Maybe it was the incredible skiing and the luxury huts. I'm sure the Northwest connection helped. But the fact is, this crew loves to ski and is serious fun. During the last week of March I had an absolute blast skiing with the Richards and Scissors families in the Ortler Mountains. We logged piles of vertical, consumed gallons of wine and mountains of food and laughed like old friends the whole way. Thanks for an incredible trip guys!
We skied lifts and trams in Sulden on our first day. Ben Scissors stacking an off-piste chute on our third run together.
The first climb of the tour: 50 meters of uphill from the Sulden lifts to Passo Madriccio.
The posse on Passo Madriccio: Kyle Richards, Ben Scissors, Sam Richards, Adam Richards and Ken Scissors. Sam and Ken met in Ashton, Idaho where the practiced medicine and cut their telemarking teeth on Yostmark skis. They lost contact for years, randomly met again and have been tight ever since through the ups and downs of life.
Clear and powdery on day two. Adam peeling skins near the summit of Cima Cevadale (3,757). The high point of Cevadale had 50 summit-frenzied Germans perched on top like vultures.
1,057 meters of untracked powder from the summit of Cevedale down to the Rifugio Pizzini for midday cappuccino and pasta.
Ken perusing the deserts at Rifugio Branca where we stayed for three nights. He went for the strudel.
Mauro Compagnoni coined the term "molto bene" right there at the Rifugio Pizzini.
Some aspects of Tirol we never understood. Like this mineral water that's good for Sikh babies and weight-conscious hermaphrodites in diapers.
Touring up the Grand Zebru Glacier for pow turns above the Rifugio Pizzini.
Ben Scissors.
Kyle Richards ripping his new G3 Tonics! Yeah Kyle!