and that’s a very nice thing.
In celebration of Vail’s final days of the season, here is yet another short video of just my friends and I skiing around in Vail. I ask myself what all these folks do
in the off-season (those who aren’t year-rounders like Tom) and my answer came from this article in the Vail Daily. Apparently most people are looking to get to Europe (or back home from Europe), creating a travel agent’s nightmare at a time when the skies are full of ash. I find it ironic how mountains can be both the cause of such happiness and unhappiness depending on which side of the slope you’re on. At least Vail isn’t on a fault-line and the only ash they have to worry about is the clean-up after the holiday bonfires.
The shots in this video could be a bit more exciting I admit, but I wanted to try different editing techniques and see what I could come up with in my “studio” (which quadruples as a kitchen, garage and dining room). A few friends have expressed interest in seeing more of me in the film, so this one features me talking and skiing in the end. I think the most interesting shot is my stack at the end of the clip. And yes: I know my Telemark form needs improving. This was only the third time I had Telied in about three years (excuses). A special thanks to everyone out in Vail who made my stay a great experience and to the boys who lead me around the mountain for a week. Another special thanks to Soundgarden for the soundtrack. They didn’t give me permission to use it, but it’s the song that always runs through my head when coming down a mountain and I think it adds a lot of energy to the clip. Hope you enjoy the film.
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Where I’ve Been
Dear reader: I can’t help but offer you my most sincere apologies for having left you in complete silence for well over a month. That’s not my style. In a perfect world, I’d give you updates, photos and blog posts from every corner that I travel to, every adventure I get myself involved in, and every cheese I eat. Alas, my internet connections while on-the-road are sometimes less than stable, and after a day of skiing, or biking, or traveling, publishing quality material after hours of edits is – quite frankly – the last thing on my mind (especially after a few glasses/bottles of red and great conversation among friends). But fear not: the past four weeks have been packed with all kinds of excitement which I intend on publishing here through photo, video and hyperbole.
By popular demand, a video on my travels to Vail, CO is first on my blog list. Here I interview Tom: a 50-year native in the Vail valley whose warmth and humor made the few days we skied in the valley a paradise. In fact, Vail just recently celebrated their Spring Fling last week, and you can read more about it in this article from SKI Magazine. I’ve also heard that they recently (within the past week or two) received another amazing amount of fresh snow. Anyone looking to get in some of the best, last runs of the season ought to make their way over to Vail soon. Now that the “busy” season is behind them, I’m certain the runs are almost empty. The question is: how much snow is really left on the mountain? Or is that all gone too? Last I had heard Vail Resorts was in the process of changing the International run to another name – the Lindsey Vonn? I think she deserves more than just the name of a ski run, but I digress.
I had always heard that Vail was “high,” but I guess I never gave it the credit it was due. Living in the Alps, I’ve always been rather fond of my lung capacity and my climbing ability. But then when I found myself winded simply climbing the stairs of my friend’s house, I realized the challenge to skiing Vail was more than just putting ski to snow. It also meant acclimating to a severe change in altitude over a short period of time. Another friend of mine suggested six weeks for full-acclimation. I only had a week in Colorado, so I sped up the process as best as I could.
For the record, I interviewed Tom in both Vail and Beaver Creek. So for those Vail veterans intent on guessing all the runs in the clip, you will definitely notice some of the footage is from Beaver Creek. Hopefully I’ll be getting another Vail video up within a few days. I hope you enjoy this short clip, and I’d love to hear your comments.
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