Recharging in SF

It's always bitter sweet heading home from any trip, but for some reason the bitter feeling quickly disappears on approach to SFO. It really is such an amazing place we get to live.

I'm only in The City for two days this go around, but was able to take advantage of some of the great things in the area – Bakesale Betty's with Dave yesterday for one of the best sando's around, caught a little culture at The Fox last night with the Local Natives & Kristin, got out for a nice morning hike in Marin today with Kate, and rounded it out with some great Mexican today in the Mission with Mike & Barrett – check, check, check, check.

Heading to Tahoe this evening, a quick N. Cal fishing trip with the pops early next week, then packing up to fly North to Canada for a few days. Fingers crossed for a Swiss repeat in the snow category...

Kate enjoying the views on an incredibly clear day in Marin

View of Mt Tam from the Yoland Trail above Phoenix Lake

Exceptional scenery down in Hidden Meadow

Zermatt ‘Bound & Found

Friday, we hopped The Glacier Express, mid-day, from Andermatt to Zermatt – leaving Andermatt in some snow flurries. The train route is proclaimed as one of  of the top scenic train rides in the world, so we were hoping for some clear weather. As luck would have it, we found blue skies when we popped out of the Furka tunnel, 15 minutes or so after we boarded. For the next three hours we chugged through alpine canyons and past snow covered peaks, viewing the picturesque scenery through the ceiling windows all the way to Zermatt. Prior to pulling into our stop we were afforded a quick glimpse of the Matterhorn, the same peak we'd be skiing around the next day. Aron & I loaded up on supplies prior to departure and enjoyed champagne, local cheeses, meats & chocolate during the three hour train tour... it's a good thing we've been getting frequent ski exercise on this trip...

The ski towns we’ve spent time in up to this point were quite sleepy and tame (in a great way), which led to some culture shock when we disembarked in Zermatt – it felt like Grand Central Station in comparison to where we'd been. The town of Zermatt is the ultimate ski town – I liken it to Vail – very busy, fancy and expensive, but also very beautiful. The town sits directly under The Matterhorn, which we are lucky enough to have a stunning view of right from our hotel balcony. It is quite a sight under a near full moon and then again at first light – really at any moment of the day.

Zermatt is also like no other ski resort in the US – it is a gigantic, mega-resort with an amazing network of lifts and miles, and miles of runs. I think we counted more than nine trams and eight gondolas in addition to an unimaginable number of lifts. You might only get four or five runs in a day because they are so involved and long.

On our first day, we took maybe five legs of gondolas and cable cars to the top, then skied down into Italy for cappuccinos and a fantastic pasta lunch (may take best meal status for the trip). The terrain was quite tame, so we traveled back towards the East side of the resort, traversing directly under the towering Matterhorn. The day was coming to an end, but we were able to do a little recon for some good skiing on our final ski day here in Switzerland.

The recon paid off in full today with a surprisingly ripping day of hidden powder gem after gem. It’s just amazing how much terrain is here if you’re willing to poke a bit further and look around that next corner.

Aron & I wrapped our Swiss skiing up with another amazing day, we feel very lucky as we both agree, we absolutely scored here in Switzerland. Every day was great in it’s own right, and all were so different from the other. The trip will no doubt go down as one of the best, and we’re sad to start packing as we make moves towards Cali tomorrow afternoon.

All aboard – our three hour train ride from Andermatt to Zermatt

Some Glacier Express essentials

Enjoying the views after the sun breaks

More Glacier Express essentials

One of our early views of The Matterhorn – moonlit & taken from our balcony

Early AM light on the Matterhorn – just majestic

Lunch trip to Italy

Cappuccinos on the deck – backside of The Matterhorn in the background

Amazing carbonara pasta for our slopes-side lunch

On our ski back to Switzerland, literally just below The Matterhorn

Aron laying it down with some stunning background views

We definitely found some goods in Zermatt – me finding some fresh almost a week after the last storm

Big smiles as the trip starts to wind down

Just can't get enough of this peak – great shot, Aron

Andermatt Adoration

We’ve just wrapped up our third and final day of skiing here in Andermatt, and quite honestly I’m having trouble finding the words to describe how amazing our experience has been here. We scored big with the snow – the lift access terrain is unmatched from my experience – and the people we’ve met and spent time with have made it a very special few days.

Yesterday we linked up early AM with the Cali guys and slipped off to the East for a pretty amazing alpine ski experience landing in a neighboring town around lunchtime. We caught the train back to Andermatt, ate at our hotel then Aron and I got back out for a pretty epic session at Andermatt finding powder-stash after powder-stash, skiing steep, technical lines and finding a drop or two to throw our bodies off. The day culminated with a repeat ski off the back, down to the West, 4,500’ to the bar. We skated out of the valley in to town at sunset as the moon rose behind us. An epic day by any standards.

In the evening we synched up with our new Sweedish friends, Anna & Klas, and made plans for a backcountry tour today. This tour is where my inability for words really kicks in. Touring in the alps is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. Huge untouched faces as far as the eyes can see, and the most spectacular sweeping views of jagged peak after jagged peak. These are truly some of the most gorgeous mountains in the world.

We rode the Gemsstock cable cars to the summit and ducked off the backside, South into the wilderness. The ascents weren’t too tiring, but the second was up a very steep chute, pretty wild to say the least. Total descent to town was likely near 5k’, and the descent off the highest peak was easily 2,500’, untouched, buttery pow.

The people we’ve met here have shown us just how special this place is, and I have no doubt that I will aim to get back here as regularly as possible.

We will definitely have trouble boarding The Glacier Express tomorrow and leaving what I think is one of the most perfect ski zones I’ve experienced. Andematt adoration is perhaps putting it lightly.

Gemsstock tram to the top of Andermatt

Starting to find some pretty steep stuff here in Andematt

Steep stuff with some fun drops

Aron sending it

Me lined up to take off – lots of snow moving around

Safe & Sound & on my feet in the run out – pretty cool cascade of snow pouring off the drop

Good planning means beers-cheers on the skate out the valley

Moon's coming up as the sun's going down

Scheming the next day's plans over beers with Klas & Anna

View of the terrain we are headed out to – we'll head up and over the second saddle on the far upper right, then tour up to the high peak just right of center in the very top to ski down and all the way left out of frame

Sometimes you've got to work for your turns – touring up on the first ascent

Banged out a few turns with some big smiles – Klas and Anna with me

On our way back out the valley

Some big smiling faces during an epic Swiss Alp tour

A view back up the main run we skied – the peak 1/4 to the right of center at the top

  

Amazing hut where we stopped for lunch

Boz approaching as I'm enjoying my lunch

Getting kooky in the Alps

Approaching town out the valley – low fog has been hanging there all day

What starts with beers, ends with beers

Best Day Ever?

Well, that’s hard to qualify, but today was pretty much all-time. As far as ski days go, conservatively, top 20 – but with a better memory, possibly top 10.

We arrived in Andermatt yesterday and checked in with Dan, owner of Birdos skis here in town – friend of a friend of a friend of a… He marked up a map for us, tons of great places to check out. All looked good, but in my mind it wasn’t nearly as rad as reality, given we arrived in a complete whiteout. Turns out, this place is just sick. So sick that I don’t even want to blog about Andermatt. It’s like a secret little surf spot that you don’t want to share. Stop reading now...

Aron & I got up the tram in super socked in, shitty visibility and initially I was not expecting much out of the day. But the stars aligned and a crew of Cali guys noticed a sticker and ski strap on my gear and chatted us up. "Dude, are you a Tahoe bro?," said they. Meeting these types of people abroad is always fun, but you just never know if ability and objectives will line up. These guys were not only super nice, but just ripping skiers who are on their third, consecutive annual  trip to the area. They were nice enough to let us follow them for a run, then another, then the day. They had the place pretty dialed and knew were to find the goods. Snow quality was a surprise to us all. It may have just been a dusting at the base of 4,700’, but was a solid foot or so up in the zone at 9,700’. Snow quality was all time, and terrain was all time-er.

Steep chute’s, blower pow, and great people. In addition to the Cali crew, we were lucky enough to hook up with a group of Sweeds that we met at our first bar night out in Engelberg. These guys could ski, and knew the area well. It was a day of sharing epic runs with good folks, high fives, huge smiles, and ultimately bro hugs. The day was punctuated by a 4,500’ decent off the back of the resort – skiing to beers in the amazing village of Andermatt. I even scared myself today – just an epic time.

Best day ever? Who knows. But it was definitely a high point of this trip, and season, and likely a memorable experience for both Boz and myself (Boz confirms).

Special thanks to the Cali crew (Kurt, Danny, Brad & Ben) as well as the Sweeds (Klas, Bjorn and dudes) – epic day all around.

Looking forward to another day in Andermatt.

Walk to Gemsstock Tram in the AM – excited but expectations are not super high

Tram to where? – Vis is not ideal

Happy campers

Suns out guns out – weather broke and the crew heads for the back side

Final gear check before the descent

The third arm of a gnarly approach

A Boz-eyed view – definitely looks good from there, Boz

I didn't cross a single track – fired up

Boz absolutely laying it down heading into the 1,000' couloir on the 4,500' backside run

A bit of a haul out from the backside, but town appears below

Mandatory, celebratory beers

Cali crew (Kurt, Danny, Brad, Ben) with Boz 

Even the views from the bar are all time