Kicking off the Winter Season 07-08

Got the first 2 days on the snow under my belt. Ski Patrol this past Wed. & Thur.. Worked with new ski patrol candidates. Great to be on the hill. All the snow was machine made, but it works out fine. The new candidates need 2 months of on-the-hill training, so it will keep me busy working with that program.

Big storm on the way this week-end,6-10 inches of snow. We'll see, maybe some good snowboarding this next week.

The other part, 2 weeks of vacation, starting today. I'll be in the mountains with-in the next week. There is work to do on the snowmobiles, mount up a second snowboard rack on the 700 RMK. And gear both sleds up for the backcountry. I want to post some pictures this week on the snowmobile set up and our gear.

A Trip From The Past: MT. HOOD, OREGON (summer of 2006)

Gunnar.

Weez

Glacier, Weez, Gunnar

Gunnar checking for crevasses. This was a great trip, hiking up Mt. Hood in the morning with Gunnar the dog. Snowboarding down. Grabbing lunch, then mountain biking or 4-wheeling in the afternoon and evening. This trip was in the month of August, 2006.

Yours Truly

A little snack before the snowboard back down after the hike up.

Turkey Day

I did the turkey trot in the morning, about 2 hours. On the mountain bike, at the Lebenon trails. It was great outside, 20 degrees and snowing. Riding with Jeff and trying to keep Jeff in site on the trails. One of the times he waited up for me, he said," you better be riding as fast as you can, I think we could bring granny along next year to ride with ya". What exactly do you think he meant by that?

It used to be the Thanksgiving day pheasant hunt, but we can get out and back earlier on a bike ride. There's alot less shooting on a bike ride. If we see a pheasant on the ride we just scare him, kind'a like when Jeff shoots at him come to think about it. Actually I have seen him hit one before.

Later in the day I got to see new grandson, Max. Chad came into town with his gang, 3 boys at last count.

Lastly, it's snowing out west in Colorado and Montana. Two weeks till I blast out there with the sleds and snowboards. Somehow I've still got 2 week of vacation left before the 1st of the year. Powder, YA!! Been jumping up & down and doing plyometrics. Thats for the big mountain boarding. Also working on lifting 100 lb barbells. To get used to lifting the back-end of the sleds when we get them stuck in all that great POWDER SNOW.

RECAPING THE 2007 MTB ADVENTURE

Owen at Mt. Snow Vermont

Quebec, Canada

Banner Elk, North Carolina

Park City, Utah

Snowmass, Colorado

Austria

Sea Otter, California

Belgium

Belgium

Yours Truly in Germany.

Howdy,

Gittin back on the air here. The mountain biking summer of "07" was a blur with travel from California to eastern Austria. Jeff competed in World Cup races, National races and in the midwest region.

I managed Jeff Hall's racing adventure and wrenched on his Salsa bikes. Also coordinated our travel and drove the hell out of many rental SUVs. We covered many miles in the air and on the ground, pursuing those valuable UCI points.

Started the season April 1,07 in Phoenix, Arizona, skipped a week, then a string of 5 races in 5 weeks, California, Belgium, back to California for 2 weeks in a row, then the UCI race at Maplelag, Minnesota. Skipped 1 week, then another stretch From May 27,07 - June 24,07 (5 week-ends), we raced in Germany, twice in Austria, Park City, Utah and Quebec, Canada.

To explain the UCI points. In 1 sentence. A racer earns UCI points at select races around the world, with which he or she is, there by ranked in the world standings. If somebody else wants to explain it more explicitly, be my guest.

I have many pictures and stories from our adventures. I will post some over the next few weeks. Also check out www.jeffhallmtb.blogspot.com for the 2007 race schedule recap, race by race. It is on my links, under Jeff Hall Mountainbiking. These are some of the photos, both racing and just about being on the road.

Mike