Sunday, February 24, 2008

Trevor's #11 -- the last one for the season

Proceeding with Trevors ride. Due to weather, cold, ice the ride started 9:30, Py anticipated to join the slower group today starting at 9:15 and to ride "into" them to join at about 1/2 way -- so he also started out 9:15. It was sunny and cold (just not freezing any longer) this morning. Snow and ice on the sides, roads mostly clear and dry, just a few wet/icy patches -- but a dirty mess of salt, sand and gravel all over -- a nasty mix with wet patches from melting snow.

At about half way he wondered where they are... no rider in sight so far, he proceeded and almost all the way out to 112 he saw a group, but the fast 9:30 group coming up -- slow, some trouble behind. He joined them, no choice. They were moving fast, very fast and he was riding close to his limit, but made it all the way out east -- the group was small, just 8 riders, cruising at or over 40km/h at times and several sprints in between let Py suffering to hang on, also the little group was split up in 4/4 or 4/2/2 with some distance in between at times -- that was a pain for Py, not to say he was not riding for 2 weeks his bike o-)
One more (or to many) sprint into the wind at South St... he got behind, kept them in sight until turning into Moriches, but that's it... and he was on his own, but completed the full ride, in pain.

104 km.



Back at RP, he stopped by at Tildas to get a little reward :-)

Home, geschafft.


Now that dirty salty bike needed a warm water wash and wipe down...

Friday, February 22, 2008

Snow again

Just returned from the snow covered mountains to the Island and what do I see the next morning - Camp opening delayed - Camp closed for the day -- just funny, but Py just stayed home:


Two days later, blue sky again and rising temps... looks just still nice.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Day 12 - Klosters-Davos

The last day has come...

This morning Py decided to give his board to a local shop at Klosters for a quick waxing, as it's base got really dry and riding was getting harder lately. This turned out to be the best decision of the day, he should have had done that already little earlier. Heading back to the Gotschnabahn up to Gotschnagrad this morning, exploring a few short rides from Gotschnagrad (#45a/b) and heading over to Parsennhütte, taking the T-bar up to Parsennpfurgga down again to Parsennhüttenbahn all the way up to Weissfluhjoch and further to Weissfluhgipfel.

Again the long #1... Schifer ride several times... Lunch at Berghaus Schifer.... a few more rides and the now well known Talabfahrt down to Klosters village for a perfect finish of the last day.

The new prepared base felt really good and fast again.

.... no photos this day!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Day 11 - Arosa once more

Tuesday... Arosa with friends again.

Again on top of Weisshorn - again blue sky :-)


Carnenna run...


Hi buddies up there...


A few photo studies....

Monday, February 18, 2008

Day 10 - Davos

Monday he decided to check out Davos, one of the biggest terrains in Graubünden.

Here an about 200 degree view from Weissfluhgipfel:


This is the run #4 left of the Parsenn Standseilbahn track on right:


This nice shorty just for a warmup of the day...

The challenging long run from top of Weissfluhgipfel (2844 m) #1-#17-#21-#22 all the way down to Schifer (1562 m) over various terrain turned into Py's most favorite ride -- he could enjoy 20..30min riding at decent speed without any stopping :-)


Just after passing "Kreuzweg":



The long ride back to the top via the gondola "Schiferbahn" (here a view at it by the end of the day from the final "Talabfahrt" #21 lower section):

and the big Gondel "Gipfelbahn"

takes a total of about 30 minutes! And is a welcome break and always good for a quick snack in the gondola.

Here, at Berghaus Schifer, he spend his lunchtime. All kind of good local food is served on the sun terrace :-)


Snowboard parking


View from the sun terrace...


Schiferbahn Station for the ride back up to do it again...


He did several more runs down to Schifer and variations this day and finished the day with one of the longest rides possible here...

Here a view from the short flat section leaving the path to Schifer continuing on #21, not taking #22... look at the crisp the Moon:


and back at the split of the #21/#22 at the lower left here:


This is about the middle of the ride from Weissfluhgipfel (2844 m) down to Klosters Dorf (1124 m) strait into the train station. -- This is a vertical drop of 1720 m (5'643 ft) -- he has no clue how many miles that are -- several!



And boarding the train of the Rhätische Bahn in a few minutes.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Day 9 - Arosa again

And back to the Alps the night before, he continued the fun in the mountains this Sunday -- the weather still unchanged awesome sunny and clear with still plenty of snow at high altitudes. However, the original idea of a Snowshoe and Snowboard tour was revised due to lack of (fresh) snow at lower altitudes. He felt very bad and sorry this morning for his friend, he really forgot to inform about recent plans about going to Arosa in time -- there were so many things going on and he was busy, not even found the time to check E-mail daily.

Some goofing around the morning... they got late, so what, it's vacation ;-)

Starting over with the red run #7 from Weisshorn for warm-up (here in thee Alps red is intermediate, blue easy (better avoid) and black included the most fun steeps....):


Watching flying powder in the sun while having a Coffee break...


*** Just for memories ***
This is how Arosa could also look a like... (Feb. 2006):


Saturday, February 16, 2008

Day 5..8 - break - SPA-LEED Workshop Bremen

Trip to Bremen.... a last minute planned interruption of his vacation... as he accepted a short term invitation.


on the way to downtown Bremen for dinner...

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Day 4 - Pizol

Pizol on Tuesday.

View down into the Rhein valley:


Hiding at high elevation

PyZahl is currently hiding in the Swiss Alps... having a good time with old friends and enjoying perfect days of snowboarding, great weather and good powder on fast groomed terrain.

He has been at Arosa, Lenzerheide and Pizol so far...

Pictures following later. Too busy having a good time :-)


>>> Updates still under construction <<<

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Day 2 - Arosa

The sun just got up and PyZahl got his stuff ready to go to ride. A long narrow and winding road was to follow by car with J to get to the area of choice located at Arosa.

Here at Weishorn (2653 m):


a very pretty view...


J & Py did a warmup run on #7, took the big Weisshorn gondola up again and checked out the #10-#12 run down Carmenna, up again and worked there way all over to Hörnli (2511 m)...

and ...


off we go #10-#12 (from top of Carmenna)...


Here the SnowBar at Hörnli he got a Rivella and Cafe Creme with a Nussgipferl :-)

and enjoyed a short break and the breathtaking view, here looking at Wisshorngipfel, if you look closer you can see the gondola station on top:


Working there way back and to Brüggehorn and Sattelhütte with a several more rides all over they finished the day with a "Talabfahrt" (ride all the way down into the valley).

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Day 1 - Prättigau

Boarding the PostAuto for the last section of his traveling to Seewis Dorf in the Prättigau. A very nice and sunny day was a great welcome to the Alps.

Sunday, February 03, 2008

Trevor's #10 -- a three level ride for Py

Sunday -- the day was expected to bring nice sunny conditions, temps up to mid 40s with less wind than the day before -- PyZahl got up at 6am, because in addition to the usual morning procedure he had to prepare his bread for the last rise before baking in the late afternoon, and stepped out of his door at 7:30 to get plenty of time to get to the start of the ride -- what usually takes him a good 35 minutes and leaves some time for a 2nd snack and some small talk...

He was shivering in the cold for the first miles, as temps were still little below freezing, frost on cars and a few frozen puddles, but the rising sun felt good every second he got exposed in between the shade...

At the meeting location the early group was assembling and left... the "big boys" group was growing to a amazing number of at least twenty riders and some of the so strong racers were in between calling for a tough ride. He will better stay away from the front, especially as he rode hard the day before.

And they moved out and picked up speed instantly. He already got little into pain keeping up passing back into Rocky Point, but luckily, it seam they eased up already a bit, that was good. Further moving speed was just fine and the impressive long pace line -- nice to view -- was woooshing along... only got to a short stop here. One flat behind.

Before they continued flying east. One more misshapen to one of the group at the bottom of boy scout hill -- as a explosion like sound must have destroyed a front tire some riders behind PyZahl. They waited up at the next traffic light, but it seamed a unlucky one as they gave up fixing it -- one down -- and proceeded east.

Little cross winds going south, but still good moving, just fine for Py :-)

The whole ride could have been just fine, moving back north west in a big group into the wind would have made it more or less non existent. But at the end of the first (the bumpy) section of Mill Rd, at the turn, he grabbed his water bottle, which somehow at a little bump slid out of his gloves. OK, keeping cool, and proceed riding not to generate any troubles while riding in the middle of a big group at some speed, he proceeded leaving it behind. About a mile later he made the decision -- to sacrifice the benefit of the great big group -- about at little over half of the ride, told the group leader he is leaving to get his bottle -- it was clear at that point, nobody would wait, so he was on his very own soon. He returned about a mile, picked up the still half full bottle -- he would really need it later -- and was back en route about 5 minutes later -- impossible to catch up, he also lost more and more time on them, as especially into the wind all the way back, it was a pain full long ride, but he finished the usual route. His very only chance would have been a pretty soon flat ahead, but he knew, chances for that were small, very small, but it gave him a little hope and motivation to pull as fast as he could on Mill towards South Rd... but some where out there he fall back to a slower pace, no way.

But so what, a beautiful day for a longer ride. It was a different one -- scary fast full power ahead start -- great fast pace line out east -- and a long slower pull back.

Py's ride stats -- the three levels are clearly visible here.



That done, some energy refilled with lefter over pasta and a goodie from Tildas Bake Shop with a smooth Cappuccino, he really felt better and took a short nap... listening to his favorite Radio Station DRS 3.

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Continuing the RP2IPBP ride

Saturday February 2nd, Long Island. A total of 4 riders stared out to IPBP from Tildas, Rocky Point. A strong West wind with gusts, but almost spring temperatures were blowing them out east...



Temperature: 39°F Dewpoint: 28°F Wind Chill: 30°F Surface Wind: W 17G29mph
Sky Cover: 12% Precipitation Potential: 0% Relative Humidity: 64%
Thunder: <10% Rain: <10% Snow: <10% Freezing Rain: <10% Sleet: <10%


Ride stats:



With two significant side bands...