It's World Cup time

I arrived at the first World Cup site two days ago.  We were treated to clearing skies for a few hours today while the sun was just above the horizon.  It's an exciting time for me right now.  We have partnered with a film company to make 10 high quality behind the scenes videos this season.  They will all come out under the "Inside the Fence" brand :)

Here is a link to an Alpine version.  Same company for us but we lack a sponsor so we can film anything!  We took lots of drone footage today and it will offer a perspective that few have ever seen from the Ruka venue....and they are going to teach me how to use it.  Can't wait.  Here are some pictures from the mtn side we hiked across to launch the drone.  We rode the ski jump chairlift to the top and then walked off into the trees.  Did I mention that I am excited about this project???  Well I am.  We will have the first video ready this weekend.  I will post the link.
Some images from the little adventure today.

                                                
Sunshine catching the top of the ski jump.  No way I would ever ski down and off that thing.

My view from lunch yesterday around 2 pm.  The fog returned and you can already feel the darkness coming.  But that doesn't deter some hardy alpine skiers. 

 If you look closely you can see Anchorage at the top of the picture.  This is a map at the Rovaniemi airport.  It would have been so much faster to just take one flight directly over from Anchorage!  Now I know why the 11 hr time change feels like it does.  We are literally around the World.

Beauty of the north

I'll let the pictures do the talking again as I have settled into the usual training camp routine.  Wake up - eat - train - eat - try not to nap - train - eat - sleep.  The sun this far north just skirts the horizon and the last two days of clear skies have made for some great winter images.

Matt Whitcomb got this shot last night walking to dinner.  

About 8:15 this morning on the way to breakfast

Everything is coated in heavy frost.  Humid air temp makes -10c feel like -20c

The sun is up but won't ever make it above that hill today. 

Water break along the trail.  

Beautiful trail conditions.  

This is at around 11:45 am.  The sun is somewhere to the right but we are in the shadow.

In the shadow of the mtn.  Sun on the flats. 

Looking back over the Hotel grounds.  

The adventure begins again

And the European adventure begins again.  Although it feels less like an adventure and more like returning from a long summer vacation.  It's good to be back in Europe.  The alps are still beautiful and the north is already shrouded in winter and it's expected darkness.  I have finally arrived in one place where we will stay for more than one day, it will be 5 days to be exact.  After 5 days of travel that included 5 flights, two train rides and one short van trip that took us from Anchorage - Zurich - Oberhoffen - Zurich - Helsinki - Muonio, I can finally open my bags because I won't be closing them back up tomorrow morning.

I have been awake since 4 am with jet lag and it is now 3 pm in the afternoon and we are getting ready to go for our first ski with head lights.

I will rejoin my FIS colleagues next Wednesday in Ruka, Finland about a 5 hour drive from here in Muonio and the World Cup will begin Nov 29-30.  Muonio is very close to Levi, Finland along the Swedish border where the second stop of the FIS Alpine tour competed last weekend.

Here are a few pictures from the past few days since leaving AK.

Back at the Airport Hilton in Zurich.  Lunch before we started our train ride to Oberhoffen. 

 Somebody is feeling the jet lag.

View from the hotel in Oberhoffen.  Now I know why the FIS office is here. Beautiful!

Yoko ski pole photo shoot in Helsinki

Feels like winter with one of the National team wax trucks here in Muonio.  Nine countries have them now.