SCARBOROUGH BEACH, Landboarded, E 10-15, Solo

Baseball- Ben had a morning Little League Game that I wanted to watch. I knew that I was missing some wind but felt that being there for the game was more important. Windsurfing- When I finally got to the beach, there were 5 kiters out, but in the time that it took me to get into my drysuit, the wind dropped off and everyone came in, or wished they had. My drysuit came right back off again. Landboard Police- Not to be daunted, I rigged a 4.2 and landboarded in the parking lot until a park ranger wheeled up to tell me that I was violating the law by using anything with wheels, without a motor, in a state park. Cars, trucks, & motorcycles O.K. Wind powered vehicles not O.K. It's just to protect others, safety first. Aunt Carrie's Sail Chi- Not to be daunted, I took my 4.2 to the beach and practiced Petra Kanz's famous, "sail chi". This was actually pretty fun. I impressed myself by completing some moves that I had never even tried before. I think I could be a pretty good windsurfer if I always did it without water. I even made my loops, all of them, no problem. Aunt Carrie's- After the excitement of dry land training wore off, I drove over to Aunt Carrie's Restaurant to check out a little-used wave sailing site. I see why it's little-used, almost no parking, rocky launch, probable wind shadow in SW. I guess it could work in NE when Scarborough is closed for the season. It didn't look like a hidden gem, although I like the way the picture of the access road came out. Baseball Gene = Windsurfing Gene- I think I see a parallel between baseball and windsurfing, something that makes it seem possible that a genetic predisposition for one could transfer to the other, like father, like son. It's this- both sports are similar in that you never know what's going to happen next. The good, the bad, and the unexpected can occur at any moment, whether it's a sudden change in wind, waves, state park laws, or a change in the path of that little ball. It can shift from disaster to euphoria and back again, in the blink of an eye. And it's the hope that perfection, (perfect wind & waves, a perfect game,) or something close, waits around the corner that keeps us coming back for more. In other words, the baseball gene and the windsurfing gene are probably the same gene. One day Ben will realize this and take to windsurfing like he has to baseball. Maybe. I'd play baseball but I'm too old for Little League, and the Red Sox haven't shown any interest yet. Baseball = Windsurfing

Mt Monadnock, Hiking with Ben

Mountain Man Natural High- This was outdoor adventure minus the speed and adrenaline of some other sports that I know and love. A beautiful, blue sky day, peaceful, very satisfying hike. Ben did great with his first mountain climb! He loves a physical challenge, and really seemed to enjoy the mountain and the vistas. We took the Spellman Trail up, reported to be the most challenging. It was very rocky, deserted, surprisingly steep, with a small meandering stream and wonderful views. White Cross Trail, going down, took about half as long as the trip up. Details- The drive was 1 hr 40 minutes, hike up took about 3 hours, going slow to take pics and explore, 1 1/2 hours going down fast. Ben wished he had his worn hiking boots instead of sneakers. 2 bike water bottles for me and the wineskin for Ben was plenty of H2o for a warm sunny day. We were 2 tired but happy hikers at the end of the day.

Nantasket Beach, Everything, ESE 5-15, solo

Inspiring? I got a comment, offline, from a windsurfing friend saying that my blog is inspiring. Really? That's probably the nicest complement I've gotten on this windsurfing/blogging stuff. It partially offsets the, "nutjob", and "sicko", comments I got last December, when I posted about ice angels forming on my sails. My friend also said something about me still doing this stuff at my ripe old age but I'm not going into that. Not inspiring- I had a few free hours today in light winds, so I scouted out a new wave venue, Nantasket. When I arrived, it had tiny waves and tiny wind. This called for my full arsenal of light wind toys. Here's how; 1; Used an old Fanatic Bat, (transition board),to kayak surf the tiny waves. 2; Ditched the kayak paddle, used the Bat to surf the tiny waves. 3; Stuck a 6.2 on the Bat and used it to surf the tiny waves. 4; Stuck the 6.2 on the landboard and gave up on the tiny waves. Poor Man's SUP; I thought I could use the Fanatic Bat as a stand up paddle board to catch some waves. I've SUP'd that board before in flat water, but it's tipsy in bumps, and kneeling and paddeling in waves isn't much fun. I'll have to try a real SUP to see if it's as good as they say. It's hard to imagine that it could live up to the hype. Nantasket, high tide The landboard was fast and fun, lots of high speed duck jibes. At mid tide, the beach was a smooth, flat runway. ESE = side on. If I had been smart enough to move down the beach, I probably could have found some onshore wind for long cruisin' runs. I had loosened up the trucks after the last session and it made it much more turny and fun, big improvement. Nantasket, mid-tide, with landboard tracks Nantasket looks like it could be pretty tasty in a good NE, E, SE swell with wind. It might get pretty big. A local big board surfer, that was leaving as I wheeled in, divulged that there are surfcams at The Red Parrot Restaurant, and N.E. surf. I took Rt. 3 to 228, 45 minute drive with light traffic. Click on pics to see full size

Chapin, landboarded / West Dennis, windsurfed. Solo, mostly light winds, temp 50

Chapin Mist

Loop Dreams- I took the winter off from loop shenanigans. I didn't want to be constantly crashing into ice water. But the mercury is climbing, the grass is thinking about turning green, and I decided it was time to renew my loftier windsurfing ambitions. So all week I watched loop videos during my nightly exercising. I visualized forward loops and practised holding onto an invisible boom while throwing my head and shoulders around in a graceful imaginary loop. I fell asleep thinking about the body mechanics of the loop and picturing myself completing them in slow motion.

The result? Light winds all weekend. Well, there was some wind. Like when I was driving to the beach. Or when I had left one beach and was driving to another. I had a short land board session at Chapin, on the sandbar at low tide, bouncing across the ripples. Then the wind came up and I left for Harding's where the wind turned out to be light again.

It didn't stop me though. I did light wind loop practise on the 5.2/carve123, in the pond at West Dennis. And I found that all the visualizing and studying helped. I was doing a better job of throwing my head back and twisting my shoulders around than usual. It helped me come around further, often keeping my head dry.

I had 1 very brief session, on the oceanside at West Dennis, when I got planing on the 5.2/ RW85 during a rain squall. It wasn't quite enough to go for a planing loop but it was fun to be moving.

Who knows when I'll get the right conditions to go for the real thing. I probably can't sail next weekend. We have busy family plans, friends wedding, etc. But I'm going to try to keep visualizing to keep my resolve alive. I have this foolishly optimistic feeling that I'm going to complete one eventually.

Bottom Pic- letting my landboard loose on miles of washboard sand at Chapin.

Chapin Beach, ENE 12-30, 6.2/Acid 94, 4.2/RW85, Juan, Peter, kiters

Sandbar Sailing- It was a good long session. Juan, me and 1 kiter stayed out after last call for the tide. After about 6 hours on the water, we had 45 minutes, (15 minutes one way x 3), of lugging equipment across 1/2 mile of sand before we could de-rig and pack up. It was a little crazy, but fun. I loved how peaceful and beautiful it was out there on the edge of the exposed bar with just a few seagulls, endless sand, and us. Our original launch spot looked like a little dot on the horizon.




ENE gripes- The ENE wind didn't seem to build up the waves like a NE does. They stayed pretty tiny, even with a good strong wind. Also, there was a wind shadow for the first few hundred yards. It made sailing inside the sandbar at mid tide too gusty/skunky. I think that the wind would have been cleaner at Mayflower. The waves probably would have been about the same.




Picture- Juan, jibe entry with speed. Most of the water in this picture was gone at low tide.

Corporation Beach, NW 10-20 building to NNW 18-28, 6.2/Acid, 5.2/RW85, a few others

Winter/Summer confusion- You know, I don't really care if the weather ever warms up for spring. If we get a few more days just like today, it will be fine with me. We had lots of sunshine, lots of wind, lots of waves, temp 37 F. O.K. my hands got cold a few times, but other than that, (and the knowledge that I was wearing my drysuit with 4 layers underneath), it felt and looked like a summer day. There was bright sunshine glistening off the water, children flying kites, families strolling along the waters edge, and plenty of picture takers and dog walkers. Never mind that it was 14 degrees F. below average for the end of March, sand was blowing horizontally down the beach, and everyone had on jackets, hats and mittens. It was glorious! So I'm going out on a limb here, being brutally honest. I would be happy if it stays frigid as long as it stays windy, especially sunny and windy. Of course, if the weather really does refuse to warm up, everyone is going to blame me for writing this.

Corporation Beach- First impression, nice launch. Much shorter walk at low tide than Mayflower. I liked launching from the end of the breakwater, easier to get out thru the waves because you're halfway there. NNW wind was almost straight onshore, port tack out, not everyone's favorite direction for this spot, or so I hear. I know that NNW is also onshore at Mayflower, but starboard out, take your pick. There was a spot, out in the middle where I was jibing sometimes, where the waves seemed a little bigger and were sorta-breaking further out, fun. The waves were still very forgiving, wind waves, not very meaty or hollow.

Dialed in- I felt great on the 5.2 with the Realwind board today. For a while, the wind got lighter and I switched to the 6.2/ Acid. I just couldn't seem to get comfortable with that rig today. When I switched back to the 5.2/RW everything felt great, even as the wind and waves built, (I could have been on a 4.2 at the end). I wish I knew what it was that sometimes makes a rig and board feel perfect and sometimes awful. Harness lines slightly off? Too much/ not enough downhaul? Color of the sail clashes with my suit? This is a question for future exploration and discovery.

Hand Warmers- I put them on the back of my hands in my Glacier Gloves. They seemed to give a hint of warmth as long as I kept my hands above the waterline. Stopping to let a little air into the gloves excited them. I had a good dunking, about halfway through my session, that spelled their end. At least they didn't fall apart like my feet warmer experiment.

Click on pics to see large.

Pic 1, Kiter flying high at Corporation.

Pic 2, Tree serving Bud Light, across from The Chapin Restaurant.

KALMUS, Windsurfed, W,WSW,WNW 10-24, 6.2/Carve 123, Solo

So-so session- Got 1 hour of solid planing on big gear, sailing out by the tip of Great Island. Then I chased gusts and practised light wind stuff for a few hours, closer in to Kalmus. The waves off of Great Island don't usually get very big, but today they were microscopic. Kalmus, looking towards Great Island Safety kit with spare fin Kalmus vs Harding's- I had planned on going to Harding's Beach to catch the west wind but found myself at Kalmus, mostly because it's a shorter drive. Lousy choice. Harding's wind was much steadier and the wind lasted all morning & afternoon according to IWindsurf meters. I think that I'm going to take Kalmus off my list of preferred locations in a straight W. Fin saver- I broke a fin, about a year ago, on the rocks around Great Island, (1 1/2 miles out), so I carried a spare mini-fin this time just in case. This mini-fin is just an old plastic fin that I cut down to fit in my safety kit. See, I'm not really as reckless and crazy as all my neighbors say. Cold Feet- This is big news. I've been using my prolimit booties, with thick neoprene liners, for the last few sessions but my feet have been cold and the booties don't seem completely impervious to the duct taping. So I switched back to my O'Neill 7 mm with my thinner sealskin socks. My feet were a little warmer, I only gave them the warm-water-in-the-cooler-bath once, and the O'Neills are tough enough for taping. I want this day to be remembered in footwear history.

THE CUT, SCATTEREE LANDING, windsurfed, NNE, 10-30+, mostly solo, 3.5,4.2/ Realwind 85, air temp upper 30's

2 Cuts- I sailed the old cut and the new cut. A local kiter, Barry, came out for a few runs at the old cut before the wind died. It went from 3.5 weather to 6.2 in a few minutes, not nice. When he packed up, I packed up too, and went to Scatteree landing to sail out to the new cut. Barry, airborn Maringue pie- The strong opposing wind and rushing tide put a cheese grater texture on the water. At the old cut, Barry complained that it was too rough to be really good for kiting. Even launching from in the harbor, at Scatteree, there were places that looked like the top of my mom's maringue pie from when I was kid. Of course, there were also places, around sandbars, that were almost as smooth as a babies butt, very nice. Wind reading- The wind had come right back up at Scatteree. My 4.2 seemed pretty big at times, even with the downhaul cranked. I think the IWindsurf meter might read low in NE wind direction. Maybe by about 10mph? I know it was more than 15-21, at 6:30, when I was tail walking my 85 liter/4.2 across the harbor. Blowing sand was another indicator of wind strength. Shred of sanity- I didn't venture out very far into the waves. I don't think they were any bigger than last weekend's waves at Deep Hole but being by myself, a half mile out or more, in the middle of nowhere, in Winter temps, in somewhat unfamiliar digs made me feel cautious. I may be nuts but I'm not crazy. Sea of blowing sand New Cut Hello and goodbye to the camps-I pulled up on the North side of the new cut to take a look at the, "camps", that are being eroded by the tidal flow through the new opening. It looks like 3 or 4 of them don't have much longer to live in this world. The house closest to the water was half full of sand, windows and doors gone. It was a beautiful spot, wild as nature can be, with the wind howling, storm waves crashing, and the water racing through the new cut like a swollen river. The amount of water being pushed past the sandy point, where I stood, was amazing. Backlash- Friends of ours recently had their family camp, "The Backlash", demolished and removed from here before the ocean could turn it into litter. I can imagine how sad that must have been for them to lose that special place. End of, "The Backlash" Thanks to Jim A. for the 2 bottom pictures.

More Deep Hole Pictures

Thanks to Carl T for sending these pictures of the carnage at Deep Hole on Sunday. The top 2 pics are pre-mast-breakage, bottom 2 pics after.

Heading out during a set

Don't Worry, Be Happy

In the washing machine, extra soap

DEEP HOLE & REFUGE HARBOR, windsurfed, W, 15-40, 4.2, 5.2/ RW 85, Solo, Air Temp 35-42

I jinxed myself! This is an email I sent to a friend before I went windsurfing-

"Yeah, I don’t think I would go in without a good drysuit, especially with the west wind at Deep Hole. I figure that I need to be able to stay warm for about a 1/2 hour to an hour in the water if I have a problem and get blown away from the point. Lots of people say they’ve washed up on East Matunuck Beach for one reason or another. It’s probably just a matter of time until that happens to me."

This is what happened, on my second run-

From on top of the rock wall, looking back towards Deep Hole

A wave snapped my mast and I got washed away from the point. I didn't go all the way to East Matunuck Beach. I came ashore in the middle of the rock wall. It wasn't a very user friendly landing but it worked-

The base of the rock wall, nice landing

I got a ride back to the truck from a kayak surfer, Carl, that I had been chatting with in the parking lot before I took my long swim. Thanks for letting me in your new car, saltwater and all, (I sat on a dog blanket)!

After that I didn't want to risk damaging another rig, or anything else, so I packed up and went inside Refuge Harbor. I launched from Camp Cronin Fishing Area, near the lighthouse, and sailed upwind to the edge of a gentle, south-swell break that those-in-the-know call K59. I think it's closer to get there by sailing down from Roger Wheeler Park but I took a wrong turn, ended up at the lighthouse, and decided that I would be different, sail upwind instead of down.

Deep Hole Wave

How did this happen? Mast breakage I mean, besides the fact that I jinxed myself with my prophetic email. I was hit by a big, meaty wave when I was down in the water. I thought that I was outside the break so I was taking my sweet time, resting, thinking about how good it is to be alive, floating in waterstart position. Then this unfriendly wave jacked up, out of nowhere, with my mast's name written all over it. The swim/paddle in took about 30 minutes I guess. I actually made it in to the point, at first, but the current swept me off into the hole before I was shallow enough to get some traction. At least I learned that my drysuit will keep me toasty for a leisurely late-winter swim.

Waves- The waves were the biggest I've seen here for a west wind, (sideshore). The strong south wind overnight, (30-40 mph), and morning high tide created some big sets. Mitch said the buoy reports were 8 to 10 ft. From what I hear, they really died down at Deep Hole as the tide went out, although they stayed big at the lighthouse until dark.




Picture- Unknown surfer
at the lighthouse.

Sunset surfer at Pt. Judith lighthouse

click on pictures to see large.

This could be good!

NWS- COASTAL WATERS FROM MONTAUK NY TO BLOCK ISLAND RI TO MARTHASVINEYARD MA TO NANTUCKET MA SOUTHEAST TO 20 NM-346 PM EST SAT MAR 8 2008...

STORM WARNING IN EFFECT

SUNDAY...WINDS 30 TO 40 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 KT... DIMINISHING TO 25 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 KT IN THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SEAS 11 TO 16 FT...SUBSIDING TO 9 TO 12 FT IN THE AFTERNOON.

My skiis are in the attic and the boards are in the truck. I'm ready to get back on soft water. I hope Deep Hole is friendly!

Vail ski week 2/16-2/23, with Barbara, Josh, Ben, Ruth, Mike A.

Back Bowls Vail- had record setting snowfall in Dec/Jan. Unfortunately, our week set a record for the least amount of snowy days this season. Still, we had excellent skiing. After all, it's still Vail. New Snow & Blue Sky- The week started and ended with 5" of new snow. Not really deep powder skiing but enough to lay down new tracks in virgin snow and keep things soft in most places. And the snowless days were mostly sunny, good for visibility and photos. All the instructors were commenting on how great it was to see blue sky for a change! Highline Sunrise Steep & Deep- In Blue Sky Basin. This was my favorite run of the week! Mike and I split off from our little posse to do this one. The snow was fantastic, big round moguls, steep pitch, enough space between the trees to make my turns. I felt like a skier going down this run. Picture- Mike contemplating. Prima Cornice- On the frontside. Both Josh and Ben did this run in ski school. Josh told me it was steep with big moguls. That sounded like fun. He didn't mention that they always enter through the second gate. Mike and I went in the first. From near the top it looked pretty extreme and I was ready to turn around, but Mike thought it looked like, "Steep and Deep". It wasn't. It was much tighter between the trees, not much room to turn. How do trees grow on something this steep? It was unnerving just trying to find a perch to rest on up there. It was clear that catching an edge meant that there was nothing to break a fall, straight down, but the trees. It got a little better as we went down and to the left, and at about halfway we came out to a more open area, steep but with big moguls. Mike commented, "it looks like a beginners run!" This part was soft, snowy, really nice. I loved the second half but it wasn't worth the first half. Next time we'll know- take the second gate. Tragedy- Ruth, at 85, is always an inspiration to us youngsters. We all hope that we'll still be pursuing our beloved sports when we're her age. We also hope that she can keep skiing, for as long as she wants, into maturity. That's why it was particularly upsetting when she got hit by an out of control girl in the back bowls. I didn't see the crash but I saw the two sprawled skiers making the long slide to the bottom of a steep pitch. My heart was in my throat when the snow cleared and I recognized the colors of Ruth's jacket. It took her a long time to get up but she was able to ski down to the lift and ride up out of the bowls before the pain really set in. The ski patrol gave her a toboggan ride down to the hospital where she was told that she had a fractured upper arm. We were all extremely sad to see her catch a flight home the next morning, her arm in a sling. The good news is that the fracture should heal very well, better than a soft tissue injury. We are sending her lots of love and healing wishes. Click on small pictures to see full size.

Deep Hole Directions & Details

Deep Hole, Low Tide, Looking South, Launch Area

Launch- If it's your first time sailing here you should ask others about the best place to launch through the rocks. At low tide it's easier to see the layout. The rocky land sticks out to the right and to the left with a deeper place in the middle where most people launch. Starting in the middle in waist deep water is usually fine at any tide. This is where you'll be if you walk straight down from the left end of the parking lot. When sailing back in don't sail in too far on the right side, (west), of the launch. There are a few larger rocks there that may be near the surface in waist to chest deep water. The left side, (east), and the middle are mostly small rocks, relatively safe to sail in shallow.

Deep Hole, Near High Tide, Looking South, Launch Area

Boring Details- Booties are a must for walking across the rocks. Best waves are at high tide and incoming tide. Any south direction will build up waves. S & SE are reported to build the nicest swells. SW builds wind waves, although they can still get big. W is sideshore, great for waveriding but you need left over waves from the SW, S, or SE. NW to NE are very gusty, offshore, not recommended. S, SW, W are starboard tack heading out.

Deep Hole, Near High Tide, Looking East, Point Break, Good Sailing

Hazards- Rocks, waves, and it's easy to get blown downwind away from the point. People and equipment have been hurt here. Waves are often small to medium but can get mast high. It can be hard to get out in S, SW, (onshore wind), when the waves are medium to big. It can be very choppy on the outside in strong winds. If you blow downwind you can make it to a beach and walk back but you may need to avoid the rock wall, if waves are reaching it. You can sail downwind of the point, to the east, (in SW or W), to take a break from the waves, as long as you have enough power to sail upwind to get back. That's where the actual deep hole is.

Deep Hole, Near High Tide, Looking West, Don't Launch Here

Directions- In Massachusettes take Rt. 95 south into R.I. Go thru Providence, take Rt 4 south, (left side exit). Rt 4 turns into Rt 1. Follow Rt. 1 past Pt. Judith and East Matunuck State Beach, take exit for Matunuck Beach Rd., (left side exit), this will put you on Rt. 1 north briefly, then take right side exit for Matunuck Beach Rd. The road goes to the ocean and then turns left to follow the beach. When the paved road takes a sharp left away from the water, continue straight towards dirt Rd, (still Matunuck Beach Rd). A small dirt parking lot will be on the right with a small sign saying Deep Hole Fishing Area. Park at the far end of the lot. 1 1/2 hour drive from Boston area.

Deep Hole, Matunuck

Deep Hole, Windsurfed, W, SSW, WSW, 20-54?, Mitch, Blake, Steve, 4.2 & 3.5/RW 85, 42-38 air temp. 41 water temp.

Stress cleaner- I had a stressful week. Is there anything more humbling than being the parent of a teenager? I know, I know, being the parent of two teenagers. I'll find out about that in a few years. Anyway, my urge to sail was pretty high on the Want-O-Meter because I had this frustration and angst to clean out. So I made the best of less-than-best conditions. It did the trick. I came home smiling.


Conditions- It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon with three of us out on small boards and sails having a good time, not bothering anyone. Then, before we knew it, some black, streaky clouds appeared on the horizon, like an ugly frown. As the clouds approached the wind notched up into the, "oh *****", range, chasing everyone out of the pool, (IWindsurf showed gusts over 50 but who knows). We got course sand blowing down the beach, heavy snow blowing sideways, and side-off wind. Then the clouds passed, the wind shifted back, and dropped off until the next band of clouds appeared on the horizon and it started to build again, to be repeated several times to varying degrees. I was mostly overpowered, underpowered, or sitting on the beach waiting for the perfect moment in the build/diminish cycle. I got a few perfect moments, like below, but they were fleeting. My guess is that only someone who really, really needed a windsurfing session would have enjoyed this day.

A jump to remember- As I drove home I found myself dwelling on one particular jump. It was a little different from most of my jumps. I was slightly overpowered on the 4.2, dead sideshore wind in the 30-40 MPH range. I hit a good wave as it crested, and went for it. When I leveled out, at the top of the jump, I felt myself drifting sideways, pushed by the wind, while still moving forward. I've felt a little sideways drift before but never as much as this. I felt like a feather in a gale. It made me very aware of the power of the wind under the board. It was a little scary but fascinating, and fun. I'm sure it increased my hang time. I completed my arc, landed O.K., and came away thinking about that flying, drifting feeling. I'd like some more of that please. I think that one jump was probably worth the price of admission.

Top picture- The calm after the squall.
Mid Picture- Mitch. "Where did the wind go"?
Bottom picture- Mitch. Nukin' wake!

Sunday River Ski Weekend, Barbara, Josh, Ben, Al, Lee, Anna

Here's a good joke- We get an incredible forecast for windsurfing for early February, (50 air temp, sunny, SW gale, weekend), and where am I? At Sunday River, where most of the mountain is shut down due to the high winds. This caused the 2 or 3 lower lifts that were open to get clogged with skiiers from the rest of the planet. And we were skiing on crust from an overnight snow that turned to sleet. While I was standing in the endless lift lines I had plenty of time to try to appreciate the humor of the situation. Very funny. If there is an omnipotent being that peers down on us mortals from the clouds, she was having a good laugh at my expense.

Skiing faster than the speed of light- The skiing got better after that and I was able to put windsurfing out of my mind. They opened most of the lifts in the afternoon, on Saturday, and the crust got skiied off quickly, revealing a sparkeling new snow underneath. Everyone in our group had given up on skiing except Al, Josh, and me, so Al took us around the mountain at a full clip trying to make up for lost time. His full speed is just about as fast as the skiis will go. The slopes seemed a little blurry at that speed in the flat light. Luckily, my skiis knew what to do. Barbara, Lee and Anna went snowshoeing, which they report is much more demanding than the wimpy skiing that we were doing.

The good and the bad- Sunday was a fine ski day. Lots of glades were open, making Al very excited and keeping Josh from being a bored teenager. Anna tussled with a tree and went back to the house to ice and elevate her knee. We stopped a little early so we could get back for the Superbowl. My two high points of the trip: Saturday evening in the outdoor hot tub with Al, Ben, and the Beatles, leaned back and looking up at the stars; Trying out an extra pair of skiis, much wider and more shaped than mine, that just felt great. Al & Lee were wonderful hosts, as always. Josh drove the whole way home, his first driving on a highway trip.


Top picture- Josh in full ski regalia.
Bottom picture- Al doing what he loves best.