Jackson Hole 4,
Feb.1, 2023,
Hi Everyone,I went to my conference this morning and checked out for skiing at 10:00. The conference started this morning with breakfast at 6:00 and a lecture at 6:30. The Americans are a little crazy with their hours. It was about -15C with no wind and blue, blue skies and warmed up to -5C. The snow is getting hard packed and although there is no ice, the groomers are slippery and the tree runs are becoming more difficult. The moguls in between the trees are huge, 3-4 feet high or deep which ever you prefer and it is not easy to link your turns. Nevertheless, there is no grass or rocks showing as they have had 350” of snow so far this winter.
I met my ski pal, Sebastian, who grew up in France at the base of a ski centre. He had never skied here so I was able to show him the mountain. As expected he skis like Jean Paul – Barry – Glen combined. I tried to ski fast enough so as not to have him wait for me. I have been using my Salomon, QSTs, semi powder skis, 92 under foot. They slide a little on the groomers but are well suited for the bumps on the mogul runs. Tomorrow I am going to try my Rossignol, Elite, multi turns, 74 under foot to see how they are on the groomers and on the bumps.
I have a head cold that is rather annoying and have been loading up with Sudafed which makes me somewhat excitable. I got home after skiing, lay down for 15 minutes and awoke 1.5 hours later. I must be getting old as I don’t remember being this tired after a day of skiing. I am now sitting in the hotel bar, eating onion rings and drinking a local amber beer on tap. I am going to try an Italian restaurant this evening.
Love,
Brian
2023-01 Jackson Hole 5
Jackson Hole 5,
Feb. 3 2023,
Hi Everyone,
More of the same except that the temperature ranged from -5C to +5C with a bluebird sky and sunny all day. I went to the conference which went until 10:00 and then headed off to the ski hill. I have a 5 minute walk back to my Hostel and then a 5 minute walk up to the base area with all the lifts. There was a small line up at the aerial tram so I elected to take one of the 8 person gondolas that go almost up to the summit. I tried my Rossi carving skis and was really impressed with their performance. I could go faster with good control and could easily carve my turns. The ski has some titanium underfoot for stability but carbon in the tip which allows for flexibility in the bumps. They are also good in the well spaced trees but I didn’t venture into the steep tight tree areas as the snow was getting hard due to the freezing and unfreezing caused by the sun and changing temperatures.
I met Sebastian at the base of the aerial tram at 11:45 as planned and we took the tram to the very top of the mountain. They cram 100 people into the tram and I found myself in the middle, squished in between a couple of 6 footers. Thank goodness the ride is only 12 minutes long. We arrived at the top and took some great pictures. There was a 50k wind at the top which was wind swepted so we skied into the bowl and then into a bump run.
We skied mostly on the western part of the mountain as we had done most of the eastern part yesterday. The place is so big that you can not do the whole mountain in a single day. At some point we arrived at a place called ‘expert chute’. I forgot that when they say ‘expert chute’ that it really means expert chute. We arrived at the top and there was no way out except down. I was not going to climb 100 feet to get out of there. The chute was 75 meters long, 3 meters wide and had a pitch of 40-45 degrees. The snow was hard packed but not icy. Sebastian had no trouble going through but I must say that I did. I jumped my first turn, caught an edge and lost a ski. I didn’t really fall but the ski was 10 feet above me on the slope. A nice young expert skier, skied down, picked up my ski, jump turned around me, placed the ski on my downhill side (which is the more difficult side to put a ski on, and supported the ski while I jumped into it. I hope that he was not wondering what I was doing here. Anyway there was no way that I was going to attempt a jump turn again, so I safely side slipped the last 20 feet. I think that I had reached the summit of my abilities on this mountain and will read the signs more carefully in the future.
I had a quick capuchino and chocolate bar for lunch while my friend devoured a slice of pizza. We then worked our way back to an area just below and took the Howbacks out. The moguls have grown bigger, SUV’s rather than Volkswagens, but the sun beats down on the hill and the snow was soft with no ice what so ever. Again my skis performed really well.
I had a lasagna at an Italian restaurant and will have Swiss food tonight. The food is delicious but the prices are outrageous!
Love,
Brian
2023-01 Jackson Hole 3 Photos
2023-01 Jackson Hole 3
Jackson Hole 3,
Feb. 1, 2023,
Hi Everyone,
This was my second day skiing and my first day at the conference. The conference has become very high powered with several well known names in urology present and giving talks. We are 87 urologists present not including the speakers and the exhibitors who more or less sponsor the conference. After one of the talks I quietly gave my opinion to the fellow next to me who agreed with me. The next thing I knew, he gets up and gives a talk. He is the chairman of urology of one of the top 5 urology training centres in America. The next time I give my opinion I will look at his name tag before speaking.
The conference runs from 6:30 to 10:00 or 11:00 with one talk after another. I cut out at 10:00 to do some skiing. There is a critique panel in the afternoon from 4:00 to 7:30which finished early today. I had drinks with 2 urologists from South Carolina with whom I shared a taxi ride the other day from the airport to the hotel. I did a quick run with them earlier in the day but they cut off to do a blue and I still had the energy to do a black mogul run (double black). 10 years ago at the conference I was offered a position at a small town in Idaho, 2 hours from Jackson Hole. Dominique told me that I could take the job but she wouldn’t go with me and I could fly back to Montreal every so often. Several weeks later I had my heart attacks and my bypass and that was the end of that. This evening I met up with 2 urologists who took the jobs 3 years afterwards. One of them is from Red Deer Alberta. His wife is from Montreal and used to work for a Quebec firm called Laborie. We had met many years ago at urology meetings.
I also met a French fellow how comes from the Alps and works for a company which is marketing disposable cystoscopes. This is an innovative idea as regular scopes need to be sterilized requiring manpower and break regularly requiring expensive repairs. He grew up in a small ski village in the Alps where you can ski from France to Italy in a day. He has been skiing since he was a child. We will meet at 12:00 at the gondola and ski together in the afternoon. He was impressed by my knowledge of what skis to rent and the difference between western wide under foot skis where skiers slide their turns as opposed to eastern skiers who ski on narrow skis under foot which are good for carving on hard packed snow in the east. I neglected to mention that I am a ski patroller at Mont Habitant and am a level 1 CSIA instructor. He probably skies like Jean Paul whose family owned a hotel at Meribel, one of the best mountains in France or Barry or Glen. I hope that I don’t disappoint him with my abilities.
I used to tell my kids that we would start skiing in the morning, warm up on double blacks and then do something more difficult. Today I started off the day on ‘something more difficult’. I took the tram up to rendezvous-bowl and then skied off to the Hobacks. It was 10:30 and I was the first one down with nobody following. The mountain faced the sun so there was soft broken heavy powder. I ‘jumped into the trees’ and made my way down. I think that they must have moved the trees as I don’t remember them being so close together. The trees must have grown in height and in width and I swear that they must have planted more of them in between just for me. I kid you not, the trees are 6 feet apart and occasionally the slope is 60 degrees. I couldn’t link my turns and sometimes resorted to side slipping to get by. Eventually I arrived at some open terrain with huge bumps. I had to stop to catch my breath every 10-12 turns. I think that it is a combination of the altitude 10,500 feet, and the fact that I am 5 years older. Later in the day I did a bump run which was marked double diamond, caution and cliff. It was a piece of cake.
I spent the evening with my new found friends and had dinner and drinks with them. We will meet up tomorrow to take some runs together.
Love,
Brian
2023-01 Jackson Hole Photos 1,2
2023-01 Jackson Hole 2
Jackson Hole 2,
Jan. 31, 2023,
Hi Everyone,
Today was a bluebird day. I woke up to blue skies and -25C with a 10k wind. It warmed up to -20C by the end of the day and the wind died down. They have had 350 inches of snow to date with the last snow fall 2 days ago. The trails are mostly packed down on the open slopes but there is still some broken powder in the trees and steep slopes.
My hostel is located 50M from the gondola, an easy walk. I had forgotten how steep Jackson Hole really is. There are a few green trails at the bottom of the mountain for beginners. Otherwise, the blues are blacks and the blacks are double blacks. Double blacks are not marked except for a caution sign which I would classify as elevator chutes. The tree skiing is endless with moguls like Volkswagens. You have to jump each turn to get down. I did a few chutes which are about 20 feet wide and 45-50 degrees steep. I had to stop along the way to take pictures and to catch my breath. I can do about 10 jump turns in row and then take a minute to rest.
Sometimes I think that I am an expert skier. Watching certain skiers here changes my perception of what an expert western skier really is. The view from anywhere on the mountain is nothing less than spectacular. The mountain is huge. There is 4500 feet of vertical. If you venture onto a black-double black, unlike other ski centres, there is virtually no way out. Your must ski the whole way down. One poor fellow lost his ski on a fall. As a good patroller, I asked him if he needed help, but he had already radioed the ski patrol his where abouts and they were bringing him a ski so that he could get down.
I used to say to my kids that ‘we would warm up with some double blacks and then try something more difficult’. I skied alone for most of the day as I find it rather difficult to ski with people here other than my kids. With my kids we can usually ski at the same speed and on the trails with the same difficulty. When I try to ski with people that I don’t know, they usually want to take blue trails and don’t ski bumps or trees.
Everyone here skis on powder skis. I didn’t see anyone with the type of narrow carving skis that we use out east. Everyone slides their turns rather than carving them even on the groomers. The hill is empty. There are no line ups at all, I ski down the hill and take the next gondola or chair right up without waiting at all. That makes for a lot of skiing at the end of the day.
The prices here have become outrageous which may explain the lack of people. It is difficult to find a condo for $1 million but properties of $10 to $20 million are a dime a dozen. But then again, what do you want. I would classify the skiing here as my number 1 place to go. Whistler is great, but the weather and the crowds since Vail bought the mountain are a little disappointing.
My conference starts tomorrow morning with a breakfast at 6:30. I am trying to master the website and will try to add some photos tomorrow.
Love,
Brian
Sent from my iPad
23-01 Jackson Hole 1D
Jackson Hole 1D,
Jan. 30, 2023,
Hi Everyone,It’s been a long day, 14 hours door to door travel time. I was up at 6:00 and had a taxi waiting for me at 6:30. I always take Atlas Taxi as it is run by a group of Iranians who are always very friendly. One of my Iranian patients started off the company with a few partners several years ago. I got to the airport 3 hours early and was able to make it to the plane with half an hour to spare. The friendly USA has its own border customs in airports all over the world. I was able to grab a quick bagel and cap just in time for the final board call.
I don’t know why US border guards have to be so surly. ‘Where are you going?’ “Jackson Hole” ‘Where?’ “Jackson Hole” ‘Where’s that?’ “Wyoming” ‘Why you going there?’ “Medical conference” ‘Business or pleasure’ “Medical conference” ‘I said business or pleasure.’ “Ok, business” etc… I always try to be polite with border patrollers as they are always bigger than me, are armed and can call in reinforcements. Anyway, I got through it alright.
I flew to Newark, then on to Denver and finally to Jackson Hole. I had ¾ of an hour between flights and had to run across the airport to make my next flight. I ski on Salomon, QST 92 underfoot which is a powder ski. I recently bought a pair of Rossignol, Elite, Multiturn, 74 underfoot which is a carving ski. The Salmons are western skis and the Rossignols are eastern skis. I brought both pairs of skis to Jackson Hole, just in case… I was able to pack them both into my Dakine double ski bag into which I can put my boots, my ski accessories and all of my clothes. Luckily it has rollers as I can’t lift the thing. They don’t weigh skis (secret) at the airport so I got on the plane with only a small brief case for my iPad and camera. I was worried that the skis would not make the transfer between planes but was delighted that we all arrived together.
I am staying at ‘the Hostel’ a rather cheap accommodation in the center of Jackson Hole at the base of the mountain. The conference is at a hotel called Snake Lodge a few minutes away and considerably more expensive. Usually I rent a condo with my kids a few minutest away but that option was not available this year. The Hostel caters to university students and I appear to be the white haired professor. Oh well! I split the cab ride with a couple of urologists as the airport is 25km away from the village. I am paying 250 times what I used to pay for a bed in a youth hostel in 1970 in Europe but I have my own room with a shower.
Tomorrow I will ski on my powder skis and check out the tree runs and chutes. They have received 250 inches of snow to date with a large snow fall 2 days ago. Today however it is freezing cold, -25C with a bluebird day expected tomorrow.
I am sitting at our old watering hole, the Mangy Moose and had an American special, a hamburger with French fries. The hamburger was 3 inches high with a salad in between the bread which I removed so that I could open my mouth to eat it. France is a country with 1000 recipes and 1 religion. The USA is a country with I recipe and 1000 religions.
See ya all tomorrow after a days skiing .
Love.
Brian
23-01 Jackson Hole 1C
Jackson Hole 1C
Jan 30, 2023,
Hi Everyone,I have been to Jackson Hole on multiple occasions over the last 30 years, always with a combination of a medical conference and skiing. People laugh, but the conference is superb. The conference runs from 6:30 am to 9:30 am including breakfast. On powder days, I cut out of 8:45. The conference resumes from 4:30 to 7:00 including ‘refreshments’. We are usually 75 urologists present which allows people to ask questions to the professors. The big American and European Urology Conferences have 10-12000 people present not including the reps from pharmaceuticals and medical equipment companies. I usually get lost in big conferences.
The Jackson Hole Urology Conference, also named the Ralph Hopkins Urology Conference after its founder. About 12 years ago I started getting short of breath. I didn’t notice it that much as I was playing squash twice a week and hockey twice a week. My blood pressure was 105/55 and my pulse was 52. How could I have cardiovascular disease? I was almost dead wrong.
30 years ago I took Antoine to a medical-ski conference in Whistler. The next year I took Melanie and eventually the twins. Gradually the group grew from 2 to 3 to 4 to 8. Dominique joined our ski group and then came the boyfriend, the girlfriend, the husband and the wife. On our last trip to Jackson Hole we were 7. This year the 2 of the couples can’t come and the other 2 have 2 year old children and the voyage would be too difficult. Alas I am alone this time.
I tell the kids that we will start the day with some double black to warm up and then do something more difficult. At the top to the mountain we would climb up a little more, slightly out of bounds, to get some fresh pow-pow. (Powder snow or freshness) 10 years ago at the top I was gasping for breath but with no chest pain. I remember telling Alyson that my climbing days were over as I was too old!
I knew Ralph Hopkins as I had attended a few conferences and he new me on a first name basis. After one of the last sessions, he came up to me to have a chat. “ Hey Brian, how are you? How do you like the conference?” ‘Oh, I really like it.’ “Will you be back next year?” ‘Yes of course’. We shook hands and parted as friends and colleagues promising to see each other next year. 2 weeks after returning to Montreal, I had 3 heart attacks in the space of 10 days while playing hockey. I kept returning for the next game in spite of the angina. Eventually I had a quadruple bypass. I was playing hockey 3 months later and have done 10 triathlons since then. Ralph had a heart attack 3 months later and passed away. I came very close to seeing again and wonder if he is still waiting for me.
Love,
Brian
Sent from my iPad
23-01 Jackson Hole 1B
Jackson Hole 1B
Jan. 30, 2023,
Hi Everyone,The next paragraphs contain a little introduction to myself dedicated to those of you who are new to my blog. You may wish to skip this introduction if you know it by heart or have heard it several times before. I graduated McGill at age 20 in 1970 with a BSc in science and a major in psychology. Even at that time there was not much that I could do with it except to hope to get into medical school.
I worked for the summer with the Fuller Brush Company as a door to door salesman mostly selling household products. That was my 3rd summer with the company and I convinced them that I should be a manager and teach other students how to sell. Eventually, that summer I had 27 students working for me and I received a percentage of their sales. I accumulated a small fortune with enough money to pay for a trip to Europe for a full year.
I left Montreal on Sept. 10, 1970 with my friend Bram, and flew to Paris on a one way ticket for $82. This included free alcohol. We booked our flight with Tourbec, so all of the passengers were McGill, U of M and Sir George Williams students. Alcohol was free on board and real meals were served. This was the hippy generation and smoking tobacco among other things was tolerated. I still remember as we approached Paris, the pilot announcing that he wanted us to all ‘come down’ with the plane.
We stayed at a small hotel in Paris for 22 Fr (about $4). The Canadian dollar was worth something in those days. After 4 days , we grew tired of the Paris drizzle and hitched hiked to Marseille. We grew tired of hitching and eventually bought small motorcycles. It was harder for 2 guys to hitch together. Later I learned to either hitch alone or pick up a girl to hitch with which insured a ride. Bram had an accident and returned to Canada after 6 weeks. I returned 6 years later although I did go home for the summer 2 years later and every summer afterwards.
My budget was $3 a day, $1 for food, $1 for rent and $1 for gas. I slept out on beaches and in parks ⅓ of the time leaving me some money for alcohol which was dirt cheap then. I rode around Europe for 6 months, crossing North Africa and taking a ferry to Sicily. The bike was stolen in Italy so I hitch hiked for 6 months. It was an amazing time to be young as everything was safe them. I bought skis in Austria and skied for 2 months in Austria, Switzerland and Italy, sleeping in youth hostels where I met people from around the world. A ski ticket in Grindelwald cost me $28 for 14 days. I was rich beyond belief. Eventually I ended up in Israel, sleeping on beaches and working on a Kibbutz for 2 months.
My parents and my girlfriend kept my letters which I have not looked at for 51 years. Eventually, for my retirement, I will read them and write a travelogue. I flew to France in June 1971, took a French language course in Montpelier and enrolled in medicine at the Faculte de Medicine de Reims, the capitol of champagne. I also met my wife, Dominique there and imported her to Canada.
I travelled as much as possible during my 5 years in France. My love of travel never left me. The list of countries that I have visited is beyond the scope of this letter as my wife and I try to do 1 or 2 trips a year and I have done at least 30 ski trips out west. Hence my trip to Jackson Hole where I can combine a medical conference and fabulous skiing.
Love ,
Brian
Sent from my iPad
23-01 Jackson Hole 1A
Jackson Hole 1A,
Jan. 30, 2023,
Hi Everyone,I have been travelling for 53 years. Over the last 20 years I have documented my trip with a ‘blog’, sometimes accompanied with photos. I sent my blog to my family and friends. Over the last few years, my list has grown to over 100 people. Eventually I created several groups of readers. Still it became somewhat arduous to send the emails given the internet difficulties in different countries and while on the sea. My kids suggested that I creat a website-blog that people could go to to receive my news.
My daughter, Marion, used to work for a public relations company where her job was to approach ‘influencers’ to promote different products. Her company’s sponsors would pay thousands of dollars to certain people that had a large following. I asked her how I could be paid $10,000 for this type of work. I replied that I had at least 100 people on my list of ‘friends’. However, this did not seem to count as I was writing to them rather than them going to my website. So….Antoine, my son, helped me set up a website. Thus, my blog, gobriantravel.wordpress.com was created. Although Marion no longer works for the same company, my financial goals are still the same and I am hoping to accumulate 10,000 visitors to my website.
Love,
Brian
Sent from my iPad
gobriantravel 