Skiing in Zermatt

The group decided to ski in Zermatt for the day and again see what the mountains would give us.

Down low there were but two small slivers of snow allowing skiers to ski right into town if they wished.

Now and again the sun would break through and illuminate the huge slopes.

We boarded the tram which goes up to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. The winds up there were 75 km/hr or close to 50 mph.

Here comes our car.

With the high winds they throw a crate of cinder blocks in the car for ballast.

 Ascending into the clouds, the other car is seen on it's way down.

At the top.

It was pretty intense on the observation deck. Not much observing to be done.

We made a stop into the plush gift shop where Nicki found a little oxygen for sale. Could be handy for my next cross race!

Stuffed animals could be had too. Bizarre.

We eventually got around to skiing which proved to be surprisingly good. We found creamy, largely untracked snow, with just enough visibility to provide fun turning.

I took a few runs with the crew.

Then headed back via one of the trails into town which proved to be exhausting with mushy snow, small rises requiring skating, and a descent that seemed to go on forever.

Once back into town I reunited with Mary, cleaned up, and we went for a walk in the historic part of town.

Some of these buildings dated back to the 1700s!

Buildings for storing meat, cheese, and other food were built on flat stone footings to prevent rodents from entering. The cat provides extra protection in that regard!

It was our last night together as a group and we celebrated in fine fashion at a bar with this fun band.

It turned out it was the last day most of the ski area was open and for many local workers it was the beginning of their holiday, so they were in a mood for partying too.

What a night! What a trip!