45 days and 1006 KM

I did it! I put over 1000 KM on my snowboard this season. 90 KM in the last week! The surprise snow on April 1 really helped.

I kept track of my kilometerage on www.skiline.cc. I actually think I might have found a glitch in the system (according to computer nerd Jason) because instead of showing up as 1000 KM it started over, and shows me as 1.006 KM. I Y2K'd the thing!


The question I have to ask myself is, "What now?" I have traded my snowboarding boots for my bike and hiking boots. The picture above is of the Schmittenhöhe from the mountain across the lake, which I decided to climb yesterday. I was not in Austria on the 18th of April, the last day of my pass, to see what exactly the slope conditions were at the season end, but as you can see from the picture above the snow is almost gone.

My hike yesterday was about 3.5 hours/10 KM long with about 600 meter change in altitude. I know I do not like trading in the downhill boarding for the uphill climbing, but it is a different way to appreciate the mountains I guess. I hiked number 89 and part of 84 above Thumersbach. I found a few waterfalls that were very worthy of a sit-down, but I resisted.

Because it is the low season, the Alms are not yet operating during the weeks. There is a romantic concept of an Almsommer, spending summers in the Alps in an Alm, and until I went to this open-air museum in Salzburg, I was a bit unclear on the purpose they served. Apparently they were not just built as a place for hikers to get beers, but were the summer residence of the farmer, or worker from a farm, while tending the cows in the summer months.

From this side of the mountains there is a lovely view of the Gletscher.

Austria's Idea of April Fools

So I have been going on and on about slush, and we have been experiencing some serious spring weather these last weeks that has melted my beloved snow. So after all this beautiful spring weather, April 1st rolls around and Austria gives us the big, "APRIL FOOLS! It's not really spring yet!!" and drops the temp and about 2 feet of snow.

HOORAY! Granted I am probably the only person who feels like that, I know now it is getting late enough in the season where you have to get up early to take advantage of what Mothernature has gifted us!

Here are some early photos to give you an idea what it is like to be one of the first ones on the mountain!




I should really change up the pose shouldn't I?

Skiing the Gletscher: Kitzsteinhorn

As I am sure I have whined about this before, "winter" here runs from October through April, so finding something to do here other than skiing can be somewhat of a challenge.

Considering how slushy the snow has been on home mountain Schmittenhöhe, I suggested to Jason we go do some glacier skiing. The Kitzsteinhorn is less than 10 KM away and it gets fresh powder every night!

Jason and I get the "we live here" discount too, so it is not too terribly expensive.

Before hitting the slopes, we went to the top observatory deck. Here is a different view of Zell am See, framed by clouds.


The skiing was OK. Yes, there was fresh powder, but there were also a whole lot of tourists. The past few days on the Schmittenhöhe had been relatively tourist-free, which surprised me because Zell am See seems to be alive with guests. Evidentially they were all just coming to the Kitzsteinhorn. Sometimes when it is too crowded it is hard to enjoy yourselves because you have to be such a defensive skier/boarder.

The slopes are all above the tree line so you can see everything. I got a little excited by all the challenging rodeos (ungroomed marked trails, for more advanced riders), but not sure Jason enjoyed them as much... the quality of snow and the terrain made for some challenging riding. Here Jason is coming out of the bowl in the background (that nearly killed us).

What is interesting is that the actual slopes are very high up, higher then the top of the Schmittenhöhe, so between 2000-3200 meters.

There is also no way down to the parking lot, which means the slopes all start closing as early 3:45 so that people can get shuttled down to the parking lot via one of the 3 main lifts before 4:30. Since everyone feels like they need to make that last lift, it can get kinda sciencefairriffic.

Also, there is only one slope down to catch the final lift that takes you to the parking lot. No matter how good/bad people are, EVERYONE starts stampede-skiing it at 4:00. By this point of the season the run is literally a sheet of ice. Now add a million inexperienced, over confident and unaware skiers and you have challenge.

Still, it was a nice change of scenery and a good break from the snow-cone spring conditions I have been putting up with. It was really fun to shred some new territory and get a final taste of real snow before summer hits!

Yay! YAY! Yay! YAY! Yay! yay! YAH!!!!!!!!!!

While everyone is wishing for spring I want winter to stay forever. I am working on putting 1000KM on my snowboard this season and I cannot do it without the snow!

300 KM downhill and counting....

The mountain is my new best friend. It's name is the Schmittenhöhe. Here is where I spend most of my day.


Above the clouds it is quiet and peaceful.


The mountain doesn't argue, it just listens.


It is a reminder that there are things much bigger then me and that everything is in God's hands.

And I'm Back......

And guess who is so happy??

So after 2 years of non-stop studying I am taking a break to embrace my destiny which is to snowboard and take advantage of Kasleberkas mit Gurken und Senf (see goodness below).



Das Nic PhD came over for a quick weekend of ski and apres ski.



I was home less than a day before I we were on the Schmittenhöhe. Beautiful weather and snow!