Day 40 - 2/28/10 - USA vs Canada

"I don't even know what street Canada is on" - Al Capone

Today is Sunday February 28th 2010. I was scheduled to work today, but as fate would have it I would have the day off. What did this mean? This meant I was able to watch the final Olympic event of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics - Team USA versus Team Canada in the hockey gold medal game. It would also happen to be the only event I was able to see. T.V. has all but faded from my daily life/routine in Telluride. This gold medal game today was epic.

I attended the 2010 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park back on January 1st. I went with my good friends, Liam Kennedy, Colm Kennedy and Bill Lawler. We each love hockey and that event was one of the greatest sporting events I've had the opportunity to attend. I think Bill, Colm and Liam would agree. Boston won that game in overtime and Fenway park went nuts. I think Liam tackled me on concrete when they won. Maybe I'll post some pictures of that Winter Classic game in my post tomorrow. Anyway, the point of me telling you this is that at the conclusion of the Winter Classic, the PA announced the Team USA members for the 2010 Olympic team. If you did not gather it from the actual Olympic games, they had a young and very talented team. Fenway Park would go nuts when they announced that goalie Tim Thomas (of University of Vermont fame) was one of three goalies selected for Team USA. Other Bruins ironically would make Team Canada as well, but Fenway Park would erupt when Thomas' selection was announced. It was great.

Onto the gold medal game. Quite simply this game was monumental. Not only did it pit the two North American teams against each other and not only did it pit the Olympic host nation in the final, but it also put on the ice some of the greatest players in the world. Sorry to Alexander Ovechkin that Russia did not make it because he is the best player in the world. So one would wonder; with the US down a goal (score was 2-1 Canada favor), 90 seconds left in the game and the US pulls their goalie to gain an extra attacker, would the US pull of this miracle? Of course they could as we do have several miracle type stories in our Olympic resume i.e. Lake Placid's "Miracle on Ice". This certainly was not even near the upset of that Lake Placid Miracle, but the emotion was a close second. The last 90 seconds of the game was fast paced. The U.S., with the extra attacker, was putting some pressure in the Canadian zone. With 24 seconds left in regulation, Team USA player Zach Parise scores the tying goal. Can you believe it!!! The people in this video (where I watched the game) could not http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoWsCTKNQVw. And all of that craziness was after Team USA found themselves down 2-0 in the second period. In that second period, with 7 minutes and 16 seconds remaining in the period, a deflection goal by Ryan Kesler made this potential lop-sided Candian victory into a battle. Here is the crowd reaction to Team USA's first goal that made it 2-1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcLjyHwUvwY

Thank you to Brown Dog Pizza for 1) being a bar in Telluride with an east coast feel (one of its owners is from Boston), and 2) for having plenty of tv's so that viewing of this great game was easy for all.

Alrighty. So the last piece of this has to do with the somewhat comical quote that I chose for today. It's a fairly universal thought (even by Canadians) that Canada is the lesser recognized of the North American land. I am sure there are plenty of documented reasons why, including Mr. Capone's thinking in today's quote. My recollection of what made Canada, well Canada, was the then exchange rate of the U.S. dollar compared to the Canadian dollar. Today's exchange rate is nearly equal.....each U.S. dollar is about equal to each Canadian dollar. Sad but true. Eight years ago this was not the case. A U.S. dollar then got you 1.60 Canadian dollars. Certain costs (food in particular) being equal, Canadian money seemed like play money when you went to cities like Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto. Vancouver too, but I had not been there until 2009...when things were still favorable, but not 1.60 favorable (it was like 1.22). It's hilarious how when you go to another country, with differing forms of currency, how all of it seems like play money. The emotion of throwing down a U.S. dollar bill is powerful. Then you go to throw down a Euro and it seems like monopoly money. It's not that you don't care about spending, but you care less. I suppose some of it may have to do with vacationing, but it's just a different emotion spending a currency you know little about. Side note - Some of the currencies out there actual feel like you are holding monopoly money!

Anyway Canada is a unique country. Maybe Mr. Capone was referencing the fact that nearly 75% of Canada's population lives within 90 miles of the U.S. border. Let me say that again....three quarters of Canada's (the whole country) population lives within 90 miles (an hour and fifteen minute drive) from our U.S. border. I think that's an alarming stat. Then again more than half of Canada is constantly frozen. I like Canada. I think British Columbia has some of the most scenic island territory and coastline in the world. I guess for all the superiority that the U.S. holds to Canada (except hockey...and peace) it was a cool thing for the host Olympic country to win gold in the sport they pride themselves on the most. It pained me to see the U.S. lose, but something about that game told me that Team USA put together the best run of any nations Olympic team and barely came up short. The players should be proud. Our country definitely should be proud. And I don't mean to take anything away from all the other Olympic events and athletes. I just did not see any other events from the Olympics so I cannot really comment. Although my last comment will be a moment of sorrow for the young Georgian luge athlete who lost his life. He did so on a morning practice run the day of the opening Olympic ceremonies. That was horrible and I cannot imagine what his family and the entire Republic of Georgia are going through.

Sorry to end on a somber note. Things like that impact us all in some way, big or small. Hope everyone is doing well and good night from Telluride.

Day 39 - 2/27/10 - Avalanche

"A few harmless flakes working together can unleash and avalanche of destruction" - Larry Kersten

Today is Saturday February 27, 2010.

Look closely a the two pictures above. It's of the same mountain, Ajax, located on east end of Telluride. Both pictures are taken from the same spot, one on right is with a 250mm EFS zoom lens. You should be able to click on the middle of the picture and have them enlarged. Do you see what I see? It's a pretty incredible shot of what nature can do in a town like this. The quote of the day sums it up best and from the picture on the right I can tell you that this was no small avalanche. It's actually a HUGE avalanche slide and whatever was in the path was likely taken out. Trees were cleared out and overheard today that a photographer snapped a shot from town (like my pic on the left) that captured a huge snow cloud that rose from the ground as the avalanche slid to its end. If I had caught that on film I would have been very pleased. But my shots above are same day, well after it happened. Pretty amazing. It's the largest visible slide I have seen since my arrival here. Quite a few mountain peaks have them....just on a smaller scale. Since I have been here, there have been several (less than ten) articles about skiers caught in avalanches. No known fatalities, but like some of my videos show the mountains, including the ski mountains, have the danger and risk.

Before I snapped those pictures I worked most of the day on the mountain. I took about 10 familty, couple, etc. still shots. By 'shots' I mean a photo shoot....different poses with breakdowns, from group, to kids, to couples, to singles. In each photo shoot I average about 10-20 individual pictures of those various breakdowns. The more variety you give the more options they have to buy. Simple concept and you would be amazed how 1) edgy and pushy they are about NOT having different poses and breakdowns and 2) after the day is over and they stop in shop to see the pictures, how happy they are you took so many! It's hilarious. Fact of the matter is that when you are on the mountain, you want to be skiing. So I understand why people do not want the photographers taking too much of their time. But in the end, we take great photos and we give them lifetime memories to cherish and hold onto. I'm enjoying the work, meeting people and probably the most amazing thing about it.....it's work so different then my office jobs as an accountant. That's a whole different conversation.

Tonight I was fortunate. I was invited to the Telluride Aids Benefit (TAB) fashion show and auction. Never been to anything like this, but it was pretty incredible. Here are some words on their organization www.aidsbenefit.org/about. The fashion show this year was produced by an individual who has produced some big name events such as Miss USA pagaents. It was impressive and for stumbling on a last second ticket, I was lucky. People say that it is one of two events per year that is the hardest ticket to get in Telluride. Lucky me.

Thanks for checking in and good night from Telluride.

Day 38 - 2/26/10 - The "Double RL" Ranch

"I don't design clothes, I design dreams" - You guess. It's revealed at end of post.

What do you do when your worth is estimated at $2.8 Billion? From Wikpedia:

"As of 2009, Forbes estimates his wealth at $2.8 billion, which would make him the 224th richest person in the world."

One thing you can do is purchase approximately 16,000 acres of ranch property in Colorado. Anyone guess who this person is? Answer is also the answer to the quote of the day. My pictures above will help. His initials are the infamous initials in the "Double RL" ranch located just outside of Telluride, CO in the town Ridgeway, CO. Also from Wikpedia:

"He owns a Ferrari 250 GTO, a McLaren F1 GTR LM, and, more recently, a Bugatti Veyron among others....his cars were recently displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston"

First of all, I love cars and where was I for this Museum of Fine Arts display? Surely it must have been when I still lived there? I blame myself and my lack of adventure while I was comfortable in my city of residence for the past 13 years. Oh well. It would have been nice to see and maybe, just maybe someday I can have my own 250 GTO. By the way, the Bugatti Veyron lists at $1.7 million base price, has a top speed of 253.8 mph, goes 0-60mph in under 2.5 seconds (WOW) and is 1,000 horsepower (did not know that was possible) I want one!

So from all those facts and especially the quote of the day mixed with the initials of his ranch name should have this one nailed down for you. It is Ralph Lauren and his ranch location was my adventure of the day. Of course I could not get any closer than my pictures took, but it was amazing to drive, and drive, and drive and the see the fence that runs along the highway road that surrounds his property. Honestly it was one of my most scenic drives in Colorado and I was happy to spend a day off (from work and snowboarding) in order to check it out. It's only about ten minutes from where I live. It's pretty impressive. Lauren also has homes in New York (he was born in 1939 in The Bronx, NY) and in Jamaica.

So I have a new goal in my adventure. It is to meet Ralph Lauren. I think I will write him a letter, tell him I'm down the road and see if he wants to have me over for dinner! That would go over well I'm sure. I should probably prepare for the dinner by actually buying some RL product. I have to admit I don't own any. I am a Banana Republic, JCrew, Puma, Adidas, Burton, Oakley and some others guy. He could have the opportunity to make my blog. What more selling do I have to do to him?!

A nice relaxing day is what I needed. Tomorrow I go back to being photographer. I am actually looking forward to it. Hope you are well and good night from Telluride.

Day 37 - 2/25/10 - A Good Day

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." ~Robert Frost

Today is February 25, 2010. Today's quote is an important one. I begun this journey 36 days ago and up until a couple of days ago I really had few worries. I had travelled across country, spent nights in different cities, began writing to a blog (which I love doing), taking videos, meeting new people and acquainting myself with the the new town of Telluride. In a scenario like that life was good and life was moving at a pace that only I could change. Then, like we've spoken about before, I settled into a routine. I would drive the same road in and out of town at the same times, get hot chocolate at the same coffee shop, get lunches at the same place and ride the same gondola to get to and from where I needed to go. I'm seeing the same faces and they are seeing me more often. Then, two days ago, I started working at Elevation Imaging as a photographer. Work is a sure fire way to settle into a routine. I started packing lunches (had not done that in 3 months) and waking up early in order to get to the Elevation Imaging shop on time. My same days became a routine. They became my routine. And even with my new work and the semi shock of getting back into a routine, my life goes on like Robert Frost says. All this means to me is that it's up to me to keep this adventure unique, exciting and unusual.

Today's picture of the day is actually a collection of wall pieces that were in the Cavanaugh ski condo located in Steamboat Springs CO. Remember I had stayed there on an earlier part of my adventure. The sayings have become more personal to me as my time in the mountains carry on. The quotes "Pray for Snow", "Snowtime", "Welcome" and "If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you are luck enough" are what the 4 wall hangings display. In a nutshell, I have prayed for snow here and it has come, snowtime is a favorite time for people here, welcome is all I have felt since I stepped foot in Telluride and I do consider myself lucky to be in the situation I am in. I do not take it for granted and this video of the day will show you that when you do pray (i.e. for snow), prayers can be answered. The video is of my hike toward Palmyra Peak and subsequent descend into Black Iron Bowl. The music is from a new album by the band Angels & Airwaves. For this video I chose their song "Et Ducit Mundum Per Luce" (an instrumental intro) with transition into a second song "The Flight of Apollo". Their new album is named "Love" and I have been listening to it a lot lately. By the way, "Et Ducit Mundum Per Luce" is Latin. It translates to "And he (or she) leads the world by light" in English. Sounds biblical in a way especially with the word "angels" is in their band name. The Angels and Airwaves sound comes from band proclamations that "the music is to give everyone a sense of weightlessness and ascension....our group's sound was inspired primarily by feelings and emotions which routinely go unnoticed." This description of their musical sound fits very well with the feelings and emotions I had long before, during and after this day......my ascension toward the sky and clouds ended with near weightlessness coming down the powder-filled mountain and through the trees. This has been one of my favorite and inspiring videos to make. Note around the 6 minute mark, the view of Telluride. Without further adieu:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQxjupblwQ8

Today was not a routine. Thanks for checking into the blog. I hope you are well and good evening from Telluride.

Day 35 & 36 - 2/23/10 & 2/24/10 - Work

“Pictures help you to form the mental mold” - Robert Collier

Today's blog/post are for day 35 (Tuesday February 23rd) and day 36 (Wednesday February 24th). For these days I can write to you in one blog/post. The reason is because I began work for Elevation Imaging (EI) and both days are similar. I will learn A LOT about photography. Here is your quiz for the day:

2 Questions - Do you know the name of the range in today's picture of the day? Do you know what this range is famous for? Look closely, think thirst and your hint will come momentarily.

EI brought me on as an on mountain photographer. In bullet point fashion, which I thoroughly enjoy writing in, here is a day in the life of a Telluride Ski Resort on mountain photographer:

• Arrive at work at 8:15 am. Mountain lifts open at 9am.
• Start checking out equipment for the day. All equipment is numbered to sign out with on the daily check out list. Equipment tangibles are camera, flash, flash power pack (for quicker flash recharge), memory chips, and all batteries and back up batteries for equipment. Oh, also a mallet, sunglasses (for customers) and sales cards. I'll explain those last three below.
• EI has designated spots (5) for still family, couple, group and single shots. We also do action shots everyday in a designated spot. You spend morning in one spot, then as sunlight plays with the mountain, you move to a second spot.
• The mallet is for putting together and pounding (PVC piping) the EI sign into the snow. This is the first thing you do when you get to your spot. People see the sign, you and either/or will begin their interest.
• Depending on the weather (lighting, shadows, glare) the shots are pretty standard. If clear and good light they go in front of a huge mountain range. If snowy, they go in front of trees. If sunny, then the sunglasses come into play. We like to have goggles up for pictures and some people do not have sunglasses with them (especially the children). Sunlight reflects off snow...even more than water intensity wise. That equals....can you guess....squinting. Squinting is as good as selling no pictures. So the shades help. And people are generally receptive to wearing the ones we give them.
• The EI sales cards are what you give your customer after the shoot. It has directions to our shop (located centrally in the action of Mountain Village), a reference name and date for them to locate their photos. We do this because EI holds onto these digital images for over 2 years. We like people to come in the day of the shoot (and buy) but they can come back next day or even a year later if they need to.
• We shoot from approx 9:30am to 2:30pm. Then we head to the shop and sell from 3-6pm.

And there you have it. A day in the life of me. As I get into the role more I will tell you a few photo tricks that I learn. The good people of EI are here to support me...or pick on me as the new guy. Either way, I am good to go and looking forward to working with them. Here is your hint:

Hint - The above pictured range is famous for being on a beer bottle. This actually rolls the original 2 questions into a third question now! What's the brand of beer?

So my first two days at EI have been good. There is a lot to learn. One of the quickest things I did learn is the mountain itself and the surrounding mountain ranges that join Telluride in some of the best scenery in the country. Another thing is not only am I viewed as a photographer, but I'm also an ambassador of the mountain. I studied maps, trails, lift names and numbers and now I could probably work for guest services just as well. Here's your answer:

Answer - The mountain is named Wilson Peak and Wilson Peak is the model peak for the Coors Light beer bottle/can. Coors is located in Golden, CO and even the fine people at Coors agree that Wilson Peak is their Coors Light model peak.

And I took that picture above from my gondola ride into my second day of work. It's cool I get to see it everyday. I've learned a lot about pictures. Squinting does not sell. Neither do awkward poses or shots where people look "flat". A picture is flat and owner Bob says it is our job to bring out angles that give depth to the shot. Everything they tell me sinks in and it increases my interest in taking this photography thing to a higher level. Who would have ever thought it?

Good night from Telluride. Hope you all are doing well.

Day 34 - 2/22/10 - The Hike

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln

After four days of doing the races, I was really looking forward to today. My day started off on an interesting note. I was driving up Route 145 into Telluride, a very scenic drive, and my phone rang. It was the company Elevation Imaging and I have mentioned them before. They are the on mountain photography company that has exclusive rights to all on mountain photos done by a professional outfit. That means all groups, families, organizations, etc. that wants pictures of an event or just a casual family photo goes through Elevation Imaging (EI). Not sure if I mentioned this, but I applied for a position with them about two weeks ago. They were advertising in the local paper. About a week ago I had met with the manager Tim. Just three days ago I then met with the owner Bob. Both good people and though my resume does not scream photography experience, from my initial meetings, they thought my personality could work for their business in both taking pictures and selling those images. Well, not that I'm a pessimist (I actually am), but I did not think I would hear from them since I was told I would be contacted over this past weekend. Today being Monday, I figured they did not want to roll the dice on me. I was wrong. Tim called me today and offered me a spot on their team. So ladies and gentlemen, please refer to me as a professional photographer now. As I begin work (tomorrow!) I will fill you in on how that part of my adventure is going. I am looking forward to it.

Now onto more important things. My day today and some videos for you. After all that talk about volunteering for races (which I enjoyed) while it was snowing 2+ feet, today would be the day I get to finally enjoy a full day on the mountain. Oh boy. Here we go:

Video 1 - Here is my hike up Bald Mountain. It was my longest hike of the day at about 20-30 minutes and although the beginning of the hike saw nice sun and temperature, by the top of Bald Mountain it was windy and cold. At one point I heard them blast for avalanche spots over near Palmyra Peak. What amazing views and the payoff run was in a foot of powder and well worth the hike. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDFMQhgInGo

Video 2 - This is a trail called Genevieve in the Palmyra Peak area of Telluride. This area consists of many wide open areas (called "bowls") and because of avalanche blasting (like you saw in Video #1) much of the terrain beyond Genevieve was closed off. I also introduce you to Mike (from CA) and Bugsy (from AZ). I met Mike a couple weeks ago on a lift and he pointed me out as we were hiking to these runs. Good guys. During Mike's run I think I swear. My apologies but it is quietly said and I could not contain my excitement for this day. Toward the end of the video I turn back to the "bowl" that Mike, Bugsy and I descended down in order to get views of other skiers and riders coming down the same terrain. Just a great view of the area. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAE8fF2nv34

Video 3 - I saved the music video (with a classic) for last. This was the last run of the day. My legs were shot from hiking and boarding in the powder, but I wanted to end the day with some variety. I got big bumps in the beginning and then some trail side fun in the end. Enjoy the music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1gh6gDtxxA

This was the best snow the mountain had seen since I stepped foot in Telluride. I can only hope to have many more days like this. March is the best snow month in Telluride so I have good things to look forward to. I am in early tonight finishing my thoughts to you from home. But not before I got this great photo (see above) of the sun setting on Telluride. The sun has set on the town, but it still shines bright on the top of Ajax Mountain, the eastern end of Telluride. I feel a little anxiety tonight. I want to get a good nights sleep, but I hope I can fall asleep. Tomorrow I will be a photographer. I know there will be a lot to learn, but I'll listen and become better over time. This is a new part of my life I am excited about. Good night from Telluride.

Day 33 - 2/21/10 - Virginia's Last Name?

"Real generosity is doing something nice for someone who will never find out." ~ Frank A. Clark

Today is Sunday February 21st 2010. It's the final day(4) of the Jim Drew Memorial FIS Colorado Ski Cup. I do not mean to take away from the racers, but today I will let you know of a different story. There will be no pictures and videos. From my Day 30 post (i.e. Day 1 of this race) I wrote this:

"Unfortunately I cannot tell you who Jim Drew was. This is a memorial race in his name so I am sure he was a special person in the Telluride community. He likely helped to make many races like today's an opportunity to succeed for many young racers. I am happy to be volunteering for a cause under his name."

Also from my Day 30 post I mentioned a very nice woman named Virginia. Virginia worked the start gate with us for the first few days. Today she would be at the finishing gate. She told me when I first arrived at the TSSC headquarters, where every volunteer meets before the races, "Nick, I will not be at start gate today, but we can ride up the gondola together if you want to walk to it with me" Without hesitation I said yes. I ate some banana bread, left the building with Virginia and started a 10-15 minute walk to the gondola. During our walk Virginia explained how she's been doing the races for a long time. She talked about her family, her grandchildren and how her son Patrick was 33 years old. She said "I'm guessing he is your age." Very close Virginia as I am 34. She mentioned her husband periodically. "Jim" she had said a few times. Like time stood still for a brief moment, I stopped cold in my tracks as I was walking down a creek side path in front of her. I turned to Virginia and asked a question. She answered "Yes, he is." After four days of showing up to volunteer for this memorial race, it all came to me. Virginia was the widow of Jim Drew, the fine man who this race is named for. I felt bad and a little naive for not realizing this the previous three days I was with her in the start gate, but she is too humble to say anything and others at the start gate probably already knew and just went along knowing. Because I was new in town she respected I did not know these facts. For me, upon realizing this, I could not have been more honored to walk with her, listen to her and just realize that she was one of the kindest women I have ever met. And in terms of my words from Day 30 above, meeting Virginia ensured me that this race was indeed named for a special man.

My quote of the day is for Virginia. On our walk today she also told me that she was the one who baked and brought the banana and cranberry breads each and every morning for the race volunteers. Did I know this? Not until our walk. Did everyone else know this? I am not sure, but both breads was devoured and gone each day. She baked each night and brought the breads in the next mornings. I had eaten plenty and even though it was after-the-fact, I gave her a big thank you on our walk. The quote of the day is near perfect for great women like Virginia. My grandmothers' (Lucy and Louise) and great grandmother (Assunta) were the same. They do what is in their heart cause they know no different. They never ask for anything in return. And they are so humble that their generosity goes unknown. Virginia, thank you for your great perspective and I am beyond honored that I was able to volunteer in a race for your husbands name.

There is no picture that belongs more in this post than a picture of Virginia Drew. And because I do not have one, the best I can do is to leave it picture less. Certainly if I meet Virginia again, I will ask her if she is ok with me having a picture with her for this blog. Of course she will say yes. She is too kind and generous not to.

Good evening from Telluride. Hope everyone is well.

Day 32 - 2/20/10 - Telluride Mountain

"I'm from Georgia. I've moved out to Colorado to be a cowboy" - Lanier from Georgia who now lives in Telluride.

Today is Saturday February 20th 2010. It is the 3rd day of the 4-day Jim Drew Memorial FIS Colorado Ski Cup. In previous posts I have explained my work as a volunteer for the races, both as a gatekeeper and on the start gate crew. Our video today gives some visual action to working in the start gate. Here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNz-6uqhoBY

I want to step away from the race itself and focus on the photo and the quote for a minute. You might ask why I selected this quote. First of all let me say that I had lunch with Lanier today. I snowboarded off the mountain, from the race, and I went inside TSSC headquarters to have lunch. They make sandwiches and bag them with chips, snacks and a bottle of water. It is very generous of them and I certainly appreciate the level of work that goes into doing this for a team of 25+ people involved with volunteering for the race. Back to Lanier. I was sitting down and Lanier came over and said "I played soccer with you two nights ago. I forget your name." I answered and told him to grab a seat for lunch. He sat down and to keep conversation going, I said "Where are you from and what brought you to Telluride?" His response everyone.....was the quote of the day.

Honestly, I can't really explain why I find his words so intriguing, but I do. I even phoned a couple people back in the east and told them about it. My main thought is that it is simply a response that 1) I have never heard before in my life, and 2) is just a cool thing to say. Imagine if I started off my blog back in January saying "Hi everyone. Just wanted to let you know I left Boston to be a cowboy" Minus the fact that my bow-legged attribute would support it, all of you would fall off your chair laughing. It's just a not-so-typical thing we all hear in the Northeast. That is my intrigue and last time I checked Georgia is not know for Cowboys either. Lanier confirmed that adding that there are so few Cowboys left in the country; guys that truly do ALL their work on horseback and heard cattle for 16+ hours a day, 7 days a week. I respected what he said. So much that my picture of the day (above) is of Lanier. He is the tall dude on the left with orange pinnie and red shorts. Lanier is 28 years old (I think) and in a strange twist I had this picture of him playing soccer from 2 days before when we played. Random huh? Also pictured (and a nice random find) is Zach...in the orange pinnie and black shorts. Zach was the good man who filmed my soccer video from my Day 30 post.

Here's a test for everyone. What is the origin and meaning of the name Lanier?

Answer - Lanier is of Old French origin and its meaning is "woolworker"

Cowboys herd sheep too right? Lanier, just by name you were destined to be a Cowboy. Great quote and even if it does not work out, I admire your courage for pursuing something of significant legend in our country. Good to meet you and good night from Telluride.

Day 31 - 2/19/10 - Let It Snow

"There's one good thing about snow, it makes your lawn look as nice as your neighbor's." ~Clyde Moore

Today is Friday February 19th 2010. I chose my quote of the day because it made me laugh, but after this write up I think you will see there is plenty of good with snow here in Telluride. This is Day 2 of the 4 day Jim Drew Memorial FIS Colorado Ski Cup. Not to take anything away from this honorable race, it is also the first day of a supposed three day snowfall. How excited am I for this? Wait until you see the video from today! And don't cheat an go right to the video links. I'll build it up well enough so that watching it after you read makes you appreciate the video more.

Today is the second day of the Giant Slalom (GS) for the racers. I've been asked to return to starting gate duty. Does that mean they like my level of volunteer effort? Sort of. They liked the collective start gate group and since we all returned today, they like to keep us together i.e. we know how to work together. The start gate can be hectic. Note the picture attached to this blog post. For example, say either the men's or women's race starts at 9:30am. Here is a timeline on how order is kept:

1. Racers can show up to the start gate (top of the race course) 45 minutes prior to start, or 8:45am, for inspection. Inspection is their very slow descend through the course. They can "slide" down on the edges of their skis, flatten out uneven terrain and get a fee for what the course will be like.
2. Five minutes prior to the race, at 9:25am, we start seeing the racers. Each racer has a bib number that they wear over their race attire so we can identify them. Also during this five minutes we send "pre-runners". They are exactly what they sound like; there are 3-5 of them and they run the course (as if they are racing for official time) as a test.
3. When the clock strikes 9:30am the race starts. The first racer (bib #1) goes. For the first heat, if there are 45 racers, 1 starts, 2 is second, 3 is third and so on. The order changes in the second heat....depending on the first heat finish results.
4. It gets hectic here because Donna (oversees start gate team) is constantly getting the right racers/bib numbers in line so that we go in order and go within 30-40 seconds of each racer leaving the gate. The picture shows the racers coming into the start gate area. Keep in mind, these are high school level kids and although they can race with the best of them, the boys joke around, the girls are chatty, and in general, you have to yell at them to get organization and order. Donna is very good at this!
5. So again, racers leave every 30-40 seconds after each other. If a racer misses a gate, he/she can climb back uphill and re-run that gate. Some racers take bad falls on the course and do not finish. Some racers never show up at the start gate (known as a "Do Not Start" or "DNS"). All three of these scenarios effect the 30-40 second in between racer time, but Donna, Greg (gate timer) and the entire crew make sure the course is clear before letting the next racer go. Safety is always most important.

It a well run operation and I have learned a lot. Now, I told you I would build up the video section of this blog. Part of building it up is to say that as the race day went on, into the second women and men's heats, the snow kept falling. Here is a video of a lift ride up (near the race course). Note that the powder on the ground is just from snowfall today! This will keep the build up going:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyoQpvdXBi8

So that is a nice set up video. To finish on the race side of things, we went through the first and second women's and men's heats. The snowfall picked up as the day carried on (I'm building up the videos again) and the racers certainly felt the impact of this during their second heat runs. There were more falls than morning, but due to some efficient race crew work we were done with the races by 1:30pm. What does this mean for me? Two hours of time on the mountain! This was my first taste of this life out here where people can work and, in the same day, be on the mountain for 2-3 runs. Some do it in the morning, some on a break and some at the end of the day. It's certainly a unique way of breaking up your work day. Even though my work is volunteer I certainly appreciated this time at the end of my day. Here we go:

Video 1 - This video is crazy. This storm made for pretty intense winds and snowfall. To be honest, there is not much to see in this video (literally), but I'm showing it to you in the hopes you can imagine what I went through here. Picture a complete loss of your sense of balance. In this video, it's a white out. I have no sense of depth perception and equilibrium. Reasons are because I am in a bowl area of the mountain and there are no trees, or anything to give you a sense of depth, for hundreds of feet. Even with sunlight, "bowl" skiing areas are huge wide open areas of white (snow). So I introduce you to Revelation Bowl....it is white out Friday and I have no idea where I am going after I pass the sign. It was a strange feeling....like learning to walk again. You may not notice this, but I fall 3 or 4 times in this short video. Zero balance on my part! You also get to see the art of strapping boots into binders. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_A8Vu0f2Gk

Video 2 - Video 2 is a testament to Video 1. In this video I'm somewhat coming out of the white out. I begin to see a lift, a tree and ultimately I get my balance from seeing those things. There is also a thing called "flat sunlight" in skiing and that effects vision/balance as well. I'll explain that some other time. Also keep in mind that there is over a foot of new snow on the ground. That is hard enough to navigate through on a snowboard! Here you go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQ6hVqkGYzE

Video 3 - Here is Apex Glade. This has become one of my favorite trails on all of Telluride mountain. On this day it was even better than previous days. Apex is a black diamond (just one) trail so it has steep areas and quite a few trees. It eventually dumps into a wider open area, but that area is more bumpier and it did not make this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U20gV4xQdo

Video 4 - And finally, here is my last run of the day. I even throw in a little trickery with a 180...somewhere toward the middle of the video. A goal of my adventure is to become a little more aerial on the snowboard. I will hit terrain parks momentarily and there I will train myself to go off jumps and do 180's, 360's....and maybe more, but that will be a good start. Not sure if the video camera will be safe for that, but it's a future date and we'll see. Also, toward the end of the video the snow has let up a little from earlier and you can see the town of Telluride. Nice view, even on a snowy day. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyqiPAXPzsU

So good races and a VERY good day on the mountain. If this storm has done this much on the first day of what they say is 3 straight days of snowfall, then imagine what it will be like by Monday! Wow. And you can imagine it since these videos have dragged you into my journey. Good night from Telluride and hope you are well.

Day 30 - 2/18/10 - Race Day

"It's good to ski for fun, but I still want to win races as often as possible."
Hermann Maier

Today is Thursday February 18, 2010. Today is the start of the 4 day Jim Drew Memorial FIS Colorado Ski Cup.

If you recall from my Days 25 & 26 (2/13 & 2/14) blog I had volunteered through Justin Chandler and his Telluride Ski and Snowboard Club (TSSC). Justin is the executive director and he has asked me to volunteer again for this weekends four day memorial race. When I arrived at the TSSC headquarters they asked me to work the start gate team. Also upon my arrival at TTSC I met a very nice woman. Her name was Virginia. Virginia volunteers for the race as well. Virginia and I will work together with 2-3 others. Collectively we will form the start gate team. No surprise here, but the start gate is where all the racers convene, joke around, then step up to the start and switch to an intense focus. I said this in my Day 25 & 26 blog, but I continue to appreciate what these athletes bring to the table for these Alpine race events. For the four days they do 2 days Giant Slalom (GS) and 2 days Slalom (SL). A quick explanation is that GS is faster speed, a longer run and gates more spread out; SL is quicker/tighter turns, a shorter run length and gates closer to each other.

Unfortunately I cannot tell you who Jim Drew was. This is a memorial race in his name so I am sure he was a special person in the Telluride community. He likely helped to make many races like today's an opportunity to succeed for many young racers. I am happy to be volunteering for a cause under his name. FIS (in the title of the race) stands for Federation Internationale de Ski. American version would be the International Ski Federation. FIS is headquartered in Switzerland and they sanction events like this weekend's. The reason is because even though it is a memorial race, the racers times go toward qualifying times. They get FIS points based on results and I am sure those points qualify them for Junior Nationals and more. I was told that this weekends racers are "the best of the west" A coach told me that. Pretty impressive to see up close.

I met Donna who oversees the start gate. From the picture above, Donna has the blue hat in the background. She keeps order. Greg is the official start timer. He informs the racers the 10 second countdown mark and then the 5-4-3-2-1 final count where they must leave the gate. They can leave at any point in the 5 count. In the picture, Greg is on the left with the headset. He is in constant communication with the finishing gate official, John Jett. I told everyone John Jett is one of the coolest names I had ever heard. They laughed. Then there is Hannah, Donna's daughter. She is in the forefront of the picture. Hannah herself is alpine skier, but she was not racing this weekend. Right after the start of each racer Hannah and I manually take the unofficial start times. We both hold a sport timer and each time the skier goes through the start gate (they cross through a thin wand) we press the start/stop time and report it to Virginia. Virginia manually writes those times down. Unfortunately Virginia did not make this picture, but I hope to get a picture of her to you soon. She was a very kind woman. The purpose of the manual recording is to have a back up plan if Greg's automated system fails. So that was my job for the day. BTW, Hannah's cousin Cole is the other person in the forefront of the picture. Good guy and he and I snowboarded down the mountain during the lunch break and at a break between women's and men's races. He is young so I showed him how to carve up the mountain on a snowboard! Just kidding. He was good on his own already. Just like everyone seems to be in this town. The phrase "carve up the mountain" is snowboarding terminology by the way. It basically refers to digging the snowboard edges into the turns you take. The more you turn and the deeper your edge gets into the snow....the more you are carving.

So tonight, Thursday night, is soccer night. I played and with the help of yet another good person, Zach, I bring to you this video to let you all know that I am finding ways to stay in shape. Actually, I think I almost collapsed again (like last week) while trying to play in this altitude. It is an eye opening difference. And here I was thinking I was fit. The great people at Cambridge Athletic Club (where my gym has been for the past 9 years) would be ashamed of me. Here is the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0_CkjuVfUM

Please note we did win the game (teams play 5 minutes or first team to 2 goals) 2-1. Mick Hill, who I have mentioned before, played well. Mick is English and he runs the Steaming Bean coffee shop in Telluride. He had the assist on the first goal with that great pass. Even Zach could not hold his praise back....you can hear him on the video. I should also mention that Mick was recently appointed as Coaching Director of Telluride Youth Soccer (TYS). He and I spent some time talking shop, over a beer, after indoor play. I have worked with great coaching directors in my past 10 years with the soccer club FC Greater Boston so I hope some of the things I mentioned to him will be helpful in continuing to make TYS a premier soccer club.

It was a busy day. I hope everyone is doing well and good night from Telluride.