In article ,
lal_truckee wrote:
Eugene Miya wrote:
having just returned from the Alps
(5 different countries)

Sounds like a fine trip.

It was OK.
It was not w/o fatalities (at least 2). But I survived.

The smell which comes from no where (familiar) while skiing is great.
Great eating. They spend more time eating. Awesome food.

The 2 GB Swiss Army knife is sitting at home now.

Wool pants for 5 SF.

A cute girl named Nina who aspires to be a chemist.

Forests are similar to Tahoe (2nd, actually nth) growth (no old growth).
You will rarely see a tree more than 2 ft. in diameter. They have to
come to the US.

We just polished off (in my meeting) quite a bit of the $70/lb chocolate.

Here we have more
legal issues, and if you ski at a resort, you don't just cross a boundary.

OK at some areas around here. Sugar bowl even sells single ride tickets.

Well, they have too. The Benson hut is back there.
The land checkerboard provides for access to that.

Europe: skiing off piste is your problem.

Did you mean "out of bounds?" Even Euros ski off piste sometimes.

I think a working definition of "backcountry" might be something along
the lines of: "If you hurt yourself, it'll take a special effort by to
get you out, if rescue is even possible."

Lots of helos in Europe (one of the bodies was hauled this way).
That particular carbineri was ****ed at a few people.
He yelled "STOP!" a lot. He needed to yell HALT!; like a German.
I am not clear that that person, victim, survived.

They don't have a concept of ski patrol like the US (Minnie Dole).
Police do go skiing.

I occasionally collect "you leave this area at your own risk" sign photos.

A lot of people don't ski outside the run border poles.
They do now have no ski the forest / plant areas (they respect Greens).
So its not merely out of bounds. They have a slightly different view of
"bounds." US resorts are seen as babying, coddling, clients, as if all
US resorts were say Deer Valley. The relationship of the individual citizen
to the group is different from the States.

--