Ski Bulgaria

by Erik Olsen on

There are many many places I can think of that I’d like to be heading right now to do some skiing. But I confess that
Bulgaria is not near the top of that list .In fact, I’m not sure it’s even ON the list. Wait, let me check…nope, Bulgaria is not a ski destination with which I am familiar.

 

And so I was surprised…in a good way…with this piece in the outdoorsy Stellar Magazine  on skiiing Bulgaria. But Leslie Anthony heads there and
discovers, between gulps of rakia, a grappa-like liquor, that Bulgaria has a few surprises in store. Actually, I love
to see new places discovered…places like Bulgaria that could probably use an infusion of tourism. Is Bulgaria a new
Jackson Hole? Well, probably not. As the writer describes, it’s doubtful that as Jackson someone would try to sell you
an AK-47. Maybe a six-shooter, but not an assault rifle. But my curiosity is piqued and I just scribbled a word on my
list of place I want to ski: Bulgaria.

Arun’s Travel Blog

by Erik Olsen on

Travel blogger Arun lives in Bangalore, India, and from there has been writing one of the more entertaining and
beautiful blogs I’ve seen in a while. Arun’s travel blog is filled
with insights about travel and decorated with marvelous photographs. Arun is an active outdoorsman…hiking in the
Himalayas, skiing in Auli…Arun is also
an avid birder, and some of the bird photos (like the one here) will really impress.

As a big fan of India, I’ll be checking back on this wonderful blog every so often.

Resorts for Non-Skiers

by Erik Olsen on

We try to cover the gamut of places to see and go during all the seasons, but tend to focus on places you can go to
do the winter sports we know and love. Personally, I am a big fan of skiing, been doing it since I was a wee lad, so I
tend to look at resorts like Mammoth, in
California, that I know well.

But MSNBC has got an interesting feature on resorts for the non-skier. These are places that are kid friendly and have
plenty of things to do even if you’re not strapping on the boards. Thankfully, the ones they list are also great
resorts FOR skiiing, so it’s a bit of a double whammy. Among their favorites are
Lake Placid, New York,
Aspen, Colorado, and
Park City, Utah, all very good
selections. 

Smell the Glove Trailer

by Erik Olsen on

What do you get when you mix metal and snow?

Well, in this pretty exhilarating trailer from SFBF productions
called SMELL
THE GLOVE you get heart-thumping music and some sweet snowboarding scenes. You are also treated to the
hilarious audio from Spinal Tap where Nigel Tufnel explains how he plays a
lovely mixture of Mach…that is, Mozart and Bach… resulting in his newest ditty, Lick My Lovepump. 

But seriously, the trailer is pretty good. The video here apparently went straight to video, so you’re not likely to
see it anytime in the theaters, but the trailer is good for a little lunchtime viewing.

Top Ski Resorts for Experts

by Erik Olsen on

If the mere sight of a blue circle makes you ill, and your way of waking up in the morning
is hitting the double black diamonds, then
I have a link for you.
Then again, maybe it’s not, because the chances are, if you are an expert skier, you already know the very best places
in the country to ski at your level.

 

But what the hey, I’ll post it anyway.

So here’s the skinny. Outdoor site GORP lists it’s top ten-plus areas for
top-notch skiers. I have to say I agree with pretty much the entire list. I have skied nearly every one of
the places mentioned here. I’ve not been to either
Chamonix or
Lake
Placid/Whiteface. 

I give them kudos for placing Alta at the top and giving Taos, Mammoth and Squaw a nod. 

Man, just thinking about skiing any one of these places gets my heart going. I know I was talking about tropical
climes earlier, but I am getting kind of fired up about ski season this year.