36 Years Ago

36 Years Ago, Vienna 1971—A Student Journal

Day 143: Skiing Mutters

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Vienna 1971—A Student Journal
A year of music, study, travel, sightseeing & friends.



Day 143 — Skiing Mutters
23-December-1971 (Thur.)

Mountains valleys and skiing

TRANSCRIPT

Innsbruck
Spent the day skiing at Mutters. Conditions were not the best. The snow was very hard and bare in some spots. However, I still probably progressed a little, and I basically enjoyed myself. Will be leaving tomorrow.

Said goodbye to Elisabeth. Hope to see her in Wien. I really liked her a lot. The only problem was that she had to leave early. We saw each other early in the morning before she left. She even gave me a Christmas present.


REFLECTIONS

Skiing Mutters. Skiing at Mutters. At least I got to see this mountain today. When the snow is very hard, due to freezing temperatures, and probably not being groomed, the skiing can be more difficult. It’s never fun skiing on very icy snow. For that, you need to have super-good edge and weight control, something I have never mastered. Still, I am certain that I enjoyed the skiing. Opening photo shows the beauty of Innsbruck's surrounding mountains, the valley, and its skiing.

Snow making? I don’t exactly remember, but I am fairly certain that in 1971 these mountains had little if any snow making, at least over most of the mountain terrain. Just like in Utah, there may be snow-making on select slopes but it is not feasible to have it cover the vast area of these mountains. After all, it is the Alps. I checked some ski sites for information and, in 2007, there is snowmaking and even night skiing at some of the Innsbruck ski resorts.

It doesn’t matter where you go skiing in the world, the weather and snow conditions will greatly impact your enjoyment of that trip. Being outdoors in the fresh air and getting some exercise are always part of your experience, whether it’s sunny, snowing, or icy. That, in itself, is worth the trip.

Global warming is real. Just a side note here in 2007. Global warming is happening. My good friend, Helmut, in Switzerland has told me that in some recent years the winters in the Swiss and Austrian Alps has been very mild with not much snow. The glaciers are also retreating greatly. In my second job, I met a man from Iceland. When I asked him about the issue, he said that in Iceland there is “almost no winter,” and that the Iceland glaciers are melting 10 feet a year. They will be gone sooner than most people think. That’s extreme. It’s real. Let’s hope the world governments quickly tackle this problem.

Goodbye to Elisabeth. I say goodbye to Elisabeth. She was a wonderful Austrian friend and ski partner. I will miss her. I wonder if she will ever get to Vienna.

Companionship and friendship is nice. Yes, I still miss Anjali and I would have liked to gone skiing with her, as well.

Olga and skiing. One day, I’ll tell you the story of the first (and only) time I took my wife Olga skiing. That day is today. After spending $100 on a ski pass and rentals, she decided that she didn’t like walking in her ski boots. After 25 feet of walking, she gave up and just sat on the bench, and in the clubhouse, for the remainder of that shortened day. Any ski partners out there?

John

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