Happy Thanksgiving!

 Wishing everyone a warm and cozy Thanksgiving this year.

 We are most thankful for all that has been bestowed upon us!

 We are thankful for good things to come...

 We are thankful for all the tremendous people in our lives.

A Weekend Retreat

  It had been in the makings.  

 A vague plan that seemed as though it was in the very distant future, but this past weekend, I spent my first two days and night away from Noah.  I hiked for two days in the Alps with a dear friend, creating our own adventures and learning more about myself.   I quickly learned that I would rather go up hill than down, I prefer trails that are wide enough for both feet to easily and steadily pass by, I adore a good meal out with some great conversation and most importantly, though time away is cherished and often needed, there is nothing like returning home.

But the best thing about my weekend away was the views.   

We picked an absolutely perfect, tee-shirt wearing weekend; where the Alps sparkled and shined with snow covered peaks and the lakes teased you with their crystal, clear waters, a tempting invite, despite the thin layer of ice that danced upon their top layers.   

A weekend that allows you to see clearer, appreciate feeling so small, and relish in the joy of breathing fresh Alpine air.   

And the biggest reward of all was Noah’s warm welcome upon my return.   

It was a perfect weekend away indeed!

 Melinda taking in the views.

 Ahh...beautiful weather!

 Engelberg is full of great trails...

 Heather and Melinda almost at the top of day 1.

 Loving the views.

 Day 2...making our own trails.

 Heather wondering where on earth the trail is...

 Gorgeous alpine lake.

 Melinda happy to be off the mountain!

 Wow...this is marvelous!

 Good thing we brought the polls, far more snow climbing up than anticipated.

 We were the only people on the trail for hours.  Total serenity.

Awesome weekend!

Thanks Heather!

TransAlp 2010 - Day 3

The hotel owner had written several cycling tour books on the area where we were staying in Malles Venosta, Italy.  We had told him where we planned to ride the next day (Malles Venosta up the road to Slingia, accross the border into Switzerland, over the pass (2300m) and through the Val D'Uina, down into Sur-En, and finishing in Scuol).  He advised against this as there was still substantial amounts of snow (30cm) which had not melted yet.  He gave us a cycling tour book and showed us the best way to get to Scuol and only required going over a 1550m pass; the down side was the head wind going up the valley and the low temperatures.  The new plan, head into Austria heading north past Lago di Resia, stop in Naunders, Austria for a bite to eat, and then into Switzerland at the end of the Lower Engadine valley to Scuol.  Below, again, the adventure in pictures...

Guten Morgen, Buongiorno... Waking up in the Tirol region of Italy (formerly Austria)

Nice little breakfast area at the Hotel 

Last night our bikes slept in an old cow barn, there was still hay on the ground... 

Starting our climb towards Nanders, Austria. 

Looking up a valley on the climb... 

Shielding ourselves from the wind, we stop at a cross roads... 

At another stop, shielded by trees, we warm up a bit in the sun (the cows had the right idea) 

  This is one of the few pictures until Naunders, it was too friggin' cold and the wind was exhausting... we had just crossed the dam...

 

We stopped in Naunders, trying to find a place to warm up and grab a coffee. It was Sunday, and we had a harder time than we thought. Looking back where we came from you can see the castle just where we entered town. 

 

  On the main road we stop at a cafe, perhaps the only one open...

Dom grabs a picture of our horses... 

Warmed up, fed and ready to brave the cold back into Switzerland... 

Ahhh, we spot a sign for "die Schweizer Grenze" (aka the border)... 

Dropping 400m in 2.4km, and increasing the temp by 15 degrees, we are happy to be heading home... 

Somewhere between San Niclà and Sur-En... 

  Mechanical number three... Close up of an old rusty nail, this thing took out my front tire on a turn, yikes...

 

Finally, we arrive at the Scuol-Tarasp Train Station... 

 

  On the train, fatigue sets in...

...and the meals are taken out... 

Near Klosters, a famous bridge... 

The Castel of Tarasp... 

From the train, a view down the Lower Engadine valley, where we came from... 

Can't remember, somewhere past the last picture, but on the way home... 

So what was that sweet rig Dom was riding??? I thought you would never ask... It was a special loaner bike, actually a hook-up from Erik at Cannondale.  Erik gets mad props for coming through on a spare bike for Dom, but also because I was not able to get it back to him for 3 weeks due to work travel.  Sorry Man, really!  He was able to hook us up with a Cannondale Scalpel Test bike. Full carbon everything, it was lighter than my road bike! Here are the specs: Cannondale Scalpel with pivot-less carbon stays, Lefty carbon front fork with lockout, Prototype Rock Shox Monarch rear shock, DT Swiss wheelset, TRP Dash carbon disk breaks, and 2011 Prototype Shimano XTR components!!! S.I.C.K. as in wicked sick!! (and also totally awesome). If you think I am kidding, just check out the pics below!  And, perhaps this link, you too can get hooked up!