"Recovery" in Geneva

A quick night in Geneva, and then a return to our non-holiday lives. Great trip everyone. Where are we going in 2008?

Verbier: C'est Fini!

Another powder day for our last ski in Verbier. We will all miss this place.

Midweek Update

Powder day! Above left is John "Spyder" Mizhir ripping the powder off Lac des Vaux lift. Above right is Terry also off off Lac des Vaux, showing the Swiss how to make a perfect tele-powder-turn.

Denise just below a snowy Mont Fort. Lisa enjoying her turns off Combatzeline.

The group has fully settled into the Verbier lifestyle. Top left is most of us with very full stomachs. Liza on the right tearing up the slopes of Combatzeline (Verbier).

Straight skis live! Very small Euro "coupe".

Denise enjoying Pomme Frites outside our favorite bar, Fer a Cheval. Above right is us (again) at the Fer for après-ski fare.

Tim and Tara as good married folk at the Fer a Cheval bar. Above right is group reminiscing bad falls on the Hotel Rotonde terrace.

Quel dommage ..

Katy and Elliot dodge serious injury. Quick recoveries keep the group in good spirits. Viva Verbier!

Nous arrivons!

No new powder, but the blue skies, light winds, and incredible views are making this trip very worthwhile. Note: the first photo is what we call the "chondola" - chairs and gondola on the same cable!

Geneva Airport Arrival Times

Terry, Marc: Sat @ 1:10PM
Elliot: Sat @ 8:10AM
John, Lisa, Tim, Tara, Katy: Sat @ 10:30AM
Denise: Sat @ 2:10PM
Spyder: Sat @ 9:00AM
Liza: Sat TBD (flying standby)

Swiss Francs to 1 US Dollar

Exercise #3: Dorsals

Lie on your stomach with your arms in front of you. Lift your right arm and left leg off the ground simultaneously. After 20, repeat on the other side.

Skier Profile: Tara Kelly

Ms. Tara [Whorf] Kelly rounds out our roster for this trip. Tara was born and raised in Warwick, Rhode Island, the state's second largest city and home of T. F. Green Airport. In high school Tara was a stand-out soccer player and track star. Like many on this trip, Tara attended St. Mike's where she met her soulmate Tim Kelly (see profile below). Tara is a triple threat on snow: alpine skis, snowboard, and telemark skis. Before settling down in Revere, Massachusetts, she lived in Lake Tahoe for a year and worked summers on Block Island, RI. Now she works for Pearson Education as a market development manager. Tara is obsessed with yoga and loves to travel.

Skier Profile: Tim Kelly

Mr. Timothy "Tim, TK" Kelly will be arriving from Revere, Massachusetts, where he resides with his femme fatale wife Tara [Whorf] Kelly. Tim is yet another one of those cult-like St. Mike’s alums. TK is originally from Holden, Massachusetts – a stones throw from places like Wa-Wa-chusett Mountain and the city of Wouhstah. Tim wears many career hats, from politics to real estate and property management. Tim converted early to telemark-style skiing, and currently serves on the ski patrol at Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vermont.

Fresh Pow-Pow

New Year has brought new snow to Verbier: 50cm (20in) of fresh powder! Full report click here .

Exercise #2: Lunges

Lunge forwards onto one leg, flexing the knee through 45 degrees. Make sure your knee stays in line with the middle two toes of your foot. Push back upright and lunge forwards onto the other leg.

Skier Profile: Lisa Herrington

Ms. Lisa Herrington will be coming in from Charlestown, Massachusetts, where she lives with her lovely husband John Sutich and golden retriever Cassie. Lisa completed her law degree at Boston University and her undergraduate at Georgetown. Lisa specializes in creditors’ rights, bankruptcy and general corporate for Choate, Hall & Stewart in Boston. She is making up for lost skiing time with this trip.

Skier Profile: John Mizhir

Mr. John "Spyder" Mizhir was a late addition to this motley bunch. John will be joining us from San Diego, where he practices intellectual property law for Fish & Richardson. Prior to F&R John was a solo practitioner under a self-titled Mizhir & Associates. John is also part of the St Mike’s contingent – some of us have not seen hide nor hair of him since living the Knight Life in Vermont. When John is not practicing law, he is building spec homes in the Victor, Idaho/Jackson Hole area and competing in Ironman triathlons.

Boarder Profile: Denise Abdoo

Ms. Denise Abdoo will be joining us from Denver, Colorado, where she works as a pediatric nurse practitioner with the Kempe Child Protection Team, part of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine and The Children's Hospital. Denise owns a Vizsla mix, which by the way was used in development of other breeds including the Weimaraner and German Shorthair Pointer (thanks Wikipedia). Denise is a flexitarian which means she only eats flexi, a breakfast cereal foodstuff made from seeds of flax.

Boarder Profile: Elliot Reed

Mr. Elliot Reed was the driving force behind the amazing Les 3 Vallées France ski trip in March 2006. Elliot was born in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and currently hails from Cleveland, Ohio. He recently competed his JD/MBA at Case Western Reserve University and is a member of Toastmasters International. Elliot currently serves as the general manager of VasoLux MicroSystems, a start-up medical imaging company. Fun fact: Elliot was a pineapple picker in Maui during the 1993 season. E noho iho i ke opu weuweu, mai ho`oki`eki`e - Remain among the clumps of grass and do not elevate yourself.

Boarder Profile: Katy Downey

Ms. Kathryn "Katy" Downey is yet another one from the St. Mike’s network. Katy is Massachusetts state trooper with absolutely no authority or jurisdiction in Verbier Switzerland. Katy is completing her Masters Degree in Criminal Justice at UMass Lowell. When Katy is not fighting crime or getting a degree, she is completing Habitiat for Humanity projects in Hawaii and performing Christmas shows in Disney World. Katy is one of the few snowboarders on this trip.

Skier Profile: Marc Oettinger

Mr. Marc Oettinger is the salesman for this ski tour. Marc is a Scorpio who enjoys fine dining, dancing, art history, sunsets, water polo, equestrian polo, Ralph Lauren’s polo, and delightful conversation. Marc has drawn upon the good and the bad in planning this ski adventure. He hopes this will be the best ski trip ever.

Skier Profile: Liza Ashburn

Ms. Liza Ashburn is a good friend of Ms. Christy Fisher. Liza is a Cancer from North Carolina, works for the airlines and herself as a real estate entrepreneur. She has traveled all over the world for pleasure, not business. Liza loves crossword puzzles and sudoku. She lives in Park City, Utah, and attended college in Chapel Hill. “I can't wait to hit the slopes in Switzerland.”