Day one training race

After meeting for breakfast at 6:30am (that means getting up at 6), we head off to LL and crawl up to the timing hut (in the dark).  

Today, was the first training day.  It went really well for us and we really got to test out the new radar equipment which was a solid success.  This technology, which we are pioneering, makes getting speeds much more reliable.  We are using 2 of them on the race course, both of which you should be able to see on the live show on CBC on Saturday.  

In the 2  pictures I have attached, one looks a little dark, and that is on purpose.  What it is really showing is that our very sensitive timing finish eye is having to look right at the Sun.  Amazingly, it worked fine, but nothing I would recommend to anyone.  

Bodie Millar won the training run (not that that is really anything to call home about).

I got back to the Chateau a little later than usual, only to meet up with the boys in one of the rooms.  Coop is attempting to fly his little Walkera 4#3B helicopter with some success.  It seems with the more rum he has, the better he is at it.  Not that there hasn't been a few crashes (including him dumping the ice bucket).  Now, this is a bad thing, as the humidity in the rooms is about 1% (maybe I'm exaggerating)... but it is very very dry.  The ice/water on the carpet can only help.

(As for the pictures, I will upload them in the morning when we get some reasonable internet back... at this time of the evening, it is just not usuable).

Tuesday (yes, it is only Tuesday)

I'm finding out that the internet here is just not what we are used to back home.  Then again, I guess I should be just enjoying the wonderful outside world!

So, moving on, yesterday and today was all about getting all the timing toys hooked up.  It does take a significant amount of effort to ensure that all the start devices, display boards, headset lines and even the finish line set just right.  

We had not been able to get to the start until this morning (we usually get up there on day one).  It just wasn't worth the trip to the top and then to have to ski down some trails that don't have the best snow cover on them.  From what I hear, other than the race track, which looks pretty good, there is only one other trail to ski to get back to the bottom.  

Today, we had the pleasure of getting the finish line hooked up and adjusted in the dark.  The sun had long set and we were just working with headlamps to get it done.  

Tomorrow is the first training run.  We are all set to go with the exception of hooking up one display board in coaches corner.  

The funniest part of the day?  Have a look at this video (ok, most of us do have a warped sense of humour).  To the best of our knowledge, no squirrels were hurt in the filming of this video.

Hotel Internet

This is starting to sound like a broken record, but how is it we can get free HIGH speed internet in a Motel 6, but not the same here in the Chateau.  Hence, the reason for no updates.  All the 'kids' arrived last night and totally swapped the hotel internet.  

It might be time for our secret weapon and pipe our own high speed from across the valley.  

More to come...

If this is November, it must be Lake Louise Alberta

Hi all

It has been some time since I've updated my racing/timing blog.  The same team is at it again and we travelled from points all over the world to meet here in Lake Louise Alberta.  Clearly one of the nice stops on the World Cup circuit.  We are here for 16 days of sun and some of the coldest weather that these racers race in.

Our digs for this trip is the Chateau Lake Louise.  Just one of the best views in the world.  

Our team comes from all over.  Ted and Andy from Montreal (Andy leaving in the middle of a bathroom renovation and he did confirm he did get the one and only toilet working before he left his pregnant wife).  James from Hawaii (you can read his R Rated blog--don't say I didn't warn you).  Dick, James, Mark and Coop all do the drive from Calgary, while Jim does his battles with Canada customs coming in from the Detroit area.

As I write this, I'm watching Canada's weather network, and I'm seeing the video from Ontario with all the snow they've received in the last week.  They are even skiing on the mountains of Mount St. Louis plus a host of other resorts.  Got to love those snow squalls.

Now, how is the snow here?  Check out the web cam for Lake Louise.  At least the ground is covered, but Coop was able to pull the trailer with almost a Ton (yes a Ton) of timing equipment up to the timing shack.  There is likely another Ton of Video equipment in the trailer as well.  The FIS did pass the track under their snow control program -- not that that is saying much, as we have seen snow control pass even with lawn mowers on the track.

Today, we get to head up and do some actual skiing.  We will start to ring out some of the wires, do some testing to ensure that the wires are OK.  The goal is for a training run on Wednesday.    

So, here is what happened...

The plane arrives from Toronto. Pulls up to the gate and the flight attendant opens the door, but he/she forgot 1 thing. To move the little leaver that tells the plane that it is not in flight anymore, but park.

Well, apparently the emergency exit slide has now filled the ramp exit. Can you image the poor guy on the other side? I hope he is still alive. Wow!!

I've now heard that they have to drop 60 people from the flight since they have one last slide. Oopppssss

What a morning

Woke up to an awesome mountain morning. Not a cloud in the sky, no wind and about -2C. But, all good things must come to an end.

The drive to Munich had everything from very twist narrow roads to doing 190k on the automate.

I'm now at the airport with time to spare, but something is going on in a baggage ramp that does not allow us to check in bags. So, I have to stand around and wait for who knows how long. And, this only affects Air Canada.

Long over due update

Wow, I just reviewed this and realized that I have not updated this in a while.

Carrying on from my last update, my back is much better. I have a new belief in chyropractors. This lady that my next door neighbour sent me to just rocks.

So, that brings me to the last week of 'stuff'. Work brought me to London earlier in the week. However, I've decided that when it is remotely possible, that I would make the odd detour. This time it was to Austria (after a meeting with a customer in Germany).

I've spent the last 2 days skiing at Kitzsteinhorn (http://en.kitzsteinhorn.at/). For the last 2 morning, I have woken up to rain and fog. Yesterday, I only made it up for half a day, but what a half day. 3200 vertical meters in fresh snow (somewhere between 6-12"). Then, today again the same thing. However, this time, I made it for first tracks and skied the morning in the fog with the brail technique. But another foot of snow fell. I was wearing my Garmin Forerunner 305 heart rate monitor and it tracked me doing over 6000 vertical meters. So, in 2 days of skiing, I didn't hear my skiis scraping over the ice once (you guys from Collingwood hearing this?).

In the picture above, have a close look at the red and white tower. Now, notice the size of the chairlifts running on the surface. That is the tram tower and they only use it to get from the bottom of the glacier to the top. NOT from the parking lot to the bottom of the glacer (also called the alpine center).

There is alot of history on the lifts, including the underground railway that used to take you up from the parking lot. http://en.kitzsteinhorn.at/information/gletscherbahnen/history.htm. Read about how a fire killed 155 people back in 2000 on the underground lift. You can read more about it at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1018153.stm.

I could see where this lift went into the mountain, but still don't have a clue where it exited at the top.

If you really like, you can spent the night in the igloos (http://en.kitzsteinhorn.at/news/?we_objectID=299). I'm not kidding. These have to be seen as they are huge.