GO EAST, YOUNG MAN-A short essay comparing the lift accessed back country skiing in the Rockies and the Alps. The North American resorts have better snow quality, because they are higher, while the Alps have longer runs, more vertical, and a lower tree line, all of which are advantageous to good back country skiing. The Alps also have a more clear cut and open philosophy regarding the legality of lift accessed back country skiing. Ultimately, however, it comes to the fact that the bigger areas and larger number of ski areas in the Alps give central Europe its biggest advantage over North America. The bottom line is that the Alps has enough supply to meet the demand, and that is where they win out over the Rockies.

STRANGE WAY TO TRAVEL-In traveling to over 30 different countries to ski, one is bound to have come across some odd and unusual forms of uphill transport, and I have. Some of them have merely been so decrepit and antiquated that they were on the verge of collapse, others have been bizarre and entertaining, and one or two have had the makings of a scary amusement park attraction. In many cases, for various sundry reasons, the risks often seemed greater on the way up than the journey back down. Whether it is the simple stools on the Japanese single chairs which have no side rails, the bizarre “va et vient” lift in Portillo, or a Russian built button lift in Kyrghyzstan which lifts you off the ground, you can read about it and see it in this article.

THE JOY OF SKIING-an essay about my long time love affair with skiing, discussing the various elements that I enjoy. These include the freedom, the sensation of skiing powder, the exhilaration of speed, and the feeling of mastering a mountain. But perhaps, most importantly, it includes my communion with nature, an intricate part of the ski experience that is critical to back country skiers.