The Great Outdoors

Ever since the season ended we have had the most amazing weather over here, and we have certainly been taking advantage of it!  We decided to go on a little two day ski trip to Solden with the Bartlett's.       I had been dying to teach Meg to ski all season so I finally got my wish!  

Here are some pictures of us heading to the top before we started skiing...all smiles.  Which quickly faded.  

When we realized that Solden wasn't the best place to learn to ski.  The first hint should have been the fact that we had to take a gondola up for the first run.  We thought we had mapped out a good first run that would lead us to a t-bar on a bunny hill.  So we figured if we just make it down to there we would be fine.  

Not so much.  The way down was icy and had a couple good pitches and was no place for a first timer.  We did everything we could to make it to that bunny hill; piggyback and ski down, butt slide, and hiking down.  We finally made it to the t-bar only to discover that there was no bunny hill.  Huge whoops. But Meg was a trooper and after two hours we finally made it to the beginner slopes!

  I have never taught someone how to ski so it was a challenge trying to recall what my dad use to say to me, but by the end of the day she could make it all the way down!  Huge props to Meg because she took some pretty hard diggers and still wanted to ski the next day!

Of çourse we finished up the day with some après on the slopes and then we headed to our favorite 

spot the Grizzly.

The next day Craig, Mike, and I headed to the glacier runs.  I can't even describe how gorgeous it was up there, it really did feel like you were in heaven.  

 

There are three major site points in Solden,  and this one was my favorite.  A little nerve racking walking out there but it was worth it.

 

First time ever seeing a midway continuous gondola

See I told you this place was heaven!!!!

Craig had his first major fall of the season (not counting the huge digger he took in the lodge with his ski boots on) thank god he wasnt hurt!

We skied till the place closed, so by the last day we were dead.   It was an amazing two days of skiing!

We did a full day of  skating and skiing up in Seefeld with the whole gang.  I was a little rusty on the ice and laid myself out a couple times.  I am still a little bruised.  

Seefeld had an unbelievable view at the top.  I rode my first single chairlift, built in 1950 its the oldest running chairlift in Europe. 

Craig made a new friend! 

We also went up to Axamer Lizum the resort I had a seasons pass to for a full day of skiing.  It was 

by far the best day of skiing we have had together.  The sun was out but the snow was still hard, and we stayed out there for 6 hours. Sometimes I can't even recognize Craig skiing down anymore because he has improved so much since our first time.  He's carving and I really don't have to wait for him to catch up anymore.  The best part is is that he loves it, maybe even more then I do! 

My favorite day since the season ended was when we went rodeln together.  We went to Oberperfuss and took the gondola up at the Rangerkoppfl and then hiked for 90 minutes up the trail, it was steep and icy and i was getting a little worried that we were going to sled down this thing.  We stopped at the midway skinlodge for a beverage and some lunch. 

 You can see the entire city of Innsbruck from up there.  We actually came up here in the fall, if you read that entry it was the hike with the talking trees.  It was time to make our way down and I was a little nervous because Craig had never been so he didn't know how fast these things can go.

He started out and was like a bat out of hell, completely griswald style out of control.  I could hear him laughing from a mile away, and finally caught up to him on the first hairpin where he bailed.  

There is a really sketchy part of the run where the rodeln trail runs across the ski trail, Craig was stopped letting skiers cross and I come down Mach 90 yelling I can't stop I can't stop and had a minor collision with the back of his sled.  

 I also had some issues with stopping at the bottom, Craig had to get off his sled and physically stop me from going straight into the parking lot.

  It was an absolute blast, I am even more of a fan of this sport now.  If you ever visit Austria please put it on your things to do list. 

Martha:

Since we have been traveling so much or spending long days outside I havent been to busy in the kitchen, but I have cooked up a few good meals.  We had black beans for the first time and I had to cook them from raw beans which was not an easy task.  I tried a boil and a quick soak (4 hours) and they still werent cooked so they were a little al dente with some marinated chicken, onions, and quinoa.

 I made some guacamole for the Bartlett's going away dinner (we miss our traveling buddies).  I also attempted to make goulash, not sure what went wrong but it definitely wasnt goulash but it was still really good.  I called it a Stoup because it was half stew have soup.

“...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” Julia Child 

failed zucchini 

Okay I need to stop typing now I am getting car sick!  We are headed to Prague for two nights and then to Munich for our last vacation from a vacation.  I am so excited!!!!!!  Hopefully ill post one more blog when I get home on Wednesday with some pictures of the trip. Yes, we are going home on Tuesday...I am excited to see everyone that I miss so much but mannnnn am I going to miss this place so much.  Have a great weekend...see some of you SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!