History in the making

What better way to commemorate the longest freeze in Ireland than sledding in a pair of super fashionable rain pants! It has been cold so long here that Guiness is having problems because all the kegs they are sending out are frozen solid. Guinness flavored slushies instead of on tap; its a national crises!

Fionn MacCumhaill (Finn McCoolly)

Isn't it just typical of me to turn an hour hike into a four hour - where are we? - hike! Me and Ciara headed to hike to the top of the Cloghmore (clock-more) Stone, a rock brought down with a glacier from Scotland. We took the wrong trail (there were only two) and didn't decide to turn around until we had reached the top of the adjacent hill (Irish mountain). After a successfully exhausting second hike in the chilling wind, we enjoyed tea (of course) and a great view. Later, enjoying soup and wheaten, the best bread ever (I feel like I say that in every country), one of Ciara's aunts told us the other story of how the Cloghmore stone reached the top of an Irish mountain. She started by describing the history of the feud between the Scottish giant and Fionn MacCumhaill, the Irish giant. After taunts, sorcery and trickery, the Scottish giant got so fed up that he lugged a rock at Fionn. Of course, the Irish giant won the skirmish, but I might have to go to Scotland someday and hear the other side of the story, like a good journalist :)

role model moment

Even though -13 is freezing, especially for Ireland, after I told Ciara and her dad about the large frostbite burn I suffered from training on the Saas-Fee glacier earlier this year the cold didn't seem quite as bad. When Ciara's dad returned to school to teach his elementary class, he couldn't help but mention that walking to the bus in -13 is nothing compared to skiing in -36. As soon as he mentioned that a ski racer was staying with his family for the holidays to a room of curious six year olds, they demanded to see the skier for themselves. So Ciara and I stopped by on our way into town. I showed the kids around my site and taught them the difference between alpine and telemark. Afterward, I used Ciara as a translator, so I could understand the Irish accented questions. With genuine curiosity that only comes from elementary students, I couldn't help but wish I had brought skis with me to show them and let them have a go at it!

Just to let you know

This sign in town is just to warn you what you will have for dinner!

I think I attract the cold...

Its the longest coldspell ever recorded here in Ireland, so we bundle up really well for every outing. Today, Me and Ciara went for a short hike, but knowing me, I led us up the wrong trail, turning a one hour hike into a four hour hike. Why they were following me, when they are the locals, I will never know :)

Top of the world!

Irish world, that is!

Since America would have been one hack of a shlep to get to for the holidays, I headed to Ireland to visit some family friends. Thinking of Ireland, I would have thought of rain and greenery, but in apparently the coldest bit of weather in a long time, there is some serious snow! Today, Ciara showed me some of the sites of the area around Hilltown, and this is a viewpoint that the locals call the top of the world. Looks like I'm going to have very white Christmas!

Lenk Sprint

Not the best race of my life, but after surgery at the end of last season and consequently losing and regaining 8cm of muscle, I am satisfied that my knee help up to a day of Sprint abuse. Team Germany came for the town challenge-esque race, so I got a chance to catch up and make plans to train with them after the holidays. Second place for after surgery ain't too bad, but I'm itching to stand on the top!!

Almost a powder day

Too bad I'm leaving France today! It snowed almost a meter and after waiting for the bus for a bit, I realized that the buses weren't even running. Another I LOVE public transportation moment! After contemplating my situation, but not long enough to freak out and call home, a car pulled up offering a ride. Thinking that they definitely weren't the type to offer candy to children, I eagerly jumped in. As it turned out, the couple were from Jersey, England and were going all the way to Geneva; taking 4 hours out of my journey! Along the way, I picked up all sorts of tidbits from the fact that the Savoie Valley was Italian until the 1880's, to how the UK is in the middle of the metric and imperial system (your weight in kilos, height in feet, measure food in grams, but milk in gallons, MPG but buy gas in liters). After driving through beautiful Annecy on the way back, I don't think I would mind if I came back to Maribel very soon!

When will it end! This week might kill me. Between the cold (-20), VIP events, and even meeting little Yann (Chris and Rachi's newborn), it has been nonstop so far. As I said, today was a really cold but good day of training. After, we headed to the VIP press tent of the WC moguls event (which we got last night at dinner) to grab a quick bite and watch the finals. With daylight fading, we hit the slopes again to do a few sprints. Almost normal, until Phil took a turn off the piste and went onto a frozen lake. Yep, we did sprints with a view of slowly ambling fish under our skis! With heads spinning (from the cold, I haven't been in France that long), we embarked on the next activity: picking up a lifesized billboard of the 3 Fraires that arrived too late for Maribel to use and set it up at their mom's restaurant. For those of you who intend to visit Maribel, check out the trophy case at Rastro's. You won't be disappointed by the food either!

3 Fraires, 3 Styles, 1 Passion: Telemark

Today's training was in one word freezing! Thankfully, after training, grabbing some lunch (with a glass of red wine, of course) and doing some skate sprints, we headed to the Maribel spa. After 15 min in the steam room, 10 min in the sauna, and 10 min in the jacuzzi with tea in between, sensation had long returned to my feet and I was relaxed and ready to hit the hay. Sven had a ski school training in another part of France, so he left and went with Phil to grab some food. Always jokers, Phil didn't warn me that we were going to a VIP dinner with the managers of Maribel and the press that would be covering a WC moguls event tomorrow. After a 100 euro meal, a glass of terrific white wine, and the fatigue from a full day, English would have been hard, let alone an group of 20 all conversing in French. Needless to say, I think I'll sleep like a rock.

In the world of ski-bachelors

Great day of training today! Timing and everything! Unfortunately, Laura (one of the girls on the team) hurt her elbow, but I'm sure she'll be back in no time. For my time in France, I'm staying in Sven's spair bunk bed. 7 snakes, 5 guitars, posters and ski equipment galore, if there was a steriotype for bachelor-pad-of-telemark ski-racer, this room would be it. Along with everything else (ski in ski out), the Lau's have "the cave"; a basement work out room fit for even me! 2 dip bars, pull up bar with two height settings, a deadlift bar, swiss ball, spin bike, rowing machine, and plenty of other accessories, it pretty much sums up my dream room. (Heard that dad?) Since Chris moved out, Phil and Sven have been dismantiling his room and today after training and skating, we tackled repainting the walls. While helping move some books from the shelf, I stumbled across a book from 1722. Yep, that's normal in Europe too!

Viva la France!

What a beautiful night for an interesting day of travel! Today, I took the train to France to train with team Lau. By car, Maribel is 2.5 hours away. By train... 3 transfers and 6 hours. France started off low in brownie points after discovering last year at the world cup that they don't believe in toilett seats, but I was determined to start off with a clean plate this year. At my first transfer in Geneva, I almost made the low marks official: the train they issued me from Geneva to Champery didn't exist and the next train (30 min later) wouldn't give me enough time to catch the the last leg. Thankfully, after an incredibly stressful train ride trying to dig a definite answer from the conductor, it became official that the next train would wait. After Sven picked me up, we drove to Rachi and Chris's place to grab a quick bite. Unfortunately, Yann, Chris and Rachi's newborn was asleep, but I got to learn about some local specialties like Genepri alcohol, which only grow between high alpine rocks, and the three specialty cheeses of the Savoie valley, which are eaten for dessert. Not exactly the rest day I had imagined, but nevertheless stoked for a great week of training!

Gotta love public transportation

...Sometimes. Today, I had an afternoon training at the piste l'ours. The base of the telecabine is about 40 switchbacks from Sion. I checked the bus schedule and it read that the bus came daily at 4:15 PM to bring skiers down to Sion. Come 4:15... nothing. 4:30... uh oh. The only place in Switzerland where buses are late is Montreux (refer to above post), so I knew that this meant trouble. After tracking down the last person left at the mountain, the liftie shutting down for the night, I was relieved to find out that he lived near Sion and would give me a lift. I think I'd still be walking down the 40 switchbacks if it weren't for him. Whew, that was close!

From one tourist town...

To another! After leaving the traffic jams of Steamboat behind me, I was looking forward to a nice Swiss mountain village, complete with maybe a cow or two. Instead from now until Christmas in Montreux is the Marche de Noel, AKA the Christmas fair. I like wandering through the stalls, but when bus drivers aren't used to being ten minutes late, you get some serious road rage! At the left you can see a giant vat of rosti (breakfast potatoes) and soup. Every night, they refill both multiple times. That is A LOT of rosti eaters!

I'm just cool like that!

A rainy training can be fun too!

Action packed day!

Today I trained again at the piste l'ours, so after waking up at the butt crack of dawn, catching the train and skiing hard, I took a ride with Bastien, so I could do my skis at his house. After finishing the edges of one ski and halfway through the other, Bastien let out an exclamation of "merde!" I won't tell you all the bloody details, but the hospital report read 8 cm of cut skin in the thumb. So, after not touching a steering wheel in two months, I got to drive Bastien's brand new Audi to the hospital for nine stitches... scary! Finally finished with the hospital visit and my skis, I got to take the 9:00 PM train back to Montreux. I think I might just sleep in tomorrow :).

Boy, did I miss the sun

Today, I trained at the piste l'ours (bears) and not only could I see the ground beneath my feet, but it was sunny!! Also, I got to try out my new Uvex goggles for the year (notice the red white and blue!). Apparently, after the world cups in France, all the WC Alpine guys come and train here on the water injected snow. It was grrrrrreat!

Bisquits!

So I came to Neuchatel to walk the streets and admire the beautiful architecture. Well I got there and it was so cold that we decided making christmas cookies was a better idea! Next time, I'll take a picture of the castle!

POW

C'est genial! Today it snowed two feet in town! I figured the best way to enjoy it would be to make the first tele turns ever on the road! We'll see what happens tomorrow when I have to walk down this road to get to school!

J'ai Perdu!

Being a competitive person has its advantages. I'll admit that it has attributed greatly to my academics, and of course to my skiing. There is just something fulfilling about being able to say I TOLD YOU SO to that little voice inside my head that says I can't do something. Then there are the disadvantages. Take yesterday, for example. Me and a few others from the team were watching a Nadal Federer final of some really small tennis tournament that would never make it onto US television (only a 2/3 set men's final!). If I haven't mentioned it before, here it goes: I'm not a Federer fan. So of course when Nicolas suggested a bet over the winner, I took it eagerly yelling vamos Rafa! If the -27F cold of Saturday or the 60MPH gusts of today weren't cold enough, my roll in the snow last night surely was!

-27 is really THAT cold

So, I don't want to seem like a wuss. Steamboat has been known to hit forty below. Forty below with no wind, and with no moisture is NOT the same as the Saas Fee 27 below. Neoprene mask, boot heaters, and hot hands weren't enough to combat the consuming cloud of cold. And I do mean cloud; after three runs I had to put my goggles under my jacket stuffed with hot hands to melt away the frozen layer of humidity, so I might be able to see an extra four inches. Not the greatest conditions for my second day in gates, but c'est la vie!

My new crib!

I know you guys were all dying to see the house that I have to work so hard to get to. Trust me, its worth it!

I've got 565 stairs to go now

That's right. 565 stairs from the train station to my house. Then there are 38 stairs inside the house to get to my apartment. I know, you are already jealous of how toned my buns will be. Who said you need a gym to get in shape. All you need to do is spend some time in hilly Switzerland without a car!

First gates of the year!!

Today was fittingly freezing, with absolutely no visibility for my first day in gates. Although I wasn't accelerating out of each turn and tearing up the course with amazing technique, I put eight runs in pain free! Not a bad first day.

The soundtrack of my life in Saas Fee

Shutters slamming in the wind. Church bells clanging the hour. Peaceful silence. Baa.

Wait a second, there are sheep in the middle of a ski town?

Yep, moutons (moo-ton) are just another normality here in Switzerland.

Saas fee in the winter

Yeah! Nice sight while it lasts (most likely a day or two!)

Real winter snow!

I thought the weekend would never come! It has been a constant rain storm in Montreux and it was a relief to see that it was snow in saas fee! I love that euphoric feeling of the first snowflake kiss on your tongue. I could resist, so I flung a few snowballs at Morgan!

Epiphany about Montreux

It is in constant construction turmoil! After the francophone fair, I figured thing would quiet down for a bit before they started reassembling for the Christmas fair but no such break occurred. Now, city workers are uniting to set up fake log cabins and pin fake sheets (literally) of snow to various booths. As you can see, someone agrees with me that the lac leman looks like a scene from lord of the rings and ordered a hobbit house complete with fake fungus!

Tear!

My last dinner with the host family! I will definitely miss the eccentric parties and the crazy stories about english horse jumping. As a parting gift, I gave them each a super warm Chaos hat and they told me that I HAD to stop by again for dinner.

The joys of packing

Well I can't believe it has been seven weeks already! At this point, I am moving to a new apartment that is closer to the train station, thus easier during race season. At this point, I'm pretty efficient at bagging up... I clocked two hours total! We'll have to see what my final time is in March (hopefully with a few medals!).

And then there was the rain

Today brought a whole lot of wind and rain to saas, so the lifts are ferme... NOT open. Leaves a good clif-hanger for next weekend.

Not too bad!

Every weekend I get better and better at Swiss Technique! It's coming along nicely, although I'm rotating a bit here. Now I just need to get some gate miles.

Thule on the golf!

My parents back home put on my new Thule rack! It's a good thing I have short skis because the box is as mini as my car. Too bad I can't appreciate it too much until march, but I will be sure to make a trip with my 177 blizzards when I get back!

More piste

Each morning, after rolling out of bed, eating a whopping bowl of muesli and chugging down some nuun, I embark on a fifteen minute walk to the tram. From there, it is a two tram, one train, (under the mountain!) thirty minute journey to the top of the glacier. Today they opened up the terrain under the second tram, creating a gigantic run from the top of the glacier. As it was too windy to set gates, we did a skiing and skating mix. The run was so long (and we skated so much) that we only needed three runs to fill up the entire day.

The sun!

For many weeks, I didn't think it existed in full force. Week after week of cloudy or partly cloudy skies made the sun's full appearance today a welcome sight. As you can see, the team was just as happy. From right Amelie, Bastien, Martin, Nikolay, some random person, Rheto, and Morgan.

Fajita night in saas fee!

During training in Saas Fee, the team takes turns making dinner and tonight was my turn. Veering away from the traditional Swiss breakfast potatoes for dinner, I cooked up some fajitas, complete with homemade tortillas, guak, salsa, and refried beans. As you can see, Bastien is a bit out of practice as he committed a rookie mistake: piling his fajita like a burrito, then finding that he couldn't keep it in one piece!

Bon apetite!

Another nice day...

So it was time for a photo op!

Morgan and I are standing on top of an old, preserved grain hut. Mmm grain stored in an old rotting house! Sure makes me hungry!

Fall hike in Saas Fee

Me and another Swiss Junior took advantage of the nice fall weather (for the moment) in Saas to take a nice hike in the woods. Not exactly the wilderness, as there is a kiddy park or restaurant at least every 100 yards! Just another bizarre fact of life in Switzerland.

INTRODUCING:

Not Slim Shady, but my host family, who are, by the way, the BEST!!! Today was Francois' birthday, so we threw a surprise lunch party complete with horse-meat and hot stones! I bravely stepped up to the plate and threw a piece of "cheval" on the stone and it was pretty dang tasty. After steaming up the entire house and finishing off a vineyard's worth of wine, we still have five platters of various sliced meat.... Looks like we'll be having hot-stone dinner for a few days. I'm definitely not complaining!

Third from the left is my host dad Frederik, who drinks almost a whole bottle of dole every night and teaches tennis (unless my french is so bad that I still don't know!)

From left:
- 2 unknowns
-Geraldine: the daughter who owns a restaurant and has Francois come down almost every weekend to help feed the masses
-Francois: my host mom who is a self taught french chef (I saw her one lunch "whip together" a flaming pan of cognac-beef!)
-more guests

Some lone halloween pumpkins

Although Halloween is almost nonexistent in CH, my good friend, Jeff Graves and his family carved some pretty dang good ones, if I'm any judge! At left Henryk demonstrates the product of a kid + apple corer. The other one is Jeff's (the dad) masterpiece with a slug adding the right amount of creepy Halloween ambiance.

Living through hunting season vicariously

And it was a success! Since I couldn't join them on the hunt, Mom and Dad brought a piece of me on the trail... my pack! As you can see the pack is a very versatile tool, being a pillow on the slow mornings and still looking good with a little bit of blood on it at the end of the hunt. Wish I could have been there to help shlep it out, but congrats anyway, mom and dad!

One foot in the Swiss team, one foot in the US team

One Knee in CTI

For the second time since coming to Switzerland I made the three hour trek up to Bern. As tiring as it was, Bern was a great city to visit and I picked up my new hot rod red brace from doc Chris Kohler!

Kodak moment!!!

Although a rarity here during the cloudy season of Montreux, it was GORGEOUS today. Since a sailboat was moored perfectly against the mountains, I had to take a picture!

Hot wine for my men... Apples for my horses

Today I came home from Saas to find an entire CRATE of apples ion front of my house. My host family, over the weekend, had gone to an apple orchard and decided that 12 bucks was worth hauling an entire crate home. I guess we will be eating a lot of apple pie over the next couple of weeks! Its a good thing they have a horse!

On the other hand, I love the street food here! Like all other things Swiss (restaurants, etc) all the vendors seem to be the same: hot wine and roasted chestnuts. Perfect for the chilly weather!

Crossin Dixon may love their bird dog

But I definitely love my new blizzards!

With them all tuned up by Win Park they ski like a million bucks. The driver on the other hand.... Well, not too bad for 4 days on snow after surgery and such.

Prisoner of Chateu Chillon

My hands almost froze off biking to school today. The cloudless skies allowed for some great photos but made for some nipply conditions! It was a perfect Fall day and we had a school trip to the Chateu Chillon. Above I am in the prisoner's room where Lord Byron got inspiration for his famous poem. Below is the panoramic view from the tallest tower.