My ski career

This is a picture that I took out of a calendar that I got for Xmas. It shows an Ibex in the French Alps. It is also my zodiac sign, Capricorn, so that's maybe why I like the mountains so much...
I like this picture because it shows this animal reining in his mountain and then you see all the snowy caps in the background.









My parents started me early with the skiing. I was probably 7 or 8 years old in this pictures. Styling in an early 70ies ski ensemble. My smile wasn't telling the whole story though. Right behind me is the reason of my misery. At the time there where no chair-lifts. And I still think to this day these kind of lifts are a creation to torture me. When you are the age and weight, I was then, it used to lift you up on a frequent basis and make the whole thing even more unpleasant.
Anyway, I LOVE chair-lifts:) (This picture was taken in Valebella, Sitzerland)
























All that didn't keep me from doing the end of ski-school-week-race. Don't remember how well I did, but I am smiling...couldn't have been too bad.



After that I took a long break in skiing until one day in 1999, I threw down some money for a set of skis, boots and poles. As you can see, I got so excited, I had to try them on at home (oh mey)









For folks with some ski knowledge. The Dude sold me carving skis that were way too long for me and I struggled constantly with them, but once you pointed them downhill, there were (I was) unstoppable...yeah, I even won a race against a Dutch guy over a hat that I wanted (Yes, I do collect hats....)










This picture was taken in 1999, in the meantime chair lifts outnumber the torture machines and I realized that I LOVE skiing. It is hard to find a picture of me in the mountains without a smile on my face that goes from one ear to the other...might be the lack of oxygen!?!?

Besides my love for MOUNTAIN biking, I love skiing especially, because that is the sport that I met Martin through. We met at a Ski Club meeting in Stuttgart, Germany and our first weekend date was a ski trip. So going on a ski trip with Martin brings back all these memories....

And so far, I have been lucky, that I have never gotten injured (knock on wood)...





The reason I am writing (again) about skiing (some folks might say, isn't this supposed to be a bike blog???) is, that I will join Mr. M, who left today to drive to CO, on Thursday to spend the weekend in Winter Park CO. I know it will be tough, but we will suffer through it.

Missing my Blur

OK, I know the weather is crappy and I am still sick but I am starting to miss my Santa Cruz Blur.

I have it now for a bit over two years and I love it. It is my loyal steed that goes over and through everything.
I started out mountain biking on a hardtail and I still have that bike. It is a Cannondale and it is also a very good bike.

I should actually race it this year, since it is faster than my Blur, even though it is less comfy...and it climbs better and that helps in "steep moments".

Then, there is my very expensive Polo-bike. It cost us about $15 in parts and some labor for my personal mechanic, aka Martin:) For being such an expensive bike, it works really well on the Polo field. I had to find out about a month ago, that I can bent the steel fork with my knee and we were able to "bang" it right back into shape. Same with the "tacoed" wheel. Oh yes, Polo is lots of fun!!

I know you can get high speed on the road and make bigger distances on a road bike, but you can't sneak up with it on a moose in the Rocky Mountains, or chase some turkeys through Manawa; that you can only do on knobby tires off road...

Die Bergziegen at Lake Tahoe

Die Bergziegen made their way around Lake Tahoe. Well, almost, we had only two days to ski and skied at two opposite ski-resorts: Heavenly and Squaw Valley.

I think we all liked Squaw Valley better. For Roxzy and Ryan, it meant their second day on the skis and more confidence and way more action. I liked it better, because it had less snow boarders. Yes, I have a problem with snow boarders. At least with a lot of them. There at Heavenly they were flying right by you with lightening speed and even I got intimidated. Well, I keep trying to let them be...

The other reason, I like Squaw valley better is, that it was so spread out. It seemed like you had more choices of runs and lifts.

As Martin would say: "It didn't suck!"

It had also a better snow cover and that made for better skiing. Martin and I made it to some nice black runs in the afternoon and they were worth their money. One was called "Siberian Bowl" and, yes it makes your hair stand up for a reason:)

Saturday was so warm, that we could have skied in T-shirts. I have never been that hot skiing. It was a good promotion for the sport. Roxzy doesn't like the cold weather so much and I had told her that it is much easier to stay warm skiing than it is biking. (I didn't tell her of my days on the slopes, where the icy wind is trying to blow you off the mountain; that is, why I own a pair of down mittens...)

We got good work-outs in. I think Sunday, we skied for almost five hours.

Skiing at Lake Tahoe

Today was our first ski day and what a glorious day it was. Bright, sunny and WARM, even on top of the mountains at about 10,000 feet the temperatures reached 50 in the afternoon. I don't think, I have ever been that hot skiing. Perfect for Ryan and Roxzy to get their ski-legs going. It was Roxzanne's first time on skis and she did really well.
We all thought the day today was great and the views were beautiful (more pics will follow). I guess, other folks thought thought the same and called this area Heavenly:)
Martin and I found out weapon of choice if we ever had to "fight" against R & R: Skis. They were pooped tonight,lol. (Well, we are tired as well, but that is a whole different story)

Reno leaves me speachless!

Our first day in Reno Nevada. Ryan had to work today, so Martin, Roxz and I went exploring the town of Reno, Nevada. First thing on the list: breakfast on "the Strip" at The Nugget. Oh boy, it feels like a movie at 10 in the morning slot machines and all the characters you need. I have a hilarious incident in the bathroom, trying to help an employee to remove a "careful-wet-floor-cone" that is stuck underneath the entrance door to the bathroom. Here is the scene: she sits on the floor (smoking) behind the door, pushing with her feet against the door, while I am pulling on the cone...
Roxzy comes upstairs, but all she sees is me "trying to get out of the bathroom, totally out of breath (I do have a bad cold, we are 5000 feet high and that girl is smoking right into my face plus, I have to pee) IT IS FUNNY!!! Another employee comes in and tries to help and I have to idea to put soap on the cone, so we put three pumps of soap on the cone...nothing.
Well, we push, pull, pry the door open so we can get out and to our breakfast, b/c that is more important and I can't laugh anymore.
A few minutes later that girl comes to the table and thanx us for our help. I guess that got the cone out........what can you say.
After the breakfast we drive around and rent skis and boots, look at some bike shops and enjoy the tempartures in the 60ies.
By mid-afternoon, I have to take a time-out. My voice is totally gone(=hoarse=speachless). This dry dessert air is hart on my cold.
Ryan joins us for dinner and we find this really cool Chinese place. Yummy! By this time, we all have skis, ski-poles and boots. I am sooooo excited. I L O V E skiing. I met Martin through skiing. I love mountains and tomorrow will be the first time that I ski in the U.S.A.
Well, that is not true, b/c I skied at Mt. Crescent, IA. Yes, I have and I can proof it:))
Well, it is time for the ski bunny to go to sleep, so I can tear uo some trails tomorrow.
Die Bergziege in ihrem Element!